gov exam 3 (everything)

What are some differences between federal and state/local politics?

people pay far less attention to state and local politics (knowledge is lower) so interest groups are more influential. states also have clear dominant party.

What is political culture? What does American political culture refer to?

a set of beliefs/policies that describes the politics of a group of people (demographic/culture). it refers to ways social attitudes and expectations differ from those who live in other countries.

What are some claims about components of American exceptionalism that are contested or debatable?

the english language being important for identity or not. 70% say it is very important but 1 in 5 speak language other than English at home.

What is birthright citizenship? What law does it come from? What are its requirements?

a legal right that grants citzenship by the 14th amendment. you’re an American citizen if you are born on American soil, born on foreign soil to at least one American parent, or through a process.

What is nativism? When was it popular? How was it linked to party politics?

the belief that non-immigrants are superior to immigrants, which peaked in the late 19th century. it was linked by nativists attacking city bosses and try to take over the city. by being anti-immigrant they also were being anti-democrat and anti-machine.

what is multiculturalism? why is it growing as a popular viewpoint?

the idea that a nation views cultural diversity as a positive feature of society.

it is growing because of three main things: immigration, a rise in social liberalism, and diversity being attractive feature.

What were three ways in which Protestantism was linked to American political culture?

1.historical dominance: most presidents and supreme court justices have been protestant, and businesses traditionally close on sundays.

2. anti-catholic sentiment: groups like the know nothing party used protestantism to oppose catholic immigrants (like irish and italians).

3. religious freedom: religious separatists helped make the 1st amendment a core american value.

What are some claims about components of American exceptionalism that are generally accepted?

Religion, Individualism, Diversity, Patriotism, and Class Consciousness.

What were some features of the Jim Crow era that limited the voting rights of non-whites?

poll taxes (pay to vote), literacy tests (designed to be impossible to pass), and legal loopholes (grandfather clauses).

What factors lead to the failure of Reconstruction?

it failed because the south resisted with violence and the north got tired of the cost. It ended bc republicans traded reconstruction for the presidency in 1876.

remember: resistance, fatigue, and the 1876 deal.

What is the Australian Ballot? How did we vote prior to using it?

a private, secret ballot. before that, voting was public which made it easy to threaten/bribe people.

What are ballot measures (referendums, initiatives, propositions?)

ways for the public to vote directly on specific issues or laws. initiatives (let citizens propose new laws), referendums (let people vote on passed laws), and propositions (general term when they show up on ur ballot)

What is the Invisible Primary? Why does it matter?

party elites attempt to control outcomes using money/endorsements based on early performance.

How does voter turnout compare to other countries? What are some explanations for this?

pretty low relative to other countries. bc not required, registration isn’t automatic (have to go and do it), lack of choice/trust.

What are some “benefits” of voting?

-extrinsic benefits (you look better, “i voted” sticker/button, peer pressure)

-intrinsic benefits (benefits to yourself, don't want to feel guilty for not doing civic duty, or cheerleader for candidate)

what are some “costs” of voting?

missing work, spending time to vote, effort spent researching, registration process, transportation

What are the most significant factors that determine voter turnout?

education -higher education = more turnout, higher income ppl vote more, age - older ppl vote more)

What are some ways to increase voter turnout?

making it more convenient, same-day registration, making it a federal holiday/or make it on the weekend, make it mandatory

how much of a problem is voter fraud? what about voter suppression?

it is not a problem, it is not meaningful/not making an impact. voter suppression (requiring id) causes a drop off in minority groups.

what factors determine vote choice?

party, ideology, issues, attractiveness, personality, scandals

how important are campaigns? why might they be less effective than we think?

they are insignificant/have little effects. because presidental campaigns are equally financed and most voters aren’t persuadable.

What does “liberal” mean?

progressive, equality, interventionist.

what does “conservative” mean?

traditionalism, proportionality, and individualistic.

what are some common “ideological types”?

liberals, conservatives, populists, libertarians.

How ideological are people? What does Philip Converse have to say about ideology?

most ppl dont think in ideological terms. It does little to explain our voting behavior.

