Communism
A revolutionary variant of socialism that favors a partisan dictatorship, government control of all enterprises, and the replacement of free markets by central planning.
Conservatism
A general preference for the existing order of society, and an opposition to efforts to bring about sharp change
Fascism
20th century ideology- often totalitairan- that exhalts the national collective behind an absolute ruler. Rejects liberal individualism, values action over radical deliberation, and glorifies war.
Hispanic
A Spanish-speaking person living in the US, especially one of Latin American descent.
Ideology
A comprehensive set of beliefs about the nature of people and about the role of government.
Liberalism
A viewpoint or ideology associated with free political institutions and religious toleration, as well as support for a strong role of government in regulating capitalism and constructing the welfare state
Libertarianism
A political ideology based on skepticism of opposition toward almost all government activities.
Socialism
A political ideology based on strong support for economic and social equality.
Agenda setting
the "ability [of the news media] to influence the salience of topics on the public agenda.
Consensus
General agreement among the citizens on an issue.
Diverse opinion
Public opinion that is polarized between two quite different positions.
Gender gap
The difference between the percentage of woman who vote for a candidate and the percentage of men who vote for a candidate.
Generational effect
A long-lasting effect of the events of a particular time on political options of those who came to political age at that time
Life Cycle effect
People change as they grow older because of age-specific experience
Media
Channels of mass communication
Nonopinion
The lack of opinion on an issue or policy among the majority
Opinion leader
One who is able to influence the opinions of others because of position, expertise, or personality
Opinion poll
A method of systematically questioning small, selected sample of respondents who are deemed representative of the total population
Peer group
A group consisting of members sharing common social characteristics- helps shape attitudes and beliefs
Political socialization
The process by which people acquire political beliefs and attitudes
Political trust
The degree to which individuals express trust in the government and political institutions
Public opinion
The aggregate of individual attitudes or beliefs shared by the same portion of the adult population
Sampling error
The difference between a samples results and the true result if the entire population had been interviewed
Socioeconomic status
The value assigned to a person due to occupation or income
Watergate break-in
The 1972 illegal entry to the democratic national committee offices by participants of Nixon's reelection campaign