American Government Chapter 1-5

Review terms and concepts for chapter 1-5 midterm.

17 cards   |   Total Attempts: 188
  

Cards In This Set

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Political socialization
The process whereby individuals acquire political knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs
Agents of socialization
Those facts that contribute to political socialization by shaping formal and informal learning
Civil liberties
The protection of the individual from the unrestricted power of government
Political elites
The peope who exervise a major influence on the policymaking process
Political legitimacy
The popular acceptance of a government and its officals as rightful authorities in the exercise of power
Civil union
A legal partnership between two men or two women that gives the couple all the benefts, protections, and responsibilities under law that are granted to spouses in a traditional marriage
Liberalism
The political philosophy that favors the use of government power to foster the development of the individual to promote the welfare of society
Conservatism
The political philosophy that government power undermines the development of the individual and diminishes society as a whole
Political right and political left
Right=conservatism
left=liberalism
Isolationism
The view that the United States should stay out of the affairs of other nations
Latent opinion
What public opinion would be at election time if a political opponent made a public official's position on the issue the target of a campaign attack
Zone of acquiescence
The range of policy options acceptable to the public on a particular issue
Constituency
The district from which an officeholder represents
3 reasons why United States voter participation is lower than other democracies
1. election and voting registration procedures are more complicated and inconvenient than other countries
2. American political parties are weaker than those of other democracies
3. they don't perceive that elections have much impact on policy
Compulsory voting
The legal requirement that citizens participate in national elections