public opinion
the distribution of the population's beliefs about politics and policy issues
demography
the science of population changes
census
a valuable tool for understanding demographic changes. (Constitution requires one every 10 years)
melting pot
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.
minority majority
the emergence of non-Caucasian majority, as compared with a white, generally Anglo-Saxon majority
political culture
an overall set of values widely shared within a society
Regional Shift
population shift from East to West
reapportionment
the process of reallocating seats in the House of Representatives every 10 years on the basis of the result of the census
political socialization
the process through which an individual acquires their particular political orientations - their knowledge, feelings, and evaluations regarding their political world
sample
a relatively small proportion of people who are chosen in a survey so as to be representative of the whole
random sampling
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
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.
random-digit dialing
a technique used by pollsters to place telephone calls randomly to both listed and unlisted numbers when conducting a survey
exit poll
public opinion surveys used by minor media pollsters to predict electoral winners with speed and precision
political ideology
a coherent set of beliefs about politics, public policy, and public purpose. It helps give meaning to political events, personalities, and policies.
political participation
All the activities used by citizens to influence the selection of political leaders or the policies they pursue. (Ex: voting, protest, civil disobedience)
protest
a form of political participation designed to achieve policy change through dramatic and unconventional tactics
civil disobedience
a form of political participation that reflects a conscious decision to break a law believed to be immoral and to suffer the consequences