AP Gov Test 5

ideologies and political parties

political party

an organized group that may include office holders, candidates, activists, and voters who pursue their common interests by gaining and exercising power through the political process

how does a political party differ from a faction (interest group)

political parties want to capture government

interest groups want to influence government and they do not run candidates for office

who makes up a political party

1. the office holders

2. workers and activists

3. voters (electorate)

federalist party

• beginnings

• faded out

• wanted stronger national government

• merchants, shop owners, bankers, business

democratic-republicans

• beginnings

• farmer, agrarian, states rights people

• non-moneyed people

• free trade

• Thomas Jefferson (wins)

whigs

• 1828

• faded out

• same idea as federalists

• advocated tariffs and restricted trade

• wanted to protect businesses

• more foreign affairs

democrats and Jacksonian democracy

• 1828

• Jackson wins (slaveowner/war hero)

• older of the two parties

• free trade

• farmers/west/south

• symbol is the blue kicking donkey

• more domestic affairs

republicans and Lincoln

• 1860

• GOP

democrats 1860

• 1860

• northern and southern democrats could not agree on slavery

• older of the two parties

• roots trace back to jefferson

republican 1932

• 1932

• help businesses

democrats, FDR, New Deal

• 1932

• northern and government helping people

• unions formed

• workers, cities, farmers, etc

ronald reagan

• 1980

• was a democrat in the 60s

• abandoned tariff issue

• embraced free trade

• some of the liberal republican wing became liberal democrats (new deal)

democrats 1980

• 1980

• abandoned free trade

• embraced restricted trade/tariffs

• some of the conservative democrat wing (south) became conservative republicans

populist party

economic protest

progressive/bull moose party

factionalism in Republican party

dixiecrat party

sectionalism

libertarian party

opposition to governmental intervention in economic and social policy

reform party

economic issues: tax reform, national debt, federal debt

green party

environmentalism and social justice

ex: Bush & Gore

political machine

• recruits voter loyalty with tangible incentives

• control member activity

• an organized group that may include office holders, candidates, activists, and voters who pursue their common interest by gaining and exercising power through the electoral process

candidate-centered politics

• politics that focus on the candidates, their particular issues, and character rather than party affiliation

• weakens party

party realignments

dramatic shifts in partisan preferences that drastically alter the political landscape

critical election

• an election that signals a party realignment through voter polarization around new issues and personalities

• think Jefferson, Reagan, FDR

secular realignments

the gradual rearrangement of party coalitions, based more on demographic shifts than on shocks to the political system

national convention

• a party meeting held in the presidential election year for the purposes of nominating a presidential and vice presidential ticket and adopting a platform

• delegates go

delegates

• role played by representative who votes the way his or her constituents would want, regardless of personal opinions

• may refer to an elected representative to Congress or a representative to the party convention

superdelegates

• delegate to the Democratic Party's national convention that is reserved for a party official and whose vote at the convention is unpledged to a candidate

nominees

• people who run for president or vice president

• chosen from parties at the national convention

national party platform

• a statement of the general and specific philosophy and policy goals of a political party, usually promulgated at the national convention

national party committee

state chairs or members of the state committee

RNC

• Republican National Committee

DNC

• Democratic National Committee

national party chair

The person elected and paid to manage the day-to-day work of a national political party

congressional/senatorial campaign committees

• 33 members of Ohio Senate

• committees to raise money for congressional or senatorial committees

state parties

committee that oversees states

central committees

• political party organizations at county and state levels

• weakly linked to one another

• picks a chairman

state party chair

• heads the state executive committee and provides leadership for the party

county central committee

• both parties have a committee representing each county

county party chair

leader of the county central committee

precincts/wards

• based on population

• each precinct needs a precinct captain (2 parties)

voters

people in a country who vote in elections

direct primary

• voters choose the candidate from the party

• weakens the party

what do political parties do concerning candidates and elections*

• find candidates to run for office

• raise money and help the candidates get elected

• parties vett the candidates to make sure they're of good character/right for the party

what do political parties do concerning formulating public policies*

• formulate it according to their announced platform (their purpose/values/beliefs)

• it's what the elected officials do

what role do political parties have in legislating*

• the parties make up the officials, who make up the policies

what role do political parties play in staffing the executive branch*

• besides the elected officials there's staff from the same party

• some people cannot be hired solely because of their party

what role do political parties play in filling judgeships*

• based on how to view judges on their political ideology rather than their judicial ideology

how important are political parties in state/local government*

• very important, because in the national government, there are both political parties and interest groups. At the local/state level, the political parties have more say than interest groups

how do political parties serve as linkage among the federal branches*

• if members from different branches are from the same political party, then they are linked

how do political parties serve as linkage between voters and elected officials*

if you vote for someone because they're republican, you want them to vote republican in turn

