Interest Groups and Political Parties Lecture Review

These flashcards cover key concepts related to interest groups, political parties, campaigning, Congress, and the presidency, based on the lecture notes provided.

How do political parties differ from interest groups?

Political parties try to win elections and control government, while interest groups try to influence government policy.

Which Amendment protects the right to lobby the government?

The First Amendment.

A basic reason for the existence of so many interest groups in the United States is ______.

Freedom of association and the many different interests in a pluralist society.

What do interest groups do in the iron triangle relationship?

They provide support, information, and pressure to bureaucracies and congressional committees in exchange for favorable policies.

Which statement best describes direct lobbying / inside strategy?

It means directly contacting lawmakers or government officials to influence policy decisions.

What are lobbyists generally required to do in Washington, DC?

They are required to register and report certain activities and spending but are not required to disclose every exact conversation.

How can a Super PAC benefit a Congressional candidate?

A Super PAC can spend unlimited money independently to support or oppose candidates through ads and outreach but cannot coordinate directly with the candidate’s campaign.

Name some examples of interest groups.

Examples include NRA, NAACP, AARP, AFL-CIO, Sierra Club, Chamber of Commerce, MADD.

What impact did Citizens United (2010) have on campaign finance?

It allowed corporations and unions to spend unlimited money independently on political advocacy.

To have great influence, what must a lobbying group generally have?

Financial resources or a large membership base.

MADD reflects which type of interest group?

A public interest / single-issue interest group.

Where are political parties mentioned in the Constitution?

Nowhere.

What document lays out a party’s core beliefs and policy proposals?

The party platform.

What is termed when voters adjust their long-term allegiance from one party to another in response to ideological changes?

Party realignment.

Why do political parties exist in the U.S.?

To organize government, nominate candidates, mobilize voters, and link people to government.

What does the Supreme Court primarily consider campaign spending to be?

A form of political speech protected by the First Amendment.

Who were the first partisan political divisions in the United States between?

Federalists and Democratic-Republicans.

What is moral hazard?

People take greater risks when protected from consequences.

What is adverse selection?

Bad choices happen because one side has hidden information.

What are states that are not clearly reliable for one major party called?

Swing states or battleground states.

What is narrowcasting or microtargeting?

Using voter data to send tailored messages to specific groups of voters.

Which form of gerrymandering has been deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court?

Racial gerrymandering.

What proportion of the Senate is up for election in any given election?

About one-third.

What distinguishes redistricting from partisan gerrymandering?

Redistricting is the redrawing of district boundaries after the census, while partisan gerrymandering is drawing them to benefit one political party.

What is a referendum?

Voters decide directly on a law or policy.

What is a recall election?

Voters try to remove an elected official before the term ends.

What is the revolving door?

Movement between government jobs and lobbying firms.

Who is a faithless elector?

An elector who does not vote for the candidate they were expected or pledged to support.

What is a caucus?

A candidate chosen at a physical meeting where attendees discuss and select candidates.

What has the largest effect on partisan identification?

Family.

What does a California legislature proposal to reduce tuition to zero represent?

A referendum.

What national election does gerrymandering impact?

House of Representatives elections.

How is the manner of selecting Electoral College members in each state governed?

By state legislatures / state law.

What is the winner-take-all electoral system?

The candidate who wins the state popular vote gets all of that state’s electoral votes.

What does it mean for candidates to become more moderate?

To attract undecided voters, best shown by the median voter theorem.

Why might Congress use unorthodox rulemaking procedures?

To speed up action, avoid obstacles, or pass controversial legislation more easily.

Legislation introduced in Congress is first assigned to which committees?

Standing committees.

What does the term 'earmark' refer to?

Legislation specifically designed to direct funds to a specific project or district.

Which most accurately describes the filibuster?

A tactic in the Senate used to delay or block action on a bill by prolonging debate.

How is the number of electoral college votes for each state determined?

By the total number of its Senators plus Representatives.

What is ‘permanent campaigning’?

When members of Congress are always raising money, building support, and preparing for reelection.

When the Senate is 50–50, who can break tie votes?

The Vice President.

What is the primary constitutional role of the vice president?

To preside over the Senate and cast tie-breaking votes.

If the president takes no action on a bill for over 10 days while Congress is not in session, what happens?

The bill dies through a pocket veto.

The framers believed most national power should be in which branch?

The legislative branch.

How do smaller districts and frequent elections affect House members?

They are more responsive to local public opinion and constituent concerns.

What is a continuing resolution?

A temporary law Congress passes when appropriations bills are unfinished.

What action is required for the forced removal of a president through impeachment?

Action by the House and Senate (House impeaches, Senate convicts and removes).

If the Rules Committee applies a closed rule to a bill, what does it mean?

No amendments can be offered from the floor.

For which crimes can the president issue a pardon?

Federal crimes only, not state crimes.

What are common factors considered in presidential greatness?

Leadership, crisis management, effectiveness, character, public persuasion, foreign policy success, economic results, and historical impact.

Which is not a basic duty of the president?

Making laws, which usually belongs to another branch.

How is a presidential veto overridden?

By a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate.

How did the U.S. Supreme Court rule in Chiafalo v. Washington (2020)?

States can require electors to vote for their pledged candidate and can punish faithless electors.

How does the Executive Office of the President assist the president?

It provides advice, policy support, management, and administrative help.

Which key officials can the president appoint?

Cabinet members, ambassadors, federal judges, and many executive officials, usually with Senate confirmation.

How was the American presidency established?

By Article II of the Constitution.

What is an executive order?

A directive from the president managing operations of the executive branch, having the force of law unless overturned.

What is the modern equivalent of using the presidency as a bully pulpit?

Going public.

What was the purpose of the War Powers Act?

To limit the president’s ability to commit U.S. forces to combat without congressional approval for an extended time.

Through which provision have presidents expanded executive power?

The Take Care Clause.

What institution's workings are detailed in the Constitution regarding presidential selection?

The Electoral College.

What theory reflects a president who believes authority is limited to powers explicitly granted by the Constitution?

The Whig theory of the presidency.