unit 5 - political participation

organization, electorate, government

roles of pol parties

educate voters, develop platforms, campaign support, organize + merge government operations

functions of pol parties

proportional representation

in most democracies but not the US; where you vote for a party and that party takes a % of the vote, not candidate-based

re-alignment

where an important voting group changes parties (ex: great depression)

critical elections

election with major/lasting re-alignment (ex: 1960)

de-alignment

where voters further detach from political parties

pol parties cant contribute as much $$, candidate centered voting

what causes de-alignment

article II section I

what article and section is electoral college

23rd amendment

which amendment gives wash DC electoral votes = least populous state

435

how many representatives are there total in the HOR

270

538 electoral college votes, and it is ___ to win

house of reps with one vote per state for presicent and vice president chosen by senate

what happens if nobody hits 270

general election

congress election is aka

FPTP (first past the post)

single member plurality is AKA

single member plurality/FPTP

candidate with most votes (not majority) wins

franking privilege

incumbent ppl running for congress get free mail-outs to send

gerrymandering

process of manipulating the boundaries of electoral districts to favor one political party over another

hard $$

money donated directly to candidates (more regulated)

soft $$

money donated to pol party (less regulated) 

dark $$

anonymous money donated to party often funneled thru nonprofits

outside spending

unaffiliated groups to help candidate

issue advocacy

ads to educate public about issue and not candidate

federal election campaign act (FICA)

placed limits on PAC donations + individual donations, limits on campaign spending, must report campaign spending with public funding, created FEC

federal election commission (FEC)

monitors campaign spending

buckley vs valeo SCOTUS

caused bv FICA, campaign can spend more $$ but limits public spending

bipartisan campaign reform act (2002)

prohibited parties for asking for soft money, limits on soft money, must disclose who sponsored ad (limits on soft $$ later struck down by scotus)

citizens united v. federal elections commission 2010

corporations can spend unlimited $$ on campaign finance bc free speech

initiative

allows gen pop to propose laws and amendments

referendum

policy questions for voters to make/vote on

recall

rare but when voters vote to replace an elected official before the end of his or her term

open primary

voters regardless of political party choose party to vote on (most turnout)

closed primary

voters must be registered as party to vote (medium turnout)

caucus

primary voting system in which voters debate and vote in rounds that eliminate candidates until there is a winner (least turnout)

front loading

discouraged but still happens; states with an early selection process influence other’s precedent

interest groups

organization with specific issue that influences public policy

freedom of association

first amendment protects interest groups under

lower, members only

interests groups have ___ public accountability because it is __

labor unions, professional associations, agricultural groups

economic interest groups can be. ___ or ___ or ___

AFL american federation of labor

labor union example

sierra club

environmental interest group example

10, factions

in fed __, james madison warned against _

factions

interest groups are modern-

lobbying

when an interest group sends someone to influence legislature

direct lobbying

meeting with legialstors, policy research, drafting legislation

indirect/grassroots lobbying

mobilizing public opinion to pressure policymakers

political action committee (PAC)

fundraising part of interest groups

$5000 per candidate per election

limit of contribution to candidate

litigation

when interest groups file lawsuits to advance or chance policies (ex: brown v board by NAACP)

proportional system

system where percent of vote makes percent of parties, makes multiple parties on playing field, european, not what congress does

one voter one vote

candidate (not political party) who gets most (not majority) votes is the winner in the primaries

plurality

most votes

FPTP 

single member plurality is AKA

spoiler effect 

where minor/3rd parties pull votes from candidates splitting the vote