public opinion
the array of beliefs and attitudes that people hold about political and related affairs
sense of duty
a motivating factor, felt by some citizens, to get involved in politics
passive resistance
a form of civil disobedience in which protesters do not actively oppose government's attempts to control them, but rather refuse to cooperate by doing nothing--for example, by going limp when police try to pick them up or insisting on being carried to a police van rather than walking
civil disobedience
a form of political protest in which advocates of a cause deliberately break a law as a means of asserting its illegitimacy or drawing attention to their cause
political efficacy
a person's sense of being able to accomplish something politically, an important determinant of political participation.
rational actor model
a perspective that looks at politics as a system in which individuals and organizations pursue their self-interests, defined in terms of cost and benefits, and choose to do those things that give them the greatest benefit at the least cost.
political socialization
the process by which citizens acquire politically relevant knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and patterns of behavior.
agents of socialization
A "teacher" in the process of political socialization, for example, the family, the school, a peer group, or the mass media.
party identification
psychological attachment that a citizen may feel toward a particular political party