unit 5: political participation

15th Amendment

Guarantees the right to vote cannot be denied bc of race or previous condition of servitude (gives African American men the right to vote)

17th Amendment

Established the direct, popular election of US senators

19th Amendment

Guarantees that voting rights cannot be denied bc of sex; Women right to vote

23rd Amendment

Grants Washington DC 3 electoral votes for Presidential election; allows DC residents to participate in presidential elections

24th Amendment

Bans poll taxes in federal elections; expands voting to low income voters

26th Amendment

Lowers voting age from 21 to 18; expands voting rights, especially for younger citizens

Suffrage

The legal right to vote

Voter turnout

Percentage of eligible voters who vote in an election

Rational choice

A voting model where people vote for the option that benefits them the most based on their own self interest

Retrospective voting

Voting based on evaluating past performance of a candidate or party

Prospective voting

Voting based on a candidate’s future plans and promises

Partyline voting

Voting based on political party affiliation rather than candidate specifics

Political party

An organized group seeking to gain political power and influence government policy

Party platform

A party’s official statement of policies and goals

Third parties

Any political party outside the two dominant U.S. parties, outside democrats/republicans

Multiparty system

A system with more than two significant political parties competing for power

Straight ticket voting

when a voter selects all the candidates from one political party on their ballot, rather than choosing candidates individually for each office

Split ticket voting

when a voter selects candidates from more than one political party in the same election

Proportional representation

a system where parties win seats based on the percentage of votes they get, rather than winner take all districts

Party coalitions

groups of voters, demographic blocs, and interests that consistently support a political party

Campaign finance

how money is raised and spent in political campaigns. It includes donations from individuals

Linkage institution

A structure within society that connects the people to the government/centralized authority

Incumbent

Bro who currently holds the seat in office

General election

where voters choose who will hold public office

Mid term election

Elections held in the middle of a presidential term to choose members of Congress (all House seats and 1/3 of the Senate)

Referendum

When voters directly vote to approve or reject a law passed by the legislature

Petition initiative

A process where citizens write a proposed law, gather signatures, and place it on the ballot for voters to approve or reject

Open primaries

Voters are not required to identify party affiliation

Closed primaries

Voters are required to vote for the candidate associated with the political party they are registered in

Caucuses

A closed meeting of a group of persons belonging to the same political party or faction usually to select candidates or to decide on policy

Party conventions

A meeting of party delegates to nominate candidates and approve the party platform

Electoral college

A body of electors chosen by each state who formally elect the President and Vice President;Winner take all system

Split electoral college votes

A method of allocating Electoral College votes so that they can be divided among candidates instead of all going to just one

Interest groups

A group that is determined to encourage or prevent changes in public policy without trying to be elected

Focus groups

Small, organized groups used to gather detailed opinions on political issues or candidates

Iron triangles

stable, mutually beneficial relationship among three entities in policymaking

Lobbying

Seek influence (a politician or public official) on an issue (think of a lobby and waiting in it for someone)

pharmaceutical/health groups giving most money to politicians

Free rider problem

when people benefit from a public good or service without paying for it or contributing to its provision

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

Court case that says money = speech, so corporations can spend however much money they want towards a candidate

Mass media

means of communication that reach large audiences

Talking heads

Short video clips of public figures speaking on TV, often used in news coverage

Media event

A planned event meant to gain media attention and influence public opinion

Media consolidation

When a small number of companies control most media outlets

Policy agenda

The set of issues that government officials, policymakers, and political actors are actively working on and paying attention to at any given time

Agenda setting

The ability to shape what issues the public thinks are important by choosing which stories to highlight and how much coverage to give to them

Horserace journalism

A style of political coverage that focuses on polls, strategy, and who is winning or losing rather than the candidates’ policy or position

Investigative journalism

A form of journalism in which reporters deeply research and uncover hidden, corrupt, or illegal activities within the government

Social media

Digital platforms that allow users to create and interact with content

Leak

The intentional release of confidential or sensitive information to the media by government officials

Photo op

A carefully staged public event designed to generate appealing photographs or video footage of a political figure

Sound bite

A short, catchy clip of speech taken from a longer statement or interview, used by the news to capture attention and fit time limits