APGOV Unit 8

Electoral College

538 electors(House, Congress, 3 District of Columbia)Prez needs 270 simple majority to win; don’t need popular vote to win Tie? House decides Prez, Senate decides VP

Caucus

meeting at which local members of a political party register their preference among candidates running for office or select delegates to attend a convention.

National Convention

gathering held every four years by U.S. political parties to formally nominate their presidential and vice-presidential candidates

Party Platform

formal set of principles, goals, and policy positions

Critical Election

watershed election that triggers a party realignment, where the minority party becomes the majority party, or voter coalitions shift significantly

Electoral Realignment/De-alignment*

substantial voter groups switch allegiances, creating long-term changes in the political landscape often triggered by crises

National Committee

organization responsible for the day-to-day operation of a political party at the national level, focusing on election strategy, fundraising, and platform promotion

Party Machine

highly organized local party organization that relies on material inducements—such as patronage, jobs, or favors—to control votes and govern

Primary Election

elections that political parties use to select candidates for a general election US Prez Primaries; voters don’t directly vote, they vote for delegates instead to decide nominees

Closed Primary

limited to members of that party

Open Primary

any registered voter/independent can vote in any party’s primary

Blanket Primary

type of primary where all candidates are listed on the same ballot. Voters are allowed to choose one candidate per office regardless of the candidate's party affiliation

General Election

candidates elected to office; party nominees run against each other

Straight Ticket

vote for all candidates of same party(from party-column ballots)

Split Ticket

vote for candidates of different political parties on the same ballot(from office-block ballots)

Federal Election Committee (FEC)

independent regulatory agency established in 1975 to administer and enforce the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (the Act). The FEC has jurisdiction over the financing of campaigns for the U.S. House, Senate, Presidency and the Vice Presidency

Lobby (ist)

attempting to influence the government; one whose “principle purpose” is to influence legislation

Interest Group Entrepreneur

individual who invests time, resources, and leadership to organize people for collective political action or policy change

Free Rider Program

someone who benefits from efforts of others

Political Action Committee (PAC)*

(heavily tested on AP- in detail) _______ is a US organization that pools campaign contributions from members or donors to support or oppose political candidates, legislation, or ballot initiatives(regulated by FEC)

Direct Lobbying

direct communication with legislators, staff, or government officials to influence specific legislation or regulatory actions(lobbying, issue networks, iron triangles, face-to-face meetings, phone calls, “buttonholding” members of Congress)

Grassroots Lobbying*

indirect strategy to influence legislation by mobilizing the public to pressure policymakers, rather than contacting them directly(petitions, calls, social media, and rallies)

Coalition Building*

strategic process of uniting diverse organizations, groups, or individuals to work collaboratively toward a common goal, amplifying their influence, resources, and credibility

Public Interest Group

broad range of issues, affects large population

contains: consumer interests, environmental interests, religious interests

Newsworthiness

measure of how noteworthy, relevant, and interesting a story is to a specific audience, determining if it warrants media coverage

Political Agenda

set of prioritized issues, policies, and goals that government officials, parties, and policymakers actively focus on and debate at any given time

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

regulates interstate & international communications by radio, TV, wire, satellite, cable controls ownership(#of outlets network can have), govern content(“decent” content), how media operates

Equal Access/Time Rule

requires broadcast stations that allow a legally qualified candidate for public office to use their facilities to provide equal, comparable opportunities to all other opposing candidates for the same office

Fairness Doctrine

requiring radio and television broadcasters to present both sides of controversial public issues; overruled → created more partisan radio programming

Political Participation*

voluntary actions by citizens to influence public policy and leadership, ranging from voting and campaigning to protesting and community organizing

Conventional vs. Unconventional Participation*

conventional participation→ widely accepted, legal, and traditional methods of influencing government—such as voting, campaigning, and donating

unconventional participation → less common, often challenging or disruptive actions, including protests, boycotts, and civil disobedience

Suffrage

the legal right to vote

Franchise

business model where an independent owner (franchisee) licenses the brand, products, and operating system of an established company (franchisor) in exchange for fees

Standard Socioeconomic Model

measures an individual’s or family’s social and economic standing using three core components

Referendum

a general vote by the electorate on a single political question that has been referred to them for a direct decision

