Unit Three – Political Beliefs & Behaviors

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Political Beliefs

PoliticalBehaviors

VocabularyMore

vocabularyPotpourri

The most influential agent in the political socialization process

Family

Believes in “big” government.

Liberal

The effect of a college education on political views

Generally see themselves as more liberal

Three of the values that make up American political culture

equality of opportunityliberty

democracycivic responsibility

What conservatives believe to be the job of the government

to encourage a free market economy and to preserve a traditional way of living

The most common form of political participation in the

United States

Voting in presidential elections

The relationship between socioeconomic status and participation in politics

the higher one’s socioeconomic status, the more likely they are to participate in politics & vice

versa

Two types of unconventional political participation

Rallies, protests, riots, picketing, sit-ins, boycotts

Three elements that can influence how one votes once they decide

to do so

Candidate evaluation, policy voting, party affiliation

Which of the following accurately characterizes the main difference between elite theories and pluralist theories of politics in the US?A – Elite theories concentrate on the role of interest groups; pluralist theories emphasize the role of individuals

B – Elite theories argue that a single minority dominates politics in all policy areas; pluralist theories argue that many minorities compete for power in different policy areas

C – Elite theories argue that social status is the major source of political power; pluralist theories argue that wealth is the major source

D – Elite theories emphasize the multiple access points that interest groups have to public officials; pluralist theories stress the limits in the number and effectiveness of such access points

E – Elite theories view government as efficient; pluralist theories view it as slow and wasteful

B – Elite theories argue that a single minority dominates politics in all policy areas; pluralist

theories argue that many minorities compete for power in different policy areas

The inability of the government to do its job,

usually caused by the existence of a divided

government.

Policy gridlock

Culture war

The “fight” between orthodox and progressives over the type of country we should live in,

animated by deeply held beliefs over what is right and what is wrong

Reapportionment

The redistribution of House seats that happens every ten years based on the population counts

of the most recent census

The process by which one gains their political beliefs

Political socialization

1993 law that requires states to allow eligible

citizens to register to vote while applying for their

driver’s license

Motor Voter Act

Referendum

A method of direct legislation that gives voters the chance to approve or reject proposed

legislation or constitutional amendments at the state or local level

The belief that one’s political participation

really matters

Political efficacy

Minority majority

The presence of a non-white majority

Indicates the level of confidence in the findings of

a public opinion poll; the more people interviewed, the more confident one can be of

the results

Sampling error

Random sampling

Technique used by survey researchers to ensure that the survey is representative of the people – everyone should have an equal chance of being

selected for the sample

Which of the following is an accurate statement about political participation in the United States today?A – A majority of Americans campaign for a candidate in each presidential election

B – Over 75% of Americans vote in presidential elections

C – Similar proportions of eligible men and women vote in presidential elections

D – People who participate in the political process are usually angry at government

E – People 30 to 40 are less likely to be active in politics than are those aged 18 to 21

C – Similar proportions of eligible men and women vote in presidential elections

Since 1960, the presidential election process has been affected by an increase in all of the following except the:A – proportion of independents in the electorate

B – influence of political consultants

C – number of primaries

D – turnout of voters

E – role of television

D – turnout of voters

“Voting is partly a matter of habit: the more frequently a person has voted in the past, the more likely she or he is to vote in the current election.” All of the following support the observation above EXCEPT:A – Newly naturalized citizens may need special inducements (encouragement) to vote

B – Unmarried persons over the age of 65 are less likely to vote than are married persons in that age group

C – Immediately after the Twenty-Sixth Amendment in 1971 gave 18-to-21 year olds the vote, the proportion of eligible voters who actually voted declined

D – Immediately after the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920 gave women the vote, the proportion of eligible voters who actually voted declined

E – Immediately after the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the participation rate of Black voters in the South was lower than that of White voters in the South

B – Unmarried persons over the age of 65 are less likely to vote than are married persons in

that age group

Surveys that ask individuals whether they voted in a given election are hampered by the fact thatA – most people regard voting as a private matter.

B – federal law prohibits questioning voters within forty-eight hours of an election.

C – most people cannot remember whether they voted D – the individuals sampled are frequently unrepresentative of the larger population.

E – some 10 percent will report voting when in fact they did not

E – some 10 percent will report voting when in fact they did not

Which of the following most accurately describes people’s confidence in American government since September 11, 2001?

A – There was an extraordinary outburst of support, which has only just now begun to decline. B – There was an extraordinary outburst of support, which began to decline within a year. C – There was no real change in the level of support. D – There was an extraordinary outburst of support, which began to decline within the year, but, because of post-9/11 feelings, may surge again in the future. E – There was an extraordinary outburst of support, which began to decline within the year and will probably never surge again because of post-9/11 feelings.

B – There was an extraordinary outburst of support, which began to decline within a year.