AP Gov Unit 5 Political Participation

political participation

the different ways in which individuals take action to shape the laws and policies of a government

political action committee (PACS)

an organization that raises money for candidates and campaigns

linkage institutions

channels that connect individuals with government, including elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media

social movement

large groups of citizens organizing for political change

franchise or suffrage

the right to vote in political elections

twenty-sixth amendment

allows those eighteen years or older to vote

twenty-fourth amendment

prohibits Congress and the states from imposing poll taxes as a condition for voting in federal elections

poll tax

A requirement that citizens pay a tax in order to register to vote

voter turnout

the number of eligible voters who participate in an election as a percentage of the total number of eligible voters

demographic characteristics

measurable characteristics of a population, such as economic status, education, age, race or ethnicity, and gender

socioeconomic status (SES)

a measure of an individual's wealth, income, occupation, and educational attainment

political efficacy

a persons belief that he or she can make effective political change

political mobilization

efforts by political parties to encourage their members to vote

registration requirements

the set of rules that govern who can vote and how, when and where they vote

absentee ballots

voting completed and submitted by a voter before the day of an election

political party

an organized group of party leaders, office holders, and voters that work together to elect candidates to political office

party identification

the degree to which a voter is connected to and influenced by a particular political party

straight-ticket voting

voting for all of the candidates on the ballot from one political party

split-ticket voting

voting for candidates of different parties for different offices at the same election

party platform

a set of positions and policy objectives that members of a political party agree to

recruitment

the process through which political parties identify potential candidates

party coalition

groups of voters who support a political party overtime

realignment

when the groups of people who support a political party shift their allegiance to a different political party

critical election

a major national election that signals a change in the balance of power between the two parties

party era

a time period when one party wins most national elections

era of divided government

a trend since 1969, in which one party controls one or both houses of Congress and the president is from the opposing party

nomination

the formal process through which parties choose their candidates for political office

delegate

a person who acts as the voters' representative at a convention to select the party's nominee

primary election

an election in which a states voters choose delegates who support a candidate for nomination

open primary

a primary election in which all eligible voters may vote, regardless of their partisan affiliation

closed primary

a primary election in which only registered voters from a political party may vote

caucus

a process through which a state's eligible voters meet to select delegates to represent their preferences in the nomination process

superdelegate

usually a party leader or activist who is not pledged to a candidate based on the outcome of the state's primary or caucus

front-loading

a decision by a state to push its primary or caucus to a date as early in the election season as possible to gain more influence in the presidential nomination process

national convention

a meeting where delegates officially select their party's nominee for the presidency

candidate-centered campaign

a trend in which candidates develop their own strategies and raise money with less influence from the party elite

two-party system

a system in which two political parties dominate politics, winning almost all elections

proportional representation system

an election system for a legislature in which citizens vote for parties, rather than individuals, and parties are represented in the legislature according to the percentage of the vote they receive

single-member plurality system

an election for choosing members of the legislature where the winner is the candidate who receives the most votes, even if the candidate does not receive a majority of the votes

interest groups

voluntary association of people who come together with the goal of getting the policies that they favor enacted

social movements

diffuse groups that educate the public and put pressure on policymakers in an effort to bring about social change

theory of participatory democracy

the belief that citizens impact policymaking through their involvement in civil society

civil society

groups outside the government that advocate for policy

pluralist theory

the theory that political power is distributed among a wide array of diverse and competing interest groups

elitist theory

a theory that the wealthy elite class has a disproportionate amount of economic and political power

policy agenda

the set of issues to which government officials, voters, and the public are paying attention

collective action

political action that occurs when individuals contribute their energy, time, or money to a larger group goal

collective good

also called a public good; a public benefit that individuals can enjoy or profit from even if they do not help achieve it

free riders

individuals who enjoy collective goods and benefit from the actions of an interest group without joining

selective benefits

benefits available only to those who join the group

economic interest group

groups advocating on behalf of the financial interests of their members

public interest groups

groups that act on the behalf of the collective interests of a broad group of individuals

single-issue groups

associations focusing on one specific area of public policy, often a moral issue about which they are unwilling to compromise

government interest groups

organizations acting on behalf of local, state, or foreign governments

lobbying

interacting with government officials in order to advance a group's public policy goals

revolving door

The movement of individuals from government positions to jobs with interest groups or lobbying firms, and vice versa.

amicus curiae brief

a brief filed by someone who is not a party to a case in an attempt to persuade the Court to agree with the arguments set forth in the brief

iron triangle

coordinated and mutually beneficial activities of the bureaucracy, Congress, and interest groups to achieve shared policy goals

issue network

webs of influence between interest groups, policymakers, and policy advocates

grassroots lobbying

mobilizing interest group members to pressure their representatives by contacting them directly through phone calls, email, and social media

protest

a public demonstration designed to call attention to the need for change

civil disobedience

intentionally breaking a law to call attention to an injustice