Unit 6 - Linkage Institutions - 2223

3rd party

a party that is not the Democrats or Republicans

501(c)4s

nonprofit organizations operated exclusively for the promotion of social welfare, including lobbying or engaging in political campaigning

527 groups

Independent groups that seek to influence the political process but are not subject to contribution restrictions because they do not directly advocate the election of a particular candidate.

agenda setting

Determining which public-policy questions will be debated or considered.

amicus curiae brief

Literally, a "friend of the court" brief, filed by an individual or organization to present arguments in addition to those presented by the immediate parties to a case.

anonymous sources

people who give reporters information but do not allow the publication of their names

bipartisan

supported by two parties

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002

banned soft money contributions to national political parties from corporations and unions; independent expenditures by corporations, labor unions, trade associations, and nonprofit organizations are sharply restricted

Buckley v. Valeo (1976)

Supreme court decision - 1st Amendment protects campaign spending; legislatures can limit contributions, but not how much one spends of his own money on campaigns.

campaign contributions

donations that are made directly to a candidate or a party and that must be reported to the FEC

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

A decision by the United States Supreme Court holding that independent expenditures are free speech protected by the 1st Amendment and so cannot be limited by federal law. Leads to creation of SuperPACs & massive rise in amount of third party electioneering (Citizens for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow)

coalition

an alliance of factions

consensus

general agreement among various groups on fundamental matters; broad agreement on public questions

Dark Money

political money where the donors of the money do not have to be disclosed

Democratic Party

A political party formed by supporters of Andrew Jackson after the presidential election of 1824.

divided government

one party controls the White House and another party controls one or both houses of Congress

echo chamber

a metaphorical description of a situation in which information, ideas, or beliefs are amplified or reinforced by communication and repetition inside a defined system.

economic interest groups

groups that organize to influence government policy for the economic benefit of their members

economic protest party

Parties rooted in poor economic times, lacking a clear ideological base, dissatisfied with current conditions and demanding better times

electorate

All of the people entitled to vote in a given election

equal opportunity interest groups

groups that organize to promote the civil and economic rights of underrepresented or disadvantaged groups

Factions

Political groups that agree on objectives and policies; the origins of political parties.

fake news

content, articles, videos that present made up or false information

FCC

(Federal Communications Commission) regulates the television and radio industry, grants licenses to television and radio stations, and blocks monopolies.

first-past-the-post system

An electoral system where the candidate with the most votes wins regardless of whether that person has a majority of the votes cast; there is no runoff election.

Framing

the way an issue is posed; how an issue is framed can significantly affect decisions and judgments.

free rider

a person who receives the benefit of a good but avoids paying for it

Grass roots

of or from the people, the average voters

hard money

Political contributions given to a party, candidate, or interest group that are limited in amount and fully disclosed.

horse race journalism

news coverage that focuses on who is ahead rather than on the issues

ideological party

a party that values principled stands on issues above all else

incumbent

the current officeholder

independent expenditures

Expenses on behalf of a political message that are made by groups that are uncoordinated with any candidate's campaign.

Infotainment

a mix of information and diversion oriented to personalities or celebrities, not linked to the day's events, and usually unrelated to public affairs or policy; often called "soft news"

interest group

An organization of people sharing a common interest or goal that seeks to influence the making of public policy

issue advocacy ads

ads that focus on issues and do not explicitly encourage citizens to vote for a certain candidate

Libertarian Party

A minor party that believes in extremely limited government. They call for a free market system, expanded individual liberties such as drug legalization, and a foreign policy of nonintervention, free trade, and open immigration.

Lobbyist

A person who is employed by and acts for an organized interest group or corporation to try to influence policy decisions and positions in the executive and legislative branches.

mass media

Forms of communication, such as newspapers and radio, that reach millions of people.

Media Bias

Bias or slant in the selection of which news to report and how the news is reported.

Media Consolidation

The trend toward a few large corporations owning most of the media outlets in the country.

Muckraking

the action of searching out and publicizing scandalous information about famous people in an underhanded way.

multiparty system

A system in which three or more political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition.

Narrowcasting

targeting media programming at specific populations within society

New York Times v. US

Supreme Court case protecting the freedom of the press by allowing the New York Times to publish the "Pentagon Papers" despite the Justice Department's order to restrict it

nomination

The official endorsement of a candidate for office by a political party. Generally, success in the nomination game requires momentum, money, and media attention.

one-party system

A political system in which only one party exists

Partisanship

loyalty to a political cause or party

Political Action Committee (PAC)

A committee set up by a corporation, labor union, or interest group that raises and spends campaign money from voluntary donations

political party

A group of individuals with broad common interests who organize to nominate candidates for office, win elections, conduct government, and determine public policy

Political Spectrum

range of political views

public funds

donations from general tax revenues to the campaigns of qualifying presidential candidates

public interest groups

groups that organize to influence government to produce collective goods or services that benefit the general public

Republican Party

1854 - anti-slavery Whigs and Democrats, Free Soilers and reformers from the Northwest met and formed party in order to keep slavery out of the territories

sensationalism

the use of exciting or shocking stories or language at the expense of accuracy, in order to provoke public interest or excitement.

single-issue parties

Parties that concentrate on only one public policy matter

single-member district

An electoral district in which voters choose one representative or official.

social media

websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.

soft money

Campaign contributions unregulated by federal or state law, usually given to parties and party committees to help fund general party activities.

sound bite

a brief, memorable comment that can easily be fit into news broadcasts

splinter party

a political party that has split off from a major party because of major disagreement.

Spoiler Role

minor party candidates can pull decisive votes away from one of the major parties' candidates, especially if the minor party candidate is from a splinter party

Super PACs

political action committees established to make independent expenditures

talking heads

politicians who use sound bites or other means to present a superficial look at a policy position rather than an in-depth approach to explaining their views

trial balloons

an intentional news leak for the purpose of assessing the political reaction

two-party system

An electoral system with two dominant parties that compete in national elections.

unified government

the same party controls the White House and both houses of Congress

watchdog function

The accepted responsibility of the media to protect the public from incompetent or corrupt officials by standing ready to expose any official who violates accepted legal, ethical, or performance standards.

winner-take-all system

an election system in which the candidate with the most votes wins

Yellow Journalism

Journalism that exploits, distorts, or exaggerates the news to create sensations and attract readers