Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
139 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
Core beliefs |
The most fundamental beliefs in a national population about human nature, the country, government, and the economy |
|
|
Political attitudes |
Individuals views and preferences about public policies, political parties, candidates, government institutions, and public officials |
|
|
Public opinion |
The aggregated political attitudes of ordinary people as revealed by surveys |
|
|
Sample survey |
An interview study asking questions of a set of people who are chosen as representative of the whole population |
|
|
______ Is the term coined to describe the lack of a policy position by citizens |
Non-attitudes |
|
|
If your roommate tells you that she hates the direction that a particular political party has taken the country, that is an expression of a ______ |
Political attitude |
|
|
Political opinions expressed by citizens, when considered as a whole, are known as _____ |
Public opinion |
|
|
Random sampling |
The selection of survey respondents by chance, with equal probability of being selected, to ensure their representatives of the whole population |
|
|
Random sampling |
The selection of survey respondents by chance, with equal probability of being selected, to ensure their representatives of the whole population |
|
|
Sampling error |
Statistical uncertainty in estimates associated with the fact that surveys do not interview every individual in a population of interest |
|
|
Pollsters who use probability sampling to identify samples of respondents to answer the public opinion polls would take which action? |
They would ensure that each respondent has an equal chance of being surveyed |
|
|
What is the problem that pollsters have when conducting telephone surveys? |
Americans are inundated by telephone surveys and are less likely to participate |
|
|
Political socialization |
The process by which individuals come to have certain core beliefs and political attitudes |
|
|
Political socialization |
The process by which individuals come to have certain core beliefs and political attitudes |
|
|
Agents of socialization |
Those institutions and individuals that shape the core beliefs and attitudes of people |
|
|
Process by which citizens acquire core beliefs and values is known as ____ |
Political socialization |
|
|
Whose influence affects how people think about the political world more than the others? |
Family members |
|
|
A pool of young people reaches voting age when an extremely popular Republican president is in office. Most of this group ends up identifying with the Republican Party. Which political socialization effect is at work in this example? |
Generational effect |
|
|
The instruments by which values and beliefs are transmitted to members of society are called _____ |
Agents of socialization |
|
|
_____ are less likely to identify with a political party than other groups in the United States |
Younger citizens |
|
|
How do the economic policy preferences of African Americans compare with those of other races? |
The economic policy preferences of African Americans are more liberal than those of other races |
|
|
What is a true statement about the gender gap? |
Women identify as Democrats and support democratic candidates more than men do |
|
|
Generally which of the following statements about Asian-Americans is accurate? |
They are more conservative than other Americans on social issues |
|
|
People who are members of a labor union generally _____ |
Support the Democratic Party |
|
|
Political ideology |
A system of interrelated and coherently organized political beliefs and attitudes |
|
|
Collective public opinion |
Political attitudes of the public as a whole, expressed as averages, percentages, or other summaries of many individuals opinions |
|
|
Rational public |
The notion that collective public opinion is a rational in the sense that it is generally stable and consistent and that when it changes it does so as an understandable response to events, to changing circumstances, and to new information |
|
|
Presidential job approval rating |
The presidents standing with the public, indicated by the percentage of Americans who tell survey interviewers that they approve a presidents "handling of his job" |
|
|
Economic conservatives |
People who favor private enterprise and oppose government regulation of business |
|
|
Economic liberals |
People who favor government regulation of business to protect the public from harm, and government spending for social programs |
|
|
Social (lifestyle) liberals |
People who favor civil liberties, abortion rights, and alternative lifestyles |
|
|
Social (lifestyle) conservatives |
People who favor traditional social values; they tend to support Strong law and order measures and oppose abortion and gay rights |
|
|
Policy preferences |
Citizens ideas about what policies they want government to pursue |
|
