Chapter 5 vocabulary

Conservative

In general a person who favors more limited and local government, less government regulation of markets, more social conformity to traditional norms and values, and tougher policies towards criminals.

Elite

An identifiable group of persons who possess a disproportionate share of some valued resource-such as money or political power.

Gender gap

Differences in the political views and voting behavior of men and women.

John Q. Public

Colloquial term for average citizens and what they want or believe.

Liberal

In general, a person who favors a more active federal government for regulating business, supporting social welfare, and protecting minority rights, but who prefers less regulation of private social conduct.

Libertarians

People who wish to maximize personal liberty on both economic and social issues. They prefer a small, weak government that has little control over either the economy or the personal lives of citizens.

Middle America

A phrase coined by Joseph Kraft in a 1968 newspaper column to refer to Americans who have move3d out of poverty that are not yet affluent and who cherish traditional middle-class values.

New class

People who posses certain advantages conferred not by the power, resources, and growth of business but by the power, resources, and growth of government.

Norm

A standard of right or proper conduct that helps determine the range of acceptable social behavior and policy options.

Partisanship

an inclination to favor one group or view or opinion over alternatives

Political elite

A groups of people who possess a disproportionate amount of political power.

Political ideology

A more or less consistent set of views as to the policies government ought to pursue.

Poll

A survey of public opinion

Populists

People who hold liberal views on economic matters and conservative ones on social matters. They prefer a strong government that will reduce economic inequality, regulate businesses, and impose stricter social and criminal sanctions. The name and views have their origins in an agriculturally based social movement and party of the 1880’s and 1890’s that sought to curb the power of influential economic interests.

Pure conservatism

People who are conservative on both economic and conduct issues. They want the government to cut back on the welfare state, allow the market to allocate goods and services, keep taxes low, lock up criminals, and curb forms of conduct they regard as anti-social

Pure liberalism

People who are liberal on both economic policy and personal conduct. They want the government to reduce economic inequality, regulate business, tax the rich heavily, cure the (presumably) economic causes of crime, allow abortions, protect the rights of the accused and guarantee the broadest possible freedoms of speech and press.

Random sample

A sample selected in such a way that any member of the population being surveyed (e.g., all adults or voters) has an equal chance of being interviewed.

Religious tradition

The moral teachings of religious institutions on religious, social, and economic issues.

Sampling error

The difference between the results of two surveys or samples.For example, if one random sample shows that 60% of all Americans like cats and another random sample taken at the same time shows that 65% do, the sampling error is 5%.

Silent majority

A phrase used to describe people, whatever their economic status, who uphold traditional values, especially against the counterculture of the 1960’s.

Social status (or socio-economic status, SES)

A measure of one’s social standing obtained by combining factors such as education, income, and occupation.