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GOVT- Chapter 06
Public Opinion and Political Action
17
Political Studies
Undergraduate 1
02/08/2009

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Term
public opinion
Definition
the distribution of the population's beliefs about politics and policy issues.
Term
demography
Definition
the science of population changes
Term
census
Definition
a valuable tool for understanding demographic changes. The Constitution requires that the government conduct an "actual enumeration" of the population every 10 years.
Term
melting pot
Definition
The mixing of cultures,ideas,and peoples that has changed the American nation. The U.S. with its history of immigration, has often been called this
Term
minority majority
Definition
The emergence of a non-Caucasian majority,as compared with a White,generally Anglosaxon majority.
Term
reapportionment
Definition
the process of reallocating seats in the House of Representatives every 10 years on the basis of the results of the census
Term
political socialization
Definition
According to Richard Dawson, "the process through which an individual acquires his particular political orientations--his knowledge,feelings,and evaluations regarding his political world
Term
sample
Definition
a relatively small proportion of people who are chosen in a survey so as to be representative of the whole.
Term
random sampling
Definition
the key technique employed by sophisticated survey researchers, which operates on the principle that everyone should have an equal probability of being selected for the sample.
Term
sampling error
Definition
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.
Term
random-digit dialing
Definition
a technique used by pollsters to place telephone calls randomly to both listed and unlisted numbers when conducting a survey.
Term
exit polls
Definition
public opinion surveys used by major media pollsters to predict electoral winners with speed and precision
Term
political ideology
Definition
a coherent set of beliefs about politics,public policy, and public purpose. It helps give meaning to political events,personalities, and policies
Term
gender gap
Definition
a term that refers to the regular pattern by which women are more likely to support Democratic candidates. Women tend to be significantly less conservative than men and are more likely to support spending on social services and to oppose higher levels of military spending
Term
political participation
Definition
all the activities used by citizens to influence the selection of political leaders or the policies they pursue. The most common, but not the only, means of political participation in a democracy is voting. Other means include protest and civil disobedience
Term
protest
Definition
a form of political participation designed to achieve policy change through dramatic and unconventional tactics
Term
civil disobedience
Definition
a form of political participation that reflects a conscious decision to break a law believed to be immoral and to suffer the consequence
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