AP US Government: Political Participation

15th Amendment (1870)

U.S. cannot prevent a person from voting because of race, color, or creed

17th Amendment (1913)

Established that senators were to be elected directly by voters (instead of by state legislatures as under the Constitution originally). This law was part of the Progressive Era effort to curb the power of political parties and open up the government with more democracy to the people.

19th Amendment (1920)

Women gain the right to vote

24th Amendment (1964)

Abolishes poll taxes

26th Amendment

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18

Rational Choice voting

assumes that voters will make decisions based on their own benefit, carefully weighing all choices

Retrospective voting

voting based on the past performance of a candidate

Prospective voting

voting based on the imagined future performance of a candidate based on his/her promises

Party-line voting

process in which voters select candidates by their party affiliation

midterm election

The congressional election that occurs midway through the president's term of office. These tend to have lower voter turnouts than the general election.

general election

election in which voters decide which candidates will actually fill elective public offices--these are distinct from primaries and midterm elections (i.e. when a president will be elected)

political efficacy

The belief that one's political participation really matters - that one's vote can actually make a difference

state voter registration laws

These vary state by state and can affect voter turn out, based on the rules that govern voting in each state

Demographics

the characteristics of a population with respect to age, race, and gender.

linkage institutions

The channels through which people can access their government. In the United States, linkage institutions include elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.

Campaign Finance Reform

Legislation aimed at placing limits on political candidates accepting money and gifts from individuals and special interest groups

winner-take-all system

An electoral system in which legislative seats are awarded only to the candidates who come in first in their constituencies. In the electoral college, this means that the person who gains a majority of votes in a state wins ALL the electoral votes in a particular state.

Proportional voting system

A system in which each party receives a percentage of seats in a representation assembly that is roughly comparable to its percentage of the popular vote. This is also used in the electoral college in states like Maine and Nebraska where a presidential candidate receives a certain PROPORTION of electoral votes based on the percentage of the popular vote he/she won.

free rider problem

the problem faced by interest groups when citizens can reap the benefits of interest group action without actually joining, participating in, or contributing money to such groups.

Role of Political Parties

Nominating candidates to win elections and control the government, but also conduct voter registration drives, determine the party platform for their group (what policies they advocate and on which side of the issues they stand), they fund and run campaigns for candidates, and serve to educate the voters on important issues

Candidate Centered Campaigns

Politics that focus on the candidates, their particular issues, and character rather than party affiliation--this has occurred as a result of televised debates and media-centered campaigns. The advent of social media has only accelerated this approach.

Why third parties can't get elected

Winner take all systems bar third party candidates from having a chance in presidential races, often third party agendas get folded into one of the dominant parties (i.e. the Green Party agenda closely aligns with the Democratic Party agenda).

interest group

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

How interest groups exert influence over lawmaking

Interest groups can lobby congressmen/women, they can fund political campaigns, they have long-standing relationships with the bureaucratic agencies and with Congress

Benefits of interest groups

Represent minority concerns- people can band together and have more power than 1 individual.

They also provide education to the people and lawmakers on particular issues.

Problems of Interest Groups

They often overrepresent the wealthy and those who participate in these interest groups, money=power

"Not all interest groups are created equal"

Some interest groups have high membership but low funding (i.e. free rider problem) others have much more money to exert more power over Congress, some have more long-standing relationships with Congress and the bureaucracy and therefore have an advantage over other groups

Single Issue Interest Groups

groups usually organized around one side of a single issue, such as pro-choice or anti-abortion groups

Political Realignment Examples

The civil rights and war protests of the 1960s and 1970s led to a conservative political backlash in the Eighties; Southern whites and northern blue collar union workers left the Democratic Party for the Republican Party; leading to a solid "Red" South, along with the religious conservatives in many western states. Reagan's 1980 election and 1984 re=election showed the permanence of this realignment.

incumbency advantage

The electoral advantage a candidate enjoys by virtue of being an incumbent, over and above his or her other personal and political characteristics. They are known, they have access to resources, and often have a broad base of supporters already.

open primary

A primary election in which voters may choose in which party to vote as they enter the polling place

closed primary

A primary in which only registered members of a particular political party can vote

Caucus

A meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates for public office and to decide the platform.

political party conventions

A get together of a particular political party to do the following:

1. Nominate candidates for office

2. put together the platform

3. vote on and discuss rules and regulations for the operation of the party

Electoral College

a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president.

Campaign Finance

Money that political candidates use for funding their expensive campaigns.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002

Largely banned party soft money, restored a long-standing prohibition on corporations and labor unions for using general treasury funds for electoral purposes, and narrowed the definition of issue advocacy.

"Stand by your ad" requirement

The requirement that political ads or "electioneering" must include the political candidate who endorses it or the organization that paid for it. This is designed to bring more truth and transparency into elections.

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

A 2010 landmark Supreme Court case that ruled that individuals, corporations, and unions could donate unlimited amounts of money to groups that make independent political expenditures based on the fact that corporations have protected 1st amendment freedom of speech rights.

PACs (Political Action Committees)

A committee set up by a corporation, labor union, or interest group that raises and spends campaign money from voluntary donations. PACs can donate hard money directly to a candidate.

Super PACs

Independent expenditure-only PACs are known as Super PACs because they may accept donations of any size and can endorse candidates. Their contributions must be through "soft money"

partisan polarization

the presence of increasingly conflicting and divided viewpoints between the Democratic and Republican Parties

consumer-driven media

refers to media whose content is influenced by the actions and needs of consumers; contributes to political echo chambers and drifts into sensationalism

coalition

a group of individuals with a common interest on which every political party depends

voter mobilization

a party's efforts to inform potential voters about issues and candidates and to persuade them to vote