Lesson 2.1
Alexis de Tocqueville- A French political thinker and historian who wrote Democracy
in America after his travels to America.
capitalism- An economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry
are controlled by private owners for profit.
civic duty- The responsibilities of a citizen.
conflictual political culture- Culture in which different groups clash with opposing
attitudes, beliefs, and values.
consensual political culture- Less conflicting culture with a broad base of political
values.
core American values- Liberty, Equality, Individualism, Democracy, Rule of law,
Civic duty.
Democracy in America- Written by Alexis de Tocqueville. He examines the
democratic revolution that he believed had been occurring over the past 700 years. He
wrote about the effects of the rising equality of social conditions on the individual and
the state in this society. It is still considered an early work of sociology and political
science.
political culture- The attitudes, beliefs, and values that underpin the operation of a
particular political system.
political efficacy- A theoretical concept used to explain political behavior in political
science. It shows citizens’ faith and trust in the government and his/her belief that
he/she can understand and influence political affairs. It is usually measured by surveys.
political tolerance- The willingness to extend basic rights and civil liberties to people
and groups whose viewpoints differ from one’s own.
rugged individualism- Individualism in social and economic affairs; belief not only
in personal liberty and self-reliance but also in free competition.
rule of law- A state in order in which events conform to the law.
Lesson 2.2
conservatism- A political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of
traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in
society.
ideology- A set of doctrines or beliefs that form the basis of a political system.
ideologues- An advocate of a particular ideology.
liberalism- Political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of
the human race, and the autonomy of the individual and standing for the protection of
political and civil liberties; considers government as a crucial instrument for social
equality.
libertarianism- One who advocates maximizing individual rights and minimizing the
role of the state.
moderate political views- Views that are neither extreme left-wing nor right-wing.
political socialization- The process by which people come to acquire political
attitudes and values.
political spectrum- A way of modeling different political positions by placing them
upon one or more geometric axes symbolizing independent political dimensions.
political values- Political relationships, institutions, organizations, views, and ideas
resulting from the transforming, creative socio-political practice of the social forces that
meet the requirements of social progress and of the development of human personality
on a social scale.
progressivism- The principles and practices of those advocating progress, change, or
reform in political matters, social, or economic matters.
Lesson 2.3
15th Amendment- Prohibits states from denying the right to vote on ground of race or
color.
19th Amendment- Prohibits states from denying the right to vote on ground of sex.
23rd Amendment- Grants voters in the District of Columbia representation in the
Electoral College.
24th Amendment- Prohibits the use of poll or any other taxes to revoke voting rights.
26th Amendment- Standardized the voting age to 18.
absentee voting- A vote cast by someone who is unable or unwilling to attend the
official polling station.
activists- An especially active, vigorous advocate of a cause.
crisscross voting influences- The idea that many different things are going to
influence voters.
cross-cutting cleavages – Factors in society which cause division (such as race,
political, religious divisions, etc) in such a way that no group created by one “cleavage”
is wholly contained within a group created by another.
gender gap- A disproportionate difference, as in attitudes and voting preferences,
between males and females.
grandfather clause- A clause in the constitutions of several Southern states that
waived electoral literacy requirements for lineal descendants of people voting before
1867, thus ensuring the franchise for illiterate whites; declared unconstitutional in 1915.
Jim Crow Laws- State and local laws in the U.S. between 1876 and 1965 that
segregated public facilities with a supposedly “separate but equal” status for black
Americans.
literacy test- An examination to determine whether a person meets the literacy
requirements for voting, commonly used in the Jim Crow era to prevent African
Americans from voting.
motor voter laws- A law that enables prospective voters to register when they obtain
or renew a driver’s license.
political participation- Taking part in politics. The general level of participation in a
society is the extent to which the people as a whole are active in politics (the number of
active people multiplied by the amount of their action).
poll tax- A tax levied on people as a requirement for voting.
registered vs. eligible voters- Citizens who have registered with a central registry
are registered voters. Eligible voters meet the requirements for age, citizenship, and
residence.
"Solid South"- The overwhelming white electoral support of the southern United
States for the Democratic Party from 1876-1965.
universal manhood suffrage- A form of voting rights in which all adult males within
a nation are allowed to vote.
Lesson 2.4
exit polls- A poll of people leaving a polling place asking how they voted.
Gallup poll- An assessment of public opinion by the questioning of a statistically
representative sample.
poll- A formal sampling or survey of opinions for the purpose of being analyzed
random sampling- The selection of a random sample; each element of the population
has an equal chance of being selected.
referendum- A direct popular vote on a particular issue provided for in some but not
all states
sampling error- That portion of the difference between the value of a statistic derived
from observations and the value that it is supposed to estimate; attributed to the fact
that samples represent only a portion of a population.
straw poll- An unofficial ballot conducted as a test of opinion.
Lesson 2.5
intensity- How strongly an individual or group feels about an issue.
political typology- A breakdown of the different categories into which the electorate
fits based on different political beliefs, self-assessments, and associations.
Lesson 2.6
demographic- A particular sector of the population.
demography- The study of the characteristics of human populations, such as size,
growth, density, distribution, and vital statistics.
saliency- The degree of importance that an issue has to a particular group or individual
(the salient issue).
public opinion- Views prevalent among the general public.
stability- How often or how little public opinion changes on a particular issue over
time.