Chapter 6: Public Opinion and Political Socialization: Shaping the People's Vote

the politically relevant opinions held by ordinary citizens that they express openly

the learning process by which people acquire their political opinions, beliefs, and values.

the characteristic and deep seated beliefs of a particular people about government and politics.

those agents, such as the family and the media, that have a significant impact on citizems' political socialization.

the personal sense of loyalty that an individual may feel toward a particular political party.

a consistent pattern of opinion on particular issues that stems from a core belief or set of beliefs.

those who believe government should do more to assist people who have difficulty meeting their economic needs on their own.

those who believe government tries to do too many things that should be left to private interests and economic markets.

those who believe it is not government's role to buttress traditional values at the expense of unconventional or new values.

those who believe government power should be used to uphold traditional values.

those who believe government tries to do too many things that should be left to firms and makets, and who oppose government as an instrument for upholding traditional values.

those who believe government should do more to assist people who have difficulty meeting their economic needs and who look to government to uphold traditional values.

a device for measuring public opinion where by a relatively small number of individuals (the sample) are interviewed for the purpose of estimating the opinions of a whole community (the population).

in a public opinion poll, the relatively small number of individuals who are interviewed for the purpose of estimating the opinions of an entire population.

in a public opinion poll, the people (for example, the citizens of a nation) whose opinions are being estimated through interviews with a sample of these people.

a measure of the accuracy of a public opinion poll. The sampling error is mainly a function of sample size and is usually expressed in percentage terms.