PLSC 2003 1st Edition Exam 2 Study Guide Lectures and Chapters 4 9 American Government Test 2 Study Guide Chapter 4 Citizenship status held by someone entitled to all the rights and privileges of a full fledged member of a political community Political Culture Collection of beliefs and values about the justification and operation of a country s government Multiculturalism The idea that ethnic and cultural groups should maintain their identity within the larger society and respect one another s differences Civic Republicanism a political philosophy that emphasizes the obligation of citizens to act virtuously in pursuit of the common good Equality of Opportunity the notion that individuals should have an equal chance to advance economically through their talent and hard work Equality of Condition The notion that all individuals have a right to more or less equal part of the material goods that society produces Political Socialization The set of physiological and sociological processes by which families schools religious organizations communities and other societal units inculcate beliefs and values in their members Chapter 5 Public opinion the aggregation of people s views about issues situations and public figures Socialization the end result of all the processes by which social groups give individuals their beliefs and values Political Efficacy The belief that the citizen can make a difference in politics by expressing an opinion or acting politically Sampling error the chance variation that arises in public opinion surveys as a result of using a representative but small sample to estimate the characteristics of a larger population Selection Bias the distortion caused when a sampling method systematically includes or excludes people with certain attitudes from the sample Focus groups Small groups of people brought together to talk about issues or candidates at length in depth Measurement error the error that arises from attempting to measure something as subjective as opinion Information Cost the time and mental effort required to absorb and store information whether from conversations personal experiences or the media Issue Public A group of people particularly affected by or concerned with a specific issue Ideology a system of beliefs in which one or more organizing principles connect the individual s views on a wide range of political issues Political Elites Activists and officeholders who have well structures ideologies that bind together their positions on different policy issues Mass Public Ordinary people for whom politics is a peripheral insignificant concern Chapter 6 Franchise the right to vote Suffrage Another term for the right to vote Voter Mobilization the efforts of parties groups and activists to encourage their supporters to turn out for elections Under votes Ballots that indicate no choice for an office e g for president in 2000 whether because the voter abstained or because the voter s intention could not be determined Over Votes Ballots that have more than one choice for an office e g fore president in 2000 whether because the voter cast a ballot for more than one candidate or wrote in a name as well as making a mark Voting age population All people in the United States over the age of 18 including those who may not be legally eligible to vote Registered Voters those legally eligible to vote who have registered in accordance with the requirements prevailing in their state and locally Social connectedness The degree to which individuals are integrated into society extended families neighborhoods religious organizations and other social units Social Issues Issues such as flag burning gun control abortion obscenity prayer in school capital punishment gay rights and evolution that reflect personal values more than economic interests Chapter 7 Interest Group Organizations or association of people with common interest that engages in politics on behalf of its members Single issue group an nterest Group Origins narrowly focused to influence policy on a single issue Free rider problem Problem that arises when people can enjoy the benefits of group activity without bearing any of the costs Public goods goods enjoyed simultaneously by a group as opposed to a private good that must be divided up to be shared Social Movement broad based demand for government action on some problem or issue such as civil rights for blacks equal rights for women or environmental protection Selective benefits specific private goods that an organization provides only to its contributing members Political entrepreneurs people willing to assume the costs of forming and maintaining an organization even when others may free ride on them Lobbying interest group activities intended to influence directly the decisions that public officials make Lobbyist one who engages in lobbying especially as his or her primary job Grassroots lobbying attempts by groups and associations to influence elected officials indirectly through their constituents Political Action Committee PAC specialized organization for raising and spending campaign funds often affiliated with an interest group or association Issue Advocacy advertising campaigns that attempt to influence public opinion in regard to a specific policy proposal Direct mail computer generated letters faxes and other communications by interest groups to people who might be sympathetic to an appeal for money or support Direct action everything from peaceful sit ins and demonstrations to riots and rebellion Sub government alliance of a congressional committee an executive agency and a small number of allied interest groups that combine to dominate policy making in some specified policy area Issue network a loose collection of interest groups politicians bureaucrats and policy experts who have a particular interest in or responsibility for a policy area Pluralism a school of thought holding that politics is the clash of groups that represent all important interests in society and that check and balance each other Chapter 8 Political Parties groups of like minded people who band together in an attempt to take control of government Parties represent the primary connection between ordinary citizens in and the public officials they elect Divided government when one party holds the presidency but does not control both houses of congress Realignment occurs when the pattern of group support for political parties shifts in a significant and lasting way Critical