Chapter 8

Random Sample: A type of sample, every individual has a chance of being known and randomly selected. 

For the political ideology survey we took a random sample from students on campus.

Margin of error: The permittable or acceptable deviation from the target or a specific value; an allowance for slight error or miscalculation; an allowance for changing circumstances

There is no room for margin of errors in brain surgery.

Consensus: The opnion of the majority. A general agreement or concord

We reached a consensus of a reelection of the president.

Polarized: A concentration, as of groups, forces, or interests, about two conflicting or contrasting positions

The controversy has polarized voters into pro- abortion and anti- abortion groups.

 Intensity: How strongly people feel about their opinions. This produces the brightest and deepest hues in the fabric of public opinion

The public shows their intensity through protests.

Latency: Political opinions that people may hold but does not fully express

Latency is not crystallized but they are still important ideas.

Salience: Measures the extent to which people believe issues are relevant to them

When a national issue affects an individual's life, their salience rises.

Political Socialization: The process by which we develop our political attitudes, values, and beliefs which is mostly developed from families and schools

Family is the biggest factor that affects a child's political socialization.

 Attentive Public: Those citizens who are interested and follow public affairs carefully.  

The attentive public follows weekly debates of the running candidates.

Protest: An expression or declaration of objection or disapproval

The labor union protested against increasing the working hours of factory workers.

Disenfranchise:  To deprive a person a right of citizenship and of the right to vote

Literacy tests were used to disenfranchise African Americans the right to vote.

Nineteenth Amendment:  An amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1920, guaranteeing women the right to vote

The Nineteenth Amendment gave the right to vote to women.

Twenty- fourth Amendment: Prohibits the Congress and other states from imposing a poll tax, or any other tax on the right to vote

The Twenty- fourth Amendment banned the Congress from imposing poll taxes.

Voting Rights Act of 1965: Eliminated various devices, such as literacy tests

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 made it easier for African Americans to vote.

 Australian Ballot: A secret ballot printed by the state

The Australian Ballot provides more privacy to voters.

Motor Voter bill: Clinton signed this bill in 1993 to allow people to register to vote while applying for or renewing their driver's license

The Motor voter bill allows people to register their vote at the same time they apply for their licenses.

Turn out: The proportion of the voting-age public that votes, sometimes defined as the number of registered voters that vote

The voter Turn out of Democrats this year was higher than last year's because of the fall in the economy. 

Mobilize/ Mobilization: When candidates rally their most loyal supporters "base" and they reaffirm their supports for issues or groups that matters most to the base

Candidtaes mobilze their supporters to validate the most important issues.

Canvass: When campaigners learn which issues matter to potential voters and which candidates these voters prefer by conducting polls or interviews

Candidates and campaigners learn the voters political preferences through canvass.

Swing voter: Undecided voters. They receive a major focus by campaigners

Swing voters are targeted by campaigners because they are easily swayed.

Civic duty: The responsibilities of a citizen 

Voting is a civic duty.

Candidate Appeal: Voters opinion on how they feel about a candidate's background, personality, leadership ability, and other personal qualities

Candidates hire media consultants to increase their candidate appeal.

Demographics: The statistical data of a population. Those showing average age, income, education, etc

The demographics of South Africa shows the increase of population in that country.

Manifest Opinion: A widely shared and consciously held view, like support for homeland security

Support for Social Security is a manifest opinion.

Nationalism: A conciousness of the nation- state and of belonging to it

Nationalism is opposed to colonialism or imperialism

Public policy: The fundamental policy on which laws rest

It is public policy to respect those in authority.

Non- voters: A person who does not vote or who is not eligible to vote

Women were considered as non- voters before 1920.

 Voter Registration: A system that is designed to minimize voter fraud by limiting voting to those who have established eligibility to vote by submitting the proper documents

Every citizen should go through voter registration before voting.

Primary Election: Voters determine party nominees

Calvo and Tenorio won against Cruz and Espaldon in the primary elections.

 General Election: Voters elect office holders

A general election is an election which representatives are chosen in all constituencies of a state.

 Presidential Election: Elections held in years when the president is on the ballot

President Obama defeated McCain in the 2008 Presidential Election.

Midterm Election: Elections held midway between presidential elections

Midterm elections are general elections in the United States that are held two years after the four-year elections for the President of the United States

Special Election:  Elections held when a member of the House of Representatives died or left the office

When a member of the House dies, retires, or gets expelled, a Special election is held.

Off- year Election: Elections held in odd numbered calendars

Off- year Elections are held during odd numbered years.

Party Identification: The subjective or self-defined sense of identification pr affiliation that a person has with a political party. Mostly aquired in childhood

Party Identification is when one's underlying allegiance is pledged to a certain political party.

 Twenty- sixth Amendment: The amendment that limited the voting age from 18 years of age

Since the Twenty- sixth Amendment has been passed, minors are not able to vote.

Prospective issue voting: Voting based on what a candidate pledges to do in the future about an issue, if he/she is elected 

Prospective issue voting motivates candidates to reaffirm their stand on issues to fit the voter's opinions.

Retrospective issue voting: Holding incumbents, usually the president's party, responsible for their records on issues, such as the economy  or foreign party

Retrospective issue voting is when voter's vote based on the candidate's past performances.

 Independent: A voter that is clearly not aligned with a political party. A voter who does not usually vote for the same political party from election to election

Independent voters do not belong in any political parties.