Initiative

means through which any citizen or organization may gather a predetermined number of signatures to qualify a measure to be placed on a ballot, and to be voted upon in a future election

Voter Motor Law

officially known as the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, is a U.S. law designed to enhance opportunities for every American to register to vote and to maintain the integrity of the electoral process. By allowing individuals to register to vote while applying for or renewing a driver's license or other state-issued identification, the act aimed to increase voter registration and participation, particularly among underrepresented populations

Political Socialization

lifelong learning process by which individuals acquire their political beliefs, values, and ideologies process begins in early childhood, cumulative, parents & schools biggest influences

Public Opinion

collective sum of individual attitudes, beliefs, and views held by a significant portion of a population regarding public issues, policies, or figures

Ideological Beliefs (political ideology)

structured set of beliefs, values, and doctrines that guide how individuals and groups view the world and how society and government should operate

Patronage (spoils system)

the power to control appointments to office or the right to privileges practice of awarding government jobs, contracts, or favors based on party loyalty and political support rather than merit (aka spoils system)

Political Consultant

used especially during campaign/election season; increased in importance highly specialized professional who manages, advises on, and executes political campaigns, shaping a candidate’s image, strategy, and messaging to win elections

Coattail Effect

tendency for a popular political party leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election

Disturbance theory

interest groups form in response to external "disturbances"—such as social, economic, or technological changes—that disrupt the political equilibrium

Rational Choice Theory

individual decides the “costs” of voting are not worth it

Proportional representation

electoral system that elects multiple representatives in each district in proportion to the number of people who vote for them. If one third of voters back a political party, the party’s candidates win roughly one-third of the seats

Retrospective vs. Prospective voting

Retrospective voting evaluates past events, actions, or memories, often assessing confidence in completed decisions, while prospective voting predicts future performance or outcomes

Recall

allows voters to cut office holder’s terms in office short → through petition, signatures, and an election to decide

Gerrymandering

strategic manipulation of electoral district boundaries to give one party, incumbent, or group an unfair advantage

New York Times vs. Sullivan

ruled the freedom of speech protections in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution limit the ability of public officials to sue for defamation plaintiff show that the defendant knew that a statement was false or was reckless in deciding to publish the information without investigating whether it was accurate

New York Times vs. United States

Pentagon Papers, Court ruled that the Nixon administration failed to prove that publishing classified historical studies of the Vietnam War would cause "grave and irreparable" danger, rejecting the use of prior restraint

Matching funds/federal subsidies

_________ or cost-sharing, are non-federal contributions (cash or in-kind) required by federal agencies to fund a portion of a project, ensuring local or private stake in the outcome

Buckley vs. Valeo

S.C. upheld establishing limits on campaign contributions → found unconstitutional

Court upheld federal limits on campaign contributions (to prevent corruption) but struck down limits on independent expenditures, candidate personal spending, and total campaign spending, ruling that spending money to influence elections is protected speech under the First Amendment

Campaign Contribution

contribution money or goods given to a candidate/committee

Campaign Expenditure

expenditure is a payment by a committee to buy goods or services

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002/FECA

Contribution limitations established by BRCA… Bans soft money donations to NATIONAL political parties, Limits cash donations to STATE political parties, Limits hard money donations to $2k, Unions & Corporations banned from giving soft money to parties

Soft money/Hard money

hard money limits money given/spent to campaigns

soft money is unlimited money given to/spent on non-campaign activities

Issue advocacy ads

communications aimed at influencing public opinion or policy on specific social, economic, or political issues, rather than directly supporting or opposing a specific candidate

Independent expenditures

an expenditure for a communication that expressly advocates/advertises the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate and which is not made in coordination with any candidate or their campaign or political party. _________ are not subject to any amount limitations but may be subject to reporting requirements. Comes from SuperPACs(independent from campaign, uses contributions, unlimited spending)

Yellow Journalism

a sensationalist style of reporting that emerged in the 1890s, featuring bold, exaggerated headlines, scandals, and illustrations to boost circulation

Muckraking

journalists role in exposing corruption of government/industry

Investigative Journalism

systematic, in-depth, and original reporting of concealed, complex, or wrongdoing information, crucial for upholding accountability and democracy

15th voting right amendment

african americans can vote

19th voting right amendment

women can vote

26th voting right amendment

18 year olds can vote