AP Governmental & Politics Unit 5 Vocab

Fourteenth Amendment

Addresses citizenship rights and equal protection under the law.

Example of Fourteenth Amendment

United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898)- confirmed that children born in the U.S. to non-citizen parents are U.S. citizens by birth. The Supreme Court case addresses citizenship rights and the person's ability to be a US citizen.

Fifteenth Amendment

Recognized the right of black men to vote

Example of Fifteenth Amendment

With the 15th Amendment in place it gave the right for African American men to vote in political decisions.

Seventeenth Amendment

Granted the people the right to vote senators into office

Example of Seventeenth Amendment

Gives the US senators the ability to create a more democratic system, the senator is solely based on higher vote count.

Nineteenth Amendment

Recognized women’s right to vote

Example of Nineteenth Amendment

Gives the ability for women to vote in the US.

Twenty-third Amendment

allows American citizens residing in the District of Columbia to vote for presidential electors.

Example of Twenty-third Amendment

Allows for more representation in the region of District of Columbia. Can provide data on another region of the United State.

Twenty-Fourth Amendment

Abolished poll taxes which were used to suppress the minority vote

Example of Twenty-Fourth Amendment

Allows voters the ability to vote free of charge and not have to worry about economic problems during the elections.

Twenty-Sixth Amendment

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18

Example of Twenty-Sixth Amendment

Creates more voters in the United States, shows a new demographic, and shows the ability to have younger audiences learn more about politics.

Rational choice theory

Person votes based on their individual self-interest, carefully studies the issues and platforms

Example of Rational choice theory

A high school student chooses to study for a test to get a good grade on a quiz, so they can get into a good college.

Retrospective voting

Person votes based on the recent past track record of the politician in question

Example of Retrospective voting

Ronald Reagan’s 1984 presidential election because Reagan’s first term was marked by a strong economic recovery, his administration policies included tax cuts and deregulation. Reflecting voters' positive assessment of his first-term achievements.

Prospective voting

Person votes based on predictions of how a party or candidate will perform in the future

Example of Prospective voting

Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign which focused on promises to “Make America Great Again”, emphasizing immigration reforms, tax cuts, and trade deals. Which caused expectations for voters to lean towards his way.

Split-ticket voting

Is when a voter in an election votes for candidates from different political parties when multiple offices are being decided by a single election.

Example of Split-ticket voting

In the 2020 U.S. election where in Maine, Democrat Joe Biden won the state in the presidential election, but Republican Senator Susan Collins won the senator position.

Structural barriers to voting

Barriers that prevent people from voting, registration, ballot complexity, two-party system, and elections are all considered institutional barriers - they all make voting difficult and can hinder some from voting.

Examples of Structural barriers to voting

Voter ID laws, Limited polling locations, restrictions on Mail-in voting, and felon disenfranchisement

Political efficacy

Refers to the belief that one's actions can influence political processes and that individuals have the capability to make a difference in governance.

Example of Political efficacy

US citizens participating in protests such as a climate change rally. To advocate for new environmental laws to be passed.

Linkage institutions

Are structures that connect individuals to the government and facilitate communication between citizens and policymakers.

Example of Linkage institutions

Political parties (Democrat or Republican), Interest groups (National Rifle Association), Media (CNN, FOX News, and MSNBC)

Electorate

All the people in a country or area who are entitled to vote in an election.

Example of Electorate

the age and residency requirements to vote.

Party platform

A political party's statement of its goals and policies for the next four years. It is the best formal statement of a party's beliefs

Example of Party platform

Donald Trump’s party platform for the 2024 political election SEAL THE BORDER, AND STOP THE MIGRANT INVASION, CARRY OUT THE LARGEST DEPORTATION OPERATION IN AMERICAN HISTORY, and END INFLATION, AND MAKE AMERICA AFFORDABLE AGAIN.

Candidate-centered campaign

Is an electoral strategy that focuses primarily on the individual candidate rather than the political party they represent.

Example of Candidate-centered campaign

Barack Obama’s 2008 political campaign emphasized Obama’s personal story, charisma, and message of “hope and change”

Critical elections / Realignments

are pivotal moments in American political history when significant shifts occur in the electoral alignment of voters, leading to long-lasting changes in political party support. These elections often reflect deep social or economic changes.

Example of Critical elections / Realignments

Election of 1932: Franklin D. Roosevelt’s landslide victory during the Great Depression ushered in the New Deal coalition, establishing Democratic dominance and expanded the federal government’s role in economic and social policies.

Third (minor) party

political organizations that operate alongside the dominant two parties in a political system, typically representing alternative ideologies and interests.

Examples of Third (minor) party

The Libertarian party and The Green Party, these parties have different ideals than the Democratic and Conservative party.

Proportional system

is an 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.

Examples of Proportional system

In Germany, The Bundestag (German federal parliamentary) uses a proportional system where voters cast two voters. One for district representatives and one for a political party.

Winner-take-all system

is an electoral process where the candidate who receives the most votes in a particular state wins all of that state's electoral votes.

Examples of Winner-take-all system

If Candidate A has 51 votes and Candidate B has 49 votes then Candidate A would win all of the state’s electoral votes.

Interest group

is an organized group of individuals who share common objectives and actively seek to influence public policy to achieve those goals. These groups can represent various interests, such as business, labor, environment, or social issues, and often engage in lobbying government officials and mobilizing public opinion.

Examples of Interest group

The National Rifle Association (NRA), the American Medical Association (AMA), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

Amicus curiae brief

are legal documents filed in court cases by non-parties, often organizations or individuals, who have a strong interest in the case's outcome.

Examples of Amicus curiae brief

Roe v. Wade (1973)- the supreme court cases legalized abortion, women’s rights group American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed amicus briefs supporting the right to choose. These briefs provided arguments supporting abortion as a constitutionally protected right.

AARP

Examples of AARP

•  Leading efforts to update Social Security 

• promote other retirement savings efforts to help everyone achieve lifetime financial security, 

• Promoting adequate and affordable health care, 

• including prescription drugs and long-term care, Fostering communities with affordable and appropriate housing

• Supportive community features and options for getting around

Lobbying

 the process by which individuals or groups, often organized as interest groups, attempt to influence government decision-making and policy outcomes

Example of Lobbying

An officer of Duke University writes to a Member of Congress urging him or her to vote against an amendment that will be offered during the debate on a bill.

Iron triangle

is a term that describes the stable, mutually beneficial relationship between three key players in the policy-making process: congressional committees or subcommittees, bureaucratic agencies, and interest groups.

Examples of Iron triangle

Environmental Policy: Congress passes laws related to environmental regulations, Bureaucracy: The Environmental Protection Agency regulates pollution and enforces environmental laws, Interest Groups: environmental organizations lobby both Congress and the EPA shape regulations in favor of their industry.

Issue network

refers to the complex web of relationships among various stakeholders, including government officials, interest groups, and other entities that come together around a specific policy issue.

Examples of Issue Network

Government officials, interest groups, media, and researchers all highly polarize networks that act and shape the debate over regulation, public safety, and individual rights.

Free rider problem

occurs when individuals benefit from a resource, good, or service without paying for it, creating an imbalance in contributions towards collective efforts. This situation often arises with public goods.

Examples of Free rider problem

National defense: The beneficiaries may or may not have paid their taxes to support it, but the military will protect them nonetheless.