AP®︎ U.S. Government & Politics: Topic 4.5 Flashcards

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

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

The smaller group whose responses a poll actually collects to estimate the views of a population

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

The source or procedure used to identify and reach possible respondents

A sample in which members of the target population have a known chance of selection

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

A sample created by dividing the population into relevant categories and randomly selecting respondents within each category

Statistically adjusting respondents’ influence so the completed sample better matches known characteristics of the population

Bias caused when the selection process systematically makes some population members more likely to be included than others

Bias caused when the sampling frame excludes portions of the target population

Bias caused when people choose whether to participate, often overrepresenting those with unusually strong views

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

Bias that occurs when respondents give answers that do not reflect their actual views

An unscientific poll, often an online click or call-in survey, whose self-selected respondents ordinarily cannot support conclusions about the general public

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

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

Specific, comprehensible, and unbiased wording that does not encourage a particular response

A question that encourages a particular answer by attaching favorable or unfavorable language to one position

A change in responses caused by earlier questions influencing how respondents answer later questions

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

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

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