Political Participation Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards for Unit 5: Political Participation.

Linkage Institutions

Institutions that inform, organize, and mobilize support to influence government and politics, connecting citizens with the government.

Social Movements

Develop in response to conditions perceived as negatively impacting specific groups, aiming to change public policy to benefit the adversely impacted group.

Political Parties

Run campaigns to win office and make policy consistent with their platform and goals, adapting to election results and changes in information dissemination.

Interest Groups

A form of political participation for people with particular policy concerns, sometimes criticized for disproportionate impact on policy-making.

15th Amendment

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

17th Amendment

Established the direct election of senators instead of being chosen by state legislatures.

19th Amendment

Women gained the right to vote.

24th Amendment

Eliminated the poll tax as a prerequisite to vote in national elections.

26th Amendment

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Banned racial discrimination in voting and provided for federal election examiners to enforce the law.

Motor Voter Law

Required states to allow voters to register when they get their driver's license.

Rational-choice voting

When a voter has examined an issue or candidate, evaluated campaign promises or platform points, and consciously decided to vote in the way that seems to benefit the voter

Retrospective voting

A theory of voting in which voters essentially ask "what have you done for me lately"

Prospective voting

Basing voting decisions on well-informed opinions and consideration of the future consequences of a given vote

Party-line voting

A vote in which a substantial majority of members of a political party vote for those in their party

Demographics

Characteristics of a population, including age, sex, and race.

Political Efficacy

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

Electorate

All of the people entitled to vote in a given election.

Linkage Institution

The channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the government's policy agenda

Critical Election

Election that produces a sharp change in the existing pattern of party loyalties among groups of voters; electoral realignment persists through several elections

Regional Realignment

When an area of the country undergoes a major shift in its electoral base and political agenda

Realignment

When a party undergoes a major shift in its electoral base and political agenda

Divided Government

When different political parties control different branches of the federal government

Winner-take-all voting districts

An electoral system in which legislative seats are awarded only to the party who received the most votes in an election; most common system in the U.S., and it does not benefit minor political parties since third-party candidates rarely win the majority of votes in an election