Unit 1 Vocab
Pull Poll- seemingly unbiased telephone survey conducted by supporters of a candidate and
disseminates negative info about an opponent
Public Agenda- things the public feels needs to be done
Straw Poll- used to predict popular vote; unscientific and inaccurate (ask whoever is around)
Random Sampling- a method of poll selection that gives each person in a group the same chance of
being selected
Moderate- someone who doesn’t hold views on the far edges of the political spectrum
Scientific Poll- define population, make sample, construct unbiased questions, conduct poll, and analyze
and report data
Conservative- one who believes that a government is best that governs least
Political Spectrum- range of political attitudes of the public going from extreme to moderate to
extreme: liberal, moderate, conservative
Stratified Sampling- census data are used to divide country into 4 sampling regions, sets of counties and
standard metro statistical areas are then randomly selected in proportion to the whole population
Political Ideology- set of values and beliefs about the purpose and scope of government
Motor Voter Law- you can drive to vote and register there also
Consensus- an opinion or position reached by a group as a whole
Push Polls- polls taken to provide info on an opponent that would lead respondents to vote against that
candidate
Apathy- lack of interest or concern
Liberal- one who favors government involvement in economy and in provision of social services and
takes activist role in protecting rights of women, elderly, minorities, and the environment
Radical- a person who advocated thorough or complete political or social reform
Socialization Agents- people communicating to a population about politics
Political Efficacy- a citizen’s capacity to understand and influence events in politics
Reactionary- extreme conservatism
Populism- believe in big government but are very socially conservative
Direct Democracy- system of government in which all members of the policy meet to discuss all policy
decisions and then agree to abide by majority rule
Exit Polls- polls conducted at selected polling places on Election Day; used to help media predict
outcome of key races
Political Socialization- process through which individuals acquire their political beliefs and values
Socialism- political and economic theory that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and
exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole
Sampling Error- difference between actual universe and the sample
Polarization- a sharp division of a population into opposing factions
Split Ticket Voting- when you vote for one party for some issues and the other for the other issues
Political Elite- tiny fraction of population that has a lot of influence in politics
Political Cleavages- a split in public opinion on a political issue
Political Culture- a patterned way of thinking about how politics and economics should be carried out in
a specific place
Public Opinion- collective opinion of many people on some issue
Litmus Test- a question asked to a potential candidate for office where the answer can determine if they
proceed with the nomination or get someone’s vote
Salience- importance
Libertarianism- one who favors a free market economy and no government interference in personal
liberties
Tracking Polls- continuous surveys that enable a campaign to chart its daily rise or fall in support