|
Isolationism |
The policy of avoiding undue involvement in the affairs of other countries in multilateral institutions |
|
|
Unilateralist |
The Stance toward foreign-policy that suggests that the United States should "go it alone" pursuing it's national interests without seeking the cooperation of other nations or multilateral institutions |
|
|
Isolationism |
The policy of avoiding undue involvement in the affairs of other countries in multilateral institutions |
|
|
Unilateralist |
The Stance toward foreign-policy that suggests that the United States should "go it alone" pursuing it's national interests without seeking the cooperation of other nations or multilateral institutions |
|
|
Multilateralist |
The stance toward foreign-policy which suggest that the United States should seek the cooperation of other nations multilateral institutions in pursuing it's goals |
|
|
Which of the following defines the term political ideology? |
Political ideology is a coherent system of interlocking attitudes and beliefs about politics |
|
|
Which of the following statements about the meaning of the rational public is true? |
The attitudes of the American public as a whole appear to be rational |
|
|
How has the level of trust that Americans have in government changed since the 1960s? |
Declined substantially |
|
|
Which of the following is the priority of economic conservatives? |
Economic liberty and freedom from government interference |
|
|
Retrospective voting model or electoral reward and punishment model |
A theory of democratic elections in which voters look back at the performance of a party in power and cast ballots on the basis of how well it did in office |
|
|
Retrospective voting model or electoral reward and punishment model |
A theory of democratic elections in which voters look back at the performance of a party in power and cast ballots on the basis of how well it did in office |
|
|
Median voter |
The voter who is, idealogically at the center of the political issue spectrum |
|
|
Electoral competition voting model |
A form of election in which parties seeking votes move toward the median voter or the center of the political spectrum |
|
|
Responsible party |
The notion that a political party will take clear and distinct stands on the issues and enact them as policy once elected to office |
|
|
Prospective voting model |
The theory of democratic elections in which voters decide what government will do in the near future by choosing one or another responsible party |
|
|
In the electoral competition voting model of democratic elections, how do unified parties compete for votes? |
By taking the most popular position |
|
|
Which of the following models of elections requires that parties stake out different positions on the issues of the day? |
The prospective voting model |
|
|
Voting a party back into office based on the belief that they have governed well previously is an example of the _____ voting model |
Retrospective |
|
|
Provisional ballots |
A Vote that is cast but not counted until determination is made that the voter is properly registered |
|
|
Plurality |
More votes than any other candidate but less than a majority of all votes cast |
|
|
Which of the following is a distinguishing feature of elections in the United States? |
Election and vote counting procedures are inconsistent across the country |
|
|
Approximately how many political offices do we fill through elections in the United States? |
500,000 |
|
|
Voter with a registration issue on election day can still vote using a ____ |
Provisional ballot |
|
|
Franchise |
The legal right to vote |
|
|
Franchise |
The legal right to vote |
|
|
Suffrage |
The legal right to vote |
|
|
Franchise |
The legal right to vote |
|
|
Suffrage |
The legal right to vote |
|
|
electoral college |
Representatives selected in each of the states, their numbers based on each states total number of its senators and representatives; a majority of electoral college votes elect the president |
|
|
Party convention |
A gathering of delegates who nominate a party's presidential candidate |
|
|
Primary election |
Statewide elections in which voters choose delegates to the national party conventions |
|
|
Primary election |
Statewide elections in which voters choose delegates to the national party conventions |
|
|
Party caucuses |
The process for selecting delegates to the national party conventions characterized by neighborhood and area wide meetings of party supporters and activists |
|
|
Turnout |
The proportion of either eligible or all voting age Americans who actually vote in a given election; the two ways of counting turnout yield different results |
|
|
Referenda |
Procedures available in some states by which state laws are constitutional amendments proposed by the legislature or submitted to the voters for approval or rejection |
|
|
Initiatives |
Procedures available in some states for citizens to put propose laws in constitutional amendments on the ballot for voter approval or rejection |
