AP Gov Unit 5 Vocab Quiz

Twenty-sixth amendment

Citizens "eighteen years of age or older" shall not be denied the right to vote by the states or the United States "on account of age"

Twenty-fourth amendment

Citizens shall not be denied the right to vote by the states or the Unite States "by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax"

Voter turnout

The number of voters who actually cast votes as a percentage of the voting age population (everyon over the age of 18)

Political efficiency

Sense that their vote makes a difference

Rational choice voting

A voter who has examined an issue or canidate, evaluated campaign promises or platform points, and consciously decided to vote in the way that seems to most benefit the voter.

Retrospective voting

Looking back to consider the canidates track records.

Prospective voting

Citizens anticipate the future by consdering how canidates or proposed ballot initiatives might affect their lives or the operation of government.

Party-line voting

Citizens who affiliate with a political party of hold a strong party loyalty will likely vote with that party at most opportunities.

Linkage institutions

Political parties, interest groups, and the media that connect people with the government, keeping people informed and trying to shape public opinion and policy

Political party

Parties influenced by special interest groups and social movements, goal is to apture the largest share of votes.

Split ticket voting

Voters can pick republican canidates in some races and democrats in others

Party platform

A written list of beliefs and political goals of the party

Primary election

Voters cast votes for delgates to attend the party's national convention, and they advise the delegates whom to nominate at the national convention

Open primary

Allows voters to declare party affiliation on election day

Closed primary

Voters must decalre their party affiliation in advance of the election, typically when they register to vote.

Proportional representation

Multiple parties compete for office, and voters cast ballots for the party they favor

Single member districts

A canidate that wins the most votes, wins that office

Ideological goups

Interest groups formed around a political ideology

Public interest groups

Greated to improve life or government for the masses

Single issue groups

Groups that are focused on just one topic

Professional associations

Typically represent white collar professions that are concered with business success and the laws and practices that guide their trade.

Lobbying

Applying pressure to influence government, not only in Washington but also in every state capital

Iron triangle

The relationship between an agency, a congressional commitee, and an interest group

Issue network

Commitee staffers, academics, advocates, leaders of think tanks, interest groups, and the media that collaborate to create a specific policy on one issue

Grassroots lobbying

When an interest group tries to inform, persuade, and mobalize large numbers of people

Political action committee

Formal groups formed around a similar interest

Winner-take-all system

The canidate who wins the plurality of the popular vote in a given state will ultimatley recive all of that state's electoral votes.

Swing state

States that could go either way in an election

Super PACs

Can make unlimited independent contributions as long as the committee is not directly advocating for a candidate

Free press

An uninhibited institution that places an additional check on government to maintain honesty, ethics, and transparency

Horse race journalism

Elections are reported as if the most important aspect is which candidate is in the lead

Gatekeeping

When the news and media sets their own news agenda by determining what is newsworthy and therefore deciding what information the public will recieve