• accountability

• elected officials are accountable for votes because of what/how they say they're going to vote

what might explain the ups and downs of public trust in government and what has been the general trend

• downs happened during Vietnam (new generation)

• before, conservatives had big trust in government

• trust in government tends to go down during scandals (ex: Watergate)

party identification

• citizen's attachment to a political party based on issues, ideology, past experience, or upbringing, which tends to be a reliable indicator of likely voting choices

how does party identification stand based on the 2016 election

• 31% of voters say they're independent but when you vote you must go either democratic or republican

• people don't want to say who their party is (don't want confrontation and avoid labeling)

political socialization

the process through which individuals acquire their political beliefs and values

what is meant by building a winning coalition

• forming a party that is likely to win

what is the impact of geography on party identification

• where you live can change the way you vote

• ex: if you live out in the country you might not want more government; opposite for urban living

• republicans: rural, west, south, suburbs

• democrats: urban, west coast, north

what is the impact of gender on party identification

• males: more republican voting

• females: more democratic voting

what is the impact of race on party identification

• democrats: mostly minorities

• republicans: male whites

what is the impact of age on party identification

• republicans: middle aged, young, old

• democrats: college aged

what is the impact of social and economic factors on party identification

• republicans: moneyed people

• democrats: non-moneyed people

what is the impact of religion on party identification

• republicans: especially considering the abortion debates

what roles can a minor party play in politics and what hampers their ability to win elections*

• they can prevent one other party from winning

• they are hindered because if one other their ideas become popular, the large parties adopt them

• minor parties usually only run with one issue

political polarization*

• Situation in which most parties are not centrist, but far left or far right

• the sharp division of the political system between opposing factions at the ideological extremes

how polarized are the parties*

• very

• either republican or democrat

are there consequences to polarization*

yes, it becomes very difficult to compromise on issues

political ideology

the coherent set of values and beliefs about the purpose and scope of government held by groups and individuals

what do ideologies shape

the thinking of individuals and how they view the world, especially in regards of race, nationality, the role and function of government, the relations between men and women, etc

what are the four functions attributed to ideologies

1. EXPLANATION

• ideologies can offer reasons why social and political conditions are the way they are, especially in a time of crisis

2. EVALUATION

• ideologies can provide standards for evaluating social conditions and political institutions and events

3. ORIENTATION

• much like a compass, ideologies provide individuals with an orientation toward issues and a position within the world

4. POLITICAL PROGRAM

• ideologies help people make political choices and guide their political actions

EEOP (equal employment opportunity program

original conservatism

• the way England was governed at the start of the revolution

• the people who favor monarchies and aristocracies (ruled by the best)

• you favored government by the minority and everything that works for that

• the status quo

original liberalism

• people that wanted government to take power out of the hands of the conservatives (those who ruled)

• want a free society

• liberate yourself and have change

anarchy

• far left

• each person is own government

autocracy

• far right

• one authority in charge

socialism

• left

• a political theory advocating state ownership of industry

capitalism

• right

• An economic system based on private ownership of capital

communism

• far left

• dictatorship

• on the left side because of its stance on economics

nazism

• far right

• German brand of fascism, based on extreme nationalism

• a form of socialism featuring racism and expansionism

liberals

• left

• people who generally favor government action and view change as progress

conservatives

• right

• like to stick to the traditional ways of government and tend to oppose change

atheism

• far left

• no religion

fundamentalism

• far right

• beliefs and politics based on religion

conservatism

one who favors limited government intervention ( like economic affairs_

social conservatives

one who believes that the government should support and further traditional moral teachings

• 1950's (post WWII)

economic conservatives

• New Deal (1930s)

• capitalism

• limited government involvement in economics

• today called fiscal

political conservatives

• anti-federalists

• the best government is local government (what you can control the most)

• small government

• defense

liberalism

one who favors greater government intervention (economic affairs)

social liberals

• untraditional lifestyle

• people who favor civil liberties, abortion rights, and alternative lifestyles

economic liberals

• not fiscally responsible

• socialist

political liberals

• national government over states

• big government

moderates/centrists

• a person who takes a relatively centrist or middle-of-the-road view on most political issues

libertarians

• one who believes in limited government interference in personal and economic liberties

statists

one who believes in extensive government control of personal and economic liberties

what is the impact of family on party identification

family can influence a Childs political belief to be similar to theirs

what is the impact of peers on party identification

can be influenced through peer pressure and wanting to fit in

what is the impact of education level on party identification

• children taught from young age to respect the nation and its symbols (class trips to the capital)

what is the impact of media on party identification

talk shows, magazines and more can influence how people view government

what is the impact of leaders on party identification

have a lot of conviction that can influence individuals who do not

what is the impact of occupation on party identification

may be more right if you are in a business career

platform planks

each individual part/section of a political party's platform

what influences political socialization

Family, education, peers, mass media, religious beliefs, race and ethnicity, gender, region, age