|
|
Most delegates the Republican and Democratic national convention's are selected _____ |
At party caucuses |
|
|
Women won the right to vote in the United States in ____ |
1920 |
|
|
The legal right to vote is called the ______ |
Franchise |
|
|
Which factor generally influences likelihood of person voting? |
Race |
|
|
When compared to whites, current turnout rates among African-Americans are generally ______ |
Equal |
|
|
In The 2012 election, turn out among 18 to 24-year-olds was just under _____ percent |
40 |
|
|
Superdelegates |
Elected officials from all levels of government who are appointed by party committees to be delegates to the national convention of the Democratic Party; not selected in primary elections or caucuses |
|
|
Which type of campaign contribution falls under the jurisdiction of the federal election commission? |
Hard money |
|
|
Elected officials from all levels of government who are appointed by the party committees to be delegates to the Democratic national convention are known as ____. |
Superdelegates |
|
|
What group does not have to reveal the source of its financial donations? |
501s |
|
|
Electors |
Representatives who are elected in the states to formally choose the US president |
|
|
When a candidate has won more votes than any other candidate but has attained less than a majority of all votes cast, what is the candidate said have won? |
A plurality of the votes |
|
|
The representatives who are elected in the states to formally choose the US president are known as ____ |
Electors |
|
|
The representatives who are elected in the states to formally choose the US president are known as ____ |
Electors |
|
|
One effect of the electoral college is to _____ |
Discourage third-party formation |
|
|
Interest groups |
A private organization or voluntary association that seeks to influence public policy as a way to protect or advance its interests |
|
|
Factions |
Madison's term for groups or parties that try to advance their own interests at the expense of the public good |
|
|
Pluralism |
The political science position that American democracy is best understood in terms of the interaction, conflict, and bargaining of groups |
|
|
Which of the following statements about interest groups is true? |
Interest groups are private organizations and voluntary associations |
|
|
Where does James Madison discuss the danger of factions? |
In the Federalist no. 10 |
|
|
_____ see interest groups as an additional tool of democratic representation |
Pluralists |
|
|
What does a pluralist believe about interest groups? |
That interest groups help communicate the specific wants and interests of the people to political leaders |
|
|
Private interests |
Interest groups that seek to protect or advance the material interest of its members |
|
|
Public interests |
Interest groups, also known as advocacy groups, that work to gain protections or benefits for society at large |
|
|
Lobbying |
Effort by an interest or advocacy group to influence the behavior of a public official |
|
|
Lobbying |
Effort by an interest or advocacy group to influence the behavior of a public official |
|
|
Advocacy groups |
Interest groups, also known as public interest, organized to support a cause or ideology |
|
|
What is the primary motivation of all public interest groups? |
To gain protections or benefits for people beyond their own members |
|
|
Which of the following is an example of a private interest group? |
The American Bar Association |
|
|
Which of the following statements offers the best characterization of labor union influence in current American politics? |
Labor unions are clearly on the defensive and less influential in American politics relative to the power of business |
|
|
Lobbyists |
A Person who attempts to influence the behavior of public officials on behalf of an interest group |
|
|
Disturbance theory |
A theory positioning that interest groups originate with changes in the economic, social, or political environment that threaten the well-being of some segment of the population |
|
|
Which of the following arguments about interest groups is a disturbance theorist likely to make? |
That interest groups generally form when a particular set of interests comes under threat |
|
|
Which of the following statements concerning the relationship between the constitution and interest groups is true? |
Constitutional rules, like the first amendment, encourage the formation of interest groups |
|
|
Disturbance theory is a theory about ____ |
Interest group formation |
|
|
Approximately how many paid lobbyist work in Washington DC? |
35,000 |
|
|
Earmarks |
Provisions written into congressional legislation that appropriate money for specific pet projects of members of Congress, usually done at the behest of lobbyists, and added to bills at the last minute with little opportunity for deliberation |
|
|
Amicus curiae |
