| A | B |
|---|
| 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 toward 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 | Colliquial 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 moved out of poverty but are not yet affluent and who cherish traditional middle-class values |
| Social Status | A measure of one's social standing obtained by combining factors such as education, income, and occupation |
| Norm | A standard of right and proper conduct that helps determine the range of acceptable social behavior and policy options |
| Random Sample | A sample selected in such a way that any member of the population being surveyed has an equal chance of being interviewed |
| Religious Tradition | The moral teachings of religious institutions on religious, social, and economic issues |
| Political Ideology | A more or less consistent set of views as to the policies government ought to pursue |
| Poll | A survey of public opinion |
| Populist | People who hold liberal views on economic matters and conservative ones on social matters. They prefer a strong government that will reduce economic inequity, regulate business, 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 |
| Sample 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 ecnomic status, who uphold traditional values, especially against the counterculture of the 1960's |
