AP US Gov and Pol - The American Political Landscape

ethnocentrism

the belief in superiority of one’s nation or ethnicity

political socialization

how we develop political attitudes (mostly from family)

demographics

the study of population characteristics

political predisposition

a characteristic that can predict political behavior

reinforcing cleavages

divisions in society that reinforce each other, making groups similar to each other

cross-cutting cleavages

divisions in society across demographics, making groups more different from each other

Manifest Destiny

the movement to expand America from the Atlantic to the Pacific due to “destiny.”

race

a grouping based on genetic similarities

ethnicity

social division based on nationality, religion, language, or race

gender gap

the difference of political beliefs and behaviors between men and women

Fundamentalists (fundies)

Conservative Christians especially influential in the 2000 presidential election.

gross domestic product (GDP)

the total value of all economic activity in a nation

socioeconomic status (SES)

a population division based on income, occupation, and education