STUDY GUIDE: POLITICAL BELIEFS & BEHAVIORS
AP Government
Ch.11 Public Opinion & Political Socialization
Vocabulary:
Public opinion
Demography
Census
Melting pot
Minority majority
Political culture
Reapportionment
Civil disobedience
Sample
Random sampling
Sampling error
Random-digit dialing
Protest
Political ideology
Gender gap
Political participation
Objective 1: Describe how demographic factors shape who we are politically.
1. Identify voting patterns based on demographics (gender, age, race, religion, income, geography)
Objective 2: Identify the processes through which people learn about politics.
1. Explain the significance of each of the following as sources for political learning:
 Family
 Mass media
 Schools
2. Name two ways in which aging affect political behavior.
Objective 3: Define public opinion, identify how it is measured, explain its role in shaping public policy, and
discuss the nature of political information in America.
1.
2.
3.
4.
What is the key to the accuracy of opinion polls?
Explain the technique of random-digit dialing.
List three criticisms of public opinion polling.
Literary Digest Poll:
Objective 4: Understand the concept of political ideology in the context of American politics and government.
1. Liberals – What are their general beliefs and what are their typical demographic characteristics?
2. Conservatives – What are their general beliefs and what are their typical demographic characteristics?
Ch.13: Elections and Voting
Vocabulary:
Legitimacy
Suffrage
Voter registration
recall
Referendum
Political efficacy
Policy voting
Primary election
Initiative petition
Civic duty
Retrospective voting
General Election
Objective 1: Explain the functions and unique features of American elections.
1. List the kinds of elections found in the United States and their purpose.
2. What are differences between a primary election and the general election?
Objective 2: Discuss the factors that affect a citizen’s choice of whether to vote.
1. List and explain three major reasons why people might vote.
2. What is the major provision of the 1993 Motor Voter Act?
3. List and explain six demographic factors that are related to voter turnout.
Objective 3: Explain how Americans vote and what factors influence how they vote.
1. What is meant by the “mandate theory of elections?”
2. How has the influence of party identification on voting changed since the 1950s?
Objective 4: Explain how the electoral college works and what biases it can introduce.
1. Briefly explain how the electoral college works.
2. What are the reasons why the electoral college is important to presidential elections.
Objective 5: Understand how elections affect democracy, public policy and the scope of government.
1. What are the two tasks that elections accomplish, according to democratic theory?
2. What is the clearest way in which elections broadly affect public policy?