Unit 4: American Political Ideologies Study Guide PDF

Okay Lock In SEASON​ Unit4: Guide to CRAM Lesson 1 AND 2 and 3: American Political Ideology & Core beliefs // Political Socialization and agents of socialization Buzz words:​ - American Political Culture: American political culture is the shared beliefs, values, and norms about how the government...

Okay Lock In SEASON​ Unit4: Guide to CRAM Lesson 1 AND 2 and 3: American Political Ideology & Core beliefs // Political Socialization and agents of socialization Buzz words:​ - American Political Culture: American political culture is the shared beliefs, values, and norms about how the government should work.​ ​ - Core American political values: Liberty, Limited Government Equal Opportunity, Individualism, Rule of law, Popular sovereignty, Consent of people, Capitalism and Free enterprise. Political Socialization: How people identify their views regarding politics​ ​ Agents of socialization: ​ Family (Biggest) - Religion / Secular, Views on authority, ethics / morals Schools - ideas on patriotism, mock elections, core american values Peer Groups - Social Networks Opinion leaders (Least) / Social media Cross pressuring: When someone feels conflicted because they have competing beliefs or belong to different groups with opposing views. It can make political decisions harder. Gender Gap: The difference in political views or voting patterns between men and women, like women tending to vote more for Democrats and men for Republicans. Generational effect: When events or experiences that happen during a certain time shape the political views of people born in that time. TLDR STUFF: Basically, (for core american values) Liberty means being free to do things without too much government control. Example: The First Amendment lets people say what they want (free speech). Individualism means people should take care of themselves and make their own choices. Example: Starting your own business instead of relying on the government for a job. ​ Limited government means the government can't do whatever it wants; it has rules to follow. Example: The Constitution stops the government from taking away free speech Equal opportunity means everyone gets the same chance to succeed, no matter who they are. Example: Laws make it illegal to refuse someone a job because of their race or gender. Rule of Law – Everyone, even the government, must follow the law. Example: A president can be impeached if they break the law. Consent of the People – The government gets its power from the people. Example: Citizens vote in elections to choose their leaders. Capitalism – People own businesses and make money instead of the government controlling everything. Example: Apple is a private company that sells iPhones for profit. Free Enterprise – Businesses can compete and sell what they want with little government control. Example: Anyone can open a restaurant and set their own prices. Political Polarization: When it gets harder for individuals to compromise and understand different points of views. Basically causes conflict and bad overall. Causes: Elections, Negativity, Close primary states, gerrymandered safe congressional districts. Lessons 4 and 5: Economic Policy Part 1 AND 2: BUZZ WORDS: ​ - Fiscal Policy = Government decisions over taxes and spending THE TAXES:​ ​ Progressive tax = the rich have to pay more of their income for than the poor for tax Regressive tax = where the poor pay more of the income than the rich for tax (sales tax)  Flat tax = everyone pays the same percentage despite income Budget process = The budget process is the way the government plans how to spend money. -​ First mr prezi submits a budget request to congress -​ Lawmakers release their own budget plans and set the levels with budget resolution -​ That gets sent to house and senate and they set funding through appropriation bills -​ Then they come together tweak the budget and build a ultimate budget plan -​ Then the budget comes back to mr prezi and he has to sign before oct 1 IF HE DOESN'T SIGN THEN CONGRESS CAN PASS A CONTINUING RESOLUTION Discretionary spending = Money government can choose to spend on things (military, education) Mandatory spending = Money government has to spend on things (social security, medicare) Entitlements = Stuff people basically have to have by the government (Social security, medicare, medicaid, unemployment / welfare TANF) Inflation = The price of goods and services getting increased (happens because of too much money in the economy) Keynesian economics (liberals favor this) = fiscal policy should be influenced by economic conditions When bust times (recession) happens, gov should increase spending and cut taxes When boom times happen, gov should decrease spending and increase taxes Supply side economics (conservatives favor) = Basically during a bust the government should decrease regulation on business and reduce taxes, especially on the rich to stimulate economic growth, this will trickle down to the rest of the economy. -​ Budget deficit = when too much gov spending but less revenue (creates debt for that budget) - surplus over the year  -​ Budget surplus = when less gov spending and more revenue (good, happens rare) -​ National debt = the total accumulated of federal deficits minus surpluses over the year Boom – Economy grows, people spend more.​ Bust – Economy shrinks, people spend less.​ Recession – A long period of economic decline. Means v non means tested = basically whether they check your income for certain services (eg. Food stamps, Medicaid) Monetary policy = basically federal reserve policies that influence money supply and inflation. Federal Reserve = Our central bank, is independent and away from any political pressures -​ They can lower or raise interest rates that it charges to banks to borrow money -​ The fed can also increase or decrease the money supply by buying / selling gov bonds Discount Rate – The interest rate the Federal Reserve charges banks to borrow money. Interest Rates – The cost of borrowing money, usually a percentage of the loan. Security Bonds = A type of loan where investors lend money to the government or companies, and they get paid back with interest over time. Lesson 6 and 7: Measuring public opinion / who votes and why?​ BUZZ WORDS: Public Opinion Poll = A survey that asks people their opinions on topics, like politics, to understand what the public thinks. Gallup Poll = A well-known survey company that measures public opinion on politics, social issues, and other topics. Population = The total number of people in a specific area, like a country or city. Random Sampling = Picking people randomly from a larger group to get a fair and unbiased survey result. Sampling Error = The difference between the survey results and what the actual result would be if everyone were surveyed. Margin of Error = A range that shows how much the survey results might differ from the true value. Tracking polls = Daily tracking of presidential approval ratings or national races Push polls = polls that are biased due to cherry picked information or manipulative in nature Exit polls = polling after a person votes to determine how the public voted and who voted and what was most important to voters ​ Prospective voting = evaluating a candidate based on how they may perform in the future (campaign) Retrospective voting = looking at what a candidate did in the past Salient = Something that is very important or stands out Incumbency = Holding a current political office, like being the president or a senator. Efficacy = Belief that you can make a difference or influence something, like the government. Voter Fatigue – Feeling tired or uninterested in voting because of too many elections or long voting processes. Rational Abstention Thesis – The idea that people may choose not to vote because they believe their vote won't make a difference or isn’t worth the effort. Voter Suppression – Actions or laws that make it harder for certain groups of people to vote, like strict ID requirements or limiting voting locations. Disfranchisement – Taking away someone's right to vote. Young Voters (18-29) – Tend to vote Democratic. Why: They often support social issues like climate change, healthcare, and equal rights. Older Voters (65+) – Tend to vote Republican. Why: They are more likely to prioritize issues like social security and stability, which Republicans often emphasize. Women – Tend to vote Democratic. Why: Women generally support policies on healthcare, reproductive rights, and social justice, which Democrats focus on. Men – Tend to vote Republican. Why: Men often prioritize issues like taxes and military, which Republicans focus on. Black Voters – Tend to vote Democratic. Why: Democrats are seen as more supportive of civil rights, anti-racism policies, and social justice. Hispanic Voters – Tend to vote Democratic, though some lean Republican. Why: Many support immigrant rights and healthcare policies, though views can vary based on specific issues like immigration. White Voters – Tend to vote Republican, but there’s a split based on education and location. Why: White working-class voters often favor economic policies of lower taxes and deregulation, while college-educated white voters may lean Democratic for social issues. Urban Voters – Tend to vote Democratic. Why: Cities often have more diversity and progressive values, supporting issues like public transportation, healthcare, and education. Rural Voters – Tend to vote Republican. Why: Rural areas focus on agricultural policies, gun rights, and conservative values.​