AP Gov Unit 5: Political Participation

Fourteenth Amendment

Granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the US, including formerly enslaved people

Fifteenth Amendment

Granted African American men the right to vote

Seventeenth Amendment

Changed the practice for electing Senators from a vote by state legislatures to a direct vote by the people

Nineteenth Amendment

Granted women the right to vote

Twenty-Third Amendment

Provides that the District of Columbia shall appoint electors

Twenty-Fourth Amendment

Eliminated poll taxes, a structural barrier to voting

Twenty-Sixth Amendment

Lowered the voting age to 18

Rational Choice Theory

Refers to individuals who base their decisions on what is perceived to be in their best interest

Retrospective Voting

Refers to individuals who decide whether the party or candidate in power should be reelected based on the recent past

Prospective Voting

Refers to individuals who vote based on predictions of how a party or candidate will perform in the future

Straight-ticket Voting

Refers to individuals who vote for all of the candidates from one political party on a ballot

Split-Ticket Voting

Refers to individuals who vote for candidates from different political parties when multiple offices are being decided by a single election

Voter Turnout

Differences in state-controlled elections (the hours polls are open, Voter ID laws, variations in funding for polling places and workers, variations in types of voting allowed, such as voting by mail, absentee voting, and early voting), variations in voter registration laws and procedures (registering in-person, online, or automatically), election type (more turnout for presidential elections than midterm elections)

Structural Barriers

Such as Voter ID laws, variations in funding for polling places and workers, variations in types of voting allowed, polling hours, availability of absentee ballots, voting by mail, and early voting opportunities, ability to register in-person and/or online

Political Efficacy

The belief that an individual’s participation in the political process will make a difference; used to predict the likelihood of whether an individual will vote

Voter Choice

Factors influencing voter choice include: party identification and ideological orientation, candidate characteristics, contemporary political issues, religious beliefs or affiliation, age, gender, race, ethnicity, and other demographic characteristics

Linkage Institutions

Channels that allow individuals to communicate their preferences to policymakers: political parties, interest groups, elections, media

Political Party

Functions and impact of political parties on the electorate and government are represented by: mobilization and education of voters, party platforms, candidate recruitment, campaign management, including fundraising and media strategy, the committee and party leadership systems in legislatures; structure of parties has been influenced by: critical elections, campaign finance law, changes in communication and data management technology; use communication technology and voter data management to disseminate, control, and clarify political messages and enhance outreach and mobilization efforts

Electorate

The people eligible to vote in an election

Party Platform

Formal set of principal goals of a political party to appeal to the public/electorate

Candidate-Centered Campaign

Where the public focus is on the characteristics of the candidate and not on the party

Critical Elections/Realignments

Set of sharp changes in party ideology, issues, party leadership, regional and demographic bases of power in political parties, and political system rules and structures

Third Party

Incorporation of third-party agendas into platforms of major political parties serves as a barrier to third-party and independent candidate success

Proportional System

A type of electoral system in which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionally in a legislative body

Single-Member District

An electoral district from which a single legislator is chosen, usually by a plurality vote. This system of representation is used in the US House of Representatives and in most state legislatures

Winner-Take-All System

Serve as a structural barrier to third-party and independent candidate success; winner-take-all voting advantages the two-party system in the US

Swing States

A US state in which major party candidates have similar levels of support and which is considered to play a key role in the outcome of presidential elections; often referred to as a battleground state

Interest Group

May represent very specific or more general interests, and can educate voters and office holders, conduct lobbying, draft legislation, and mobilize membership to apply pressure on an work with legislators and government agencies; may also file an amicus curiae briefs; exert influence by working within party coalitions and through iron triangles and issue networks; may have large memberships and are able to mobilize those members, and possess access to large financial reserves; some may have more direct and more frequent access to important people in the policy process

Amicus Curiae Brief

A written document submitted as a “friend of the court” to provide additional information for justices to consider when reviewing a case

AARP

A non-profit organization focused on the issues of affecting those above 50 years of age; lobbies in favor of entitlement programs, such as Social Security and medicare

Lobbying

Act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of public policymakers

Free Rider

Individuals who benefit from the work of an interest group without providing financial support; interest groups may deal with this issue by providing selective benefits, goods and services that are only available to members, to encourage more people to join

Single-Issue Group

Political party or organization focused on a particular political ideology or social movement agenda

Protest Movement

A political party or organization focused on addressing a perceived injustice or diagreement with public policies, agendas, or current political, economic, or social circumstances and situations

Professional Organization

An interest or advocacy group consisting of members of a common career field

Incumbency Advantage

Benefits current officeholders possess over challengers

Closed Primary

Voting Process to elect candidates where only voters registered in a given party can vote in their party’s primary election

Open Primary

Voting process to elect candidates by allowing voters of any party affiliation to vote in one party’s primary election

Caucus

Closed meetings of party members to select candidates or decide policy

Party Convention

A political convention where delegates of a political party come from across the nation to nominate their party candidate and decide on a party platform

General Election

A regular election where all registered voters may vote for candidates for political office

Electoral College

States can choose how they allocate theirelectors; most states use a winner-take-all system

Popular Vote

An election where the candidate with a mjority or plurality of all votes in the nation

Presidential Election

Incumbency advantage phenomenon, open and closed primaries, caucuses, party conventions v. general elections, the electoral college

Congressional Election

Process and outcomes in US congressional elections are affected by incumbency advantage phenomenon, open and closed primaries, caucuses, general (presidential and midterm) elections

Modern Campagin

Benefits and drawbacks of modern campaigns are represented by: dependence on professional consultants, rising campaign costs and intensive fundraising efforts, duration of election cycles, impact of and reliance on social media for campaign communication and fundraising

Campaign Finance

Includes financial contributions from individuals, political action committees, political parties

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002

An effort to ban soft money and reduce attack ads with “Stand by Your Ad” provision: “I’m [candidate’s name] and I approve this message”

Political Action Committees (PACs)

A political committee organized for the purpose of raising and spending money to elect and defeat candidates; regulated by the FEC in federal elections

Super PACs

A type of political action committee that may raise unlimited amounts of money from interest groups but cannot coordinate directly with candidates and political parties

Agenda Setting (Media)

Takes place when traditional news media, new communication. technologies, and advances in social media influence how citizens routinely acquire political information, including news events, investigative journalism, election coverage, and political commentary

Traditional News Media

Include print media, radio, television, cable/satellite, and billboards

Social Media

Interactive technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual networks and communities (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube)

Investigative Journalism

A form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a topic of interest, particularly with the government; watchdog role of the media

“Horse race” Journalism

Based more on popularity and factors other than qualifications and platforms of candidates through the media’s use of polling results to convey popular levels of trust and confidence in government which can affect elections

Media Bias

Bias of journalists or producers in the selection and coverage of events and stories; i.e. MSNBC slants more liberal/Democratic, Fox News slants more conservative/Republican

Consumer-Driven Media Outlet

Media whose content is influenced by the actions and needs of consumers