Unit 5: Political Participation

caucus

local meetings that are financed and managed by the two major parties (just a discussion)

primary

happens at regular polling stations and funded and run by state officials (voting)

closed primaries

have to be registered officially with either party to vote

open primaries

anybody can vote

national convention

presidential nominees are officially selected

new hampshire

primary

iowa

caucus

what is the electoral college

a plan devised by the framers to select the president of the u.s.

how does EC work

number of reps is house members + 2 (senate), need 170 to win

winner take all

whichever candidate has the most votes in the state takes all the EC votes for that state (minus Maine and Nebraska)

flaws of EC

winners of popular vote may loose in the ec, faithless electors (vote different than previously stated), if there’s no majority the house of reps decides

linkage institutions

connects people to gov, ex: voting, media, interest groups, political parties

why are political parties less responsive to voters?

primaries give voters the ability to vote on their own

realignment

people moving from one party to another

dealignment

people moving from one party to no party

political party functions

select candidates for office, coordinate elections, mobilize voters

why are third parties typically unsucessful?

the main two will absorb their issues, winner-take-all

iron triangle

bureaucracies, congress folk, and interest groups mutually benefiting

direct lobbying

one on one contact with legislators

grassroots lobbying

mobilizing members to influence public opinion through letters or public demonstrations

litigation

lawsuits used when public opinion differs and elected officials are reluctant to change policy

issue network

cooperative lobbying where multiple interest groups work for a common goal

gatekeeper

decides what issues are put on the american agenda, issue framing/villainizing

scorekeeper

keeps track of winners and losers, horse race mentality for elections

watchdog

investigate issues, focus on the wrong doings