Latin for "friend of the court"; a legal brief in which individuals not party to a suit may have their views heard in court |
|
|
Amicus curiae |
Latin for "friend of the court"; a legal brief in which individuals not party to a suit may have their views heard in court |
|
|
Grassroots lobbying |
The effort by interest groups to mobilize local constituencies, shape public opinion to support the groups goals, and bring that pressure to bear on elected officials |
|
|
In the context of interest group politics, what is the essential characteristic of the inside game? |
Direct, personal contact between group representatives and government officials |
|
|
In the context of interest group politics, what is the essential characteristic of the inside game? |
Direct, personal contact between group representatives and government officials |
|
|
Interest groups hope to sway the views of the courts by filling _____, which are briefs in support of one side or the other engaged in a legal action |
Amicus curiae |
|
|
When does the inside game seem to work best? |
When the issues are narrow and technical |
|
|
When does the inside game seem to work best? |
When the issues are narrow and technical |
|
|
Which of the following statements about the outside games is false? |
The outside game is mainly used to defend the status quo rather than to try to change existing policies |
|
|
When does the inside game seem to work best? |
When the issues are narrow and technical |
|
|
Which of the following statements about the outside games is false? |
The outside game is mainly used to defend the status quo rather than to try to change existing policies |
|
|
Which of the following is a tactic of players of the inside game? |
Cultivating personal relationships with members of the House and Senate to gain access to lawmaking |
|
|
When does the inside game seem to work best? |
When the issues are narrow and technical |
|
|
Which of the following statements about the outside games is false? |
The outside game is mainly used to defend the status quo rather than to try to change existing policies |
|
|
Which of the following is a tactic of players of the inside game? |
Cultivating personal relationships with members of the House and Senate to gain access to lawmaking |
|
|
Political action committees (PACs) |
An entry created by an interest group whose purpose is to collect money and make contributions to candidates and federal elections |
|
|
Political action committees (PACs) |
An entry created by an interest group whose purpose is to collect money and make contributions to candidates and federal elections |
|
|
Iron triangles |
An enduring alliance of common interest among an interest group, a congressional committee, and a bureaucratic agency |
|
|
Political action committees (PACs) |
An entry created by an interest group whose purpose is to collect money and make contributions to candidates and federal elections |
|
|
Iron triangles |
An enduring alliance of common interest among an interest group, a congressional committee, and a bureaucratic agency |
|
|
Sub governments |
Another name for an iron triangle |
|
|
Political action committees (PACs) |
An entry created by an interest group whose purpose is to collect money and make contributions to candidates and federal elections |
|
|
Iron triangles |
An enduring alliance of common interest among an interest group, a congressional committee, and a bureaucratic agency |
|
|
Sub governments |
Another name for an iron triangle |
|
|
Issue networks |
Broad coalitions of public and private interest groups, policy experts, and public officials that form around particular policy issues; said to be more visible to the public and more inclusive |
|
|
Revolving door |
The common practice in which former government officials become lobbyists for interest with whom they formally dealt in their official capacity |
|
|
Of the following groups, whose views are not very well represented in American politics by interest groups? |
The poor |
|
|
The inside game is generally dominated by which type of interest group? |
Business corporations |
|
|
Roughly how many lobbyists work for the pharmaceutical industry lobbying members of Congress? |
1,300 |
|
|
A ______ is an entity created by an interest group whose purpose is to collect money and make donations to political candidates |
Political action committee |
|
|
What term is used to describe an enduring alliance of common interest among an interest group, congressional committee, and a bureaucratic agency? |
Iron triangle |
|
|
The term ____ describes the situation in which former government officials become lobbyists for interest with whom the formerly dealt in their official capacity |
Revolving door |
|
|
Of the following tactics for regulating interest groups in American politics, which is likely to be more effective than the others? |
Disclosure requirements requiring political actors to register as lobbyists |
