AP®︎ U.S. Government & Politics: Unit 4 Flashcards

The widely shared beliefs, values, assumptions, and expectations that shape political life; U.S. political culture emphasizes democratic ideals and core values

The belief that people can and should shape their lives through their own choices, agency, self-reliance, and personal responsibility

The belief that all people should have an equal chance to compete, not a guarantee of equal outcomes

An economic system based primarily on private ownership, voluntary exchange, self-interest, competition, and limited government regulation

The principle that everyone, including government officials, is subject to the same laws and lawful procedures

The lifelong process through which individuals develop political beliefs, values, opinions, identities, and patterns of political behavior

A person, group, institution, or environment through which political learning occurs

The increasing movement of people, information, goods, capital, and cultural ideas across national borders, creating reciprocal influence among political cultures

A relatively organized set of beliefs about government and public policy

A lasting influence on political ideology caused by formative experiences shared by members of the same birth cohort

A change in political attitudes or priorities caused by experiences, roles, and responsibilities encountered at a particular stage of life

An event that focuses broad public attention on government, political conflict, or public policy and can reinforce or change political attitudes and ideology

The aggregation of individuals’ attitudes and beliefs about political leaders, institutions, events, issues, and public policy

A systematic survey that identifies a target population, selects a representative sample, uses neutral questions, reports sampling uncertainty, and draws conclusions supported by the data

A poll that measures a population’s views about candidates, institutions, events, or policy issues at a particular time

An early-campaign poll that establishes baseline measures of a candidate’s support, recognition, favorability, and strengths or weaknesses

A poll that repeatedly uses comparable questions and methods to measure changes in candidate support during a campaign

A survey of people who have voted that asks how and why they voted and often records demographic information

The entire group about which a poll seeks to draw a conclusion

A sample that resembles the target population in relevant respects without systematically including or excluding particular groups

A probability sample in which every member of the population has an equal chance of selection

The number of respondents included in a poll, with larger properly selected samples generally producing smaller margins of error

The likely range of sampling uncertainty around a poll estimate, usually stated in percentage points

The expected difference between a sample result and the population value because only part of the population was surveyed

Systematic distortion caused when a sampling process overrepresents or excludes parts of the population through unequal selection, inadequate coverage, or voluntary participation

Bias that occurs when selected people who do not participate differ meaningfully from those who respond

The language, framing, and order of survey questions can influence responses, so scientific polls use clear, neutral wording and avoid leading language and order effects

A campaign persuasion technique presented as a survey but designed to influence respondents with damaging or misleading information

Clearly disclosing a poll’s population, sample, methods, wording, dates, results, and uncertainty while drawing only conclusions the data support

Poll reliability is the extent to which methods produce dependable results, while validity is the extent to which the poll and its reported conclusions accurately measure what they claim to measure

Generally favors an active government role in expanding opportunity, protecting rights, providing services, regulating markets, and reducing economic insecurity

Generally emphasizes limited national government, individual responsibility, free enterprise, private property, and greater reliance on markets and state or local action

An ideology favoring minimal government involvement in both economic and social life except to protect individual liberty, property, contracts, voluntary exchange, and people from force or fraud

A major U.S. political party whose platforms generally align more closely with liberal ideological positions

A major U.S. political party whose platforms generally align more closely with conservative ideological positions

The recurring policy balance between freedom from unjustified government interference and government authority needed for public safety, predictable rules, and effective enforcement

Favors comparatively more regulation, progressive taxation, government spending, and intervention to promote fairness, security, and equality of opportunity

Favors fewer regulations, lower taxes, less government spending, and greater reliance on private enterprise, incentives, and individual responsibility

Favors little or no economic regulation beyond protecting property rights, enforcing contracts, preventing force or fraud, and enabling voluntary trade

Actions by Congress and the president that use government taxing and spending to influence economic conditions

Using government spending or tax cuts to increase aggregate demand during downturns, with reduced spending or higher taxes available to restrain inflation

Tax cuts, deregulation, and related policies intended to strengthen incentives to work, save, invest, produce, and expand economic growth

Increased government spending or tax cuts intended to raise demand, output, and employment, usually during a recession

Reduced government spending or higher taxes intended to restrain demand and inflation, though potentially slowing growth and employment

Federal Reserve actions that influence interest rates, credit, and the money supply to affect broader economic conditions

The nation’s independent central bank, which conducts monetary policy to pursue maximum employment and price stability

Fed actions such as lowering interest rates or buying government securities to encourage borrowing, spending, investment, output, and employment

Fed actions such as raising interest rates or selling government securities to reduce borrowing and spending and restrain inflation

An economic condition in which jobs are available for nearly everyone willing and able to work, allowing normal unemployment from job changes rather than requiring zero unemployment

An economic condition of low and stable inflation that preserves purchasing power and makes prices more predictable

Generally favors greater national action to expand access, reduce inequality, and establish consistent rights and minimum standards

Generally favors less national involvement and more state, local, family, community, and private responsibility, while sometimes supporting laws that uphold traditional values