Public Opinion The distribution of the population's beliefs about politics and policy issues
Demography The science of population changes
Census A valuable tool for understanding population changes; required every 10 years
Political Culture An overall set of values widely shared within a society
"Minority Majority" All ethic minority groups combined, outnumbering Anglos
"...the process through which an individual acquires his/her particular political
Political Socialization
orientation"
Random Sampling Key to accuracy in conducting public opinion polls
What do critics of polling think? That it makes politicians followers instead of leaders
Political Protest The use of drastic and unconventional tactics to achieve policy changes
Political Ideology A coherent set of values and beliefs about public policy
Civil Disobedience Knowingly breaking the law thought to be unjust
A "team of men and women seeking to control the governing apparatus by gaining
Political Party
office in a duly constituted election"
What does it take in the U.S. to become a You need to claim to be one (a member)
member of a political party?
"Party-in-Government" Winning candidates who become the main spokesperson for their party
Nomination Officially endorsing a candidate for office by a political party
Ticket-splittinh Voting with one Party and another party for other offices
Open: voters decide on Election Day which party to participate in
Closed vs. Open Primaries
Closed: must be registered with their party in advance prior to election day
Part Era A period of time when dominating majority party wins most elections
What were Democratic-Republicans known Jeffersonian Republicans, Republicans, and Jeffersonians
as?
Party Dealignment People leaving/moving away from both major parties
Party Realignment When majority party falls from power and minority rises during critical election
WTA: discourages all small parties; legislative is award to top vote getters
Winner-take-all vs Proportional
Representation systems PRS: legislative seats are allocated based on the percent of votes a party wins in a
nationwide election
Politicians want to be elected, voters want their policies pursued. Therefore, a
Rational Choice Theory
rational politician will run on policies the majority of voters want
1. Propose legislation on a ballot (if they gather enough signatures)
Initiative Petition
2. Voters decide to reject or accept
How did the Republican Party begin? Republicans began as the principle anti-slavery party
1/3
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller Denyss. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $12.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.