UNIT TWO VOCAB STUDY GUIDE
"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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
UNIT TWO VOCAB STUDY GUIDE
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
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.
ideology- A set of doctrines or beliefs that form the basis of a political system.
ideologues- An advocate of a particular ideology.
intensity- How strongly an individual or group feels about an issue.
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.
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.
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.
moderate political views- Views that are neither extreme left-wing nor right-wing.
motor voter laws- A law that enables prospective voters to register when they obtain or renew a driver’s
license.
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.
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
UNIT TWO VOCAB STUDY GUIDE
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.
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.
conservatism- A political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions
and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society.
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).
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.
political typology- A breakdown of the different categories into which the electorate fits based on
different political beliefs, self-assessments, and associations.
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.
public opinion- Views prevalent among the general public.
stability- How often or how little public opinion changes on a particular issue over time
saliency- The degree of importance that an issue has to a particular group or individual (the salient issue).
straw poll- An unofficial ballot conducted as a test of opinion.