AP Gov Public Opinion Chapter 6

public opinion

the distribution of the population's beliefs about politics and policy issues

Demography

the science of population changes

Census

An "actual enumeration" of the population, which the Constitution requires that the government conduct every 10 years. The census is a valuable tool for understanding demographic changes.

minority majority

beginning in the mid-21st century, where whites are outnumbered by all the minority groups

Reapportionment

the process of reallocating seats in the House of Reps every 10 years on the basis of the results of the census

political socialization

Individuals in a society acquire political attitudes, views, and knowledge, based on input from family, schools, the media, and others

Sample

A relatively small proportion of people who are chosen in a survey so as to be representative of the whole.

George Gallup

survey sampling techniques, public opinion polling

Random Sampling

everyone should have an equal probability of being selected for the sample

sampling error

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.

exit poll

public opinion surveys used by major media pollsters to predict electoral winners with speed and precision

political ideology

A coherent set of beliefs about politics, public policy, and public purpose, which helps give meaning to political events.

Gender gap

women more likely to be Democratic candidates, because they tend to be less conservative than men and support spending on social services and oppose higher levels of military spending

conventional participation

widely accepted modes of influencing government - voting, trying to persuade others, ringing doorbells for a petition, and running for office.

unconventional participation

activities often dramatic, protesting, civil disobedience, violence

Civil Disobedience

political participation based on a conscious decision to break a law believed to be unjust and to suffer the consequences