Explain the two models presented that both result in someone identifying as a “moderate”. How do moderates typically compare in terms of political knowledge and engagement?

its people who have conflicting views on both sides or are uninformed. they are typically less politically knowledgeable and engaged.

What is dual process theory? Explain what each system of thinking does

it is 2 systems of thinking. 1 system is fast and automatic, 2nd system is slow and effortful.

What does being a “cognitive miser” mean, and how do heuristics help us?

we prefer to use heuristics (mental shortcuts).

What are the moral foundations?

our attitudes and beliefs result from automatic moral reactions/intuitions determined by our genetics and environment. (ppl feel first, then come up with rationalizations for their feelings).

how do moral foundations differ across partisans?

both sides (liberals & conservatives) like care & fairness. the conservatives have an extra 3: loyalty, authority, and sanctity (rules & tradition).

What is the R-A-S model? How does it explain our attitudes?

we mostly dont think about politics, we receive messages. it explains our attitudes by us choosing to accept these messages or not. when asked opinions we sample from the top of our head/memory.

What factors explain where our partisanship and attitudes generally come from?

socialization, a lot, (heavy influence from friends, family, & community), and nature some (traits, morality)

How hard is it to persuade others? Why? What is motivated reasoning? What is the backfire effect?

it is hard. motivated reasoning: if they are emotionally invested, not likely. backfire effect: giving new info can actually strengthen old belief.

What is party sorting? What’s the most significant example of this in the 20th century?

people “sort” themselves into the party that best matches their preferences. examples: southern democracts, and black americans

What is ideological sorting? Demographic sorting? Geographic sorting? Examples?

ideological sorting: people move overtime towards the appropriate party for them which increasingly adopts ideological label.

demographic sorting: who u are makes u more likely to sort into one party or the other

geographic sorting: locations themselves becoming more sorted.

How did interest groups contribute to polarization?

they represent the most extreme voices on an issue. they push politicians to take hardline stances making compromise hard. “us vs them” mentality.

How did elected officials contribute to polarization?

spending money on politicians, having “good policy”. caused first 20 yrs of polarization.

What shift in major political issues caused “culture wars” to increase polarization?

the big shift was arguing about money to arguing about social and racial issues. things like abortion, lgbtq rights, and immigration made it hard to find a middle ground rather than it is on money causing polarization to get worse.

How does the theory behind increased sorting explain increased polarization?

started out by sorting into parties but, multiple overlapping and consistent identities (race, religion, geography) leads to emotional attachment. we act, feel, and care more when we have to defend ourselves.

what are some ways that media (TV and social media) increase polarization?

streams of messages in disagreement of what we believe, vs what is actually factual/going on. it exposes us to hostility on the other side.

How important are campaigns? Why might they be less effective than we think?

they are insignificant/have little effects. because presidental campaigns are equally financed and most voters aren’t persuadable.

What is Duverger’s Law? How does it explain our two-party system?

a multiparty system cannot occur, (only two-party). it explains because theirs no point wasting your vote on a third party that has no chance.

How did the Republican Party originally form? What was the first Party System to feature Republicans versus Democrats?

it formed in the 1850s to stop slavery from spreading. the third party system was the first one to feature democrats vs republicans.

What was the defining issue that Federalists and Democratic-Republicans fought over during the First Party System?

over how much power the federal government should have.

federalists wanted a strong central government, while democratic-republicans wanted more power for the states.

What is the fourth function of parties?

parties in society that act as vehicles that powerful groups use to get what they want from the government

what is an intense policy demander?

a group like a labor union or wealthy donors who care a lot about specific issues and push parties to pass laws for them. (they are the ones driving what a party does, more than regular voters).

What is the third function of parties? How does partisanship relate to one’s identity

parties in the electorate parties help to clarify politics and stimulate action among the public. it functions as a real identity bc it’s who u are/preference.

What is the second function of parties? What are some aspects of it?

parties as campaign organizations improving the likelihood of their individual members winning election. aspects are branding, mobilization, and fundraising.

What is the first function of parties? What is a long coalition? What are their goals?

parties in the government.

-parties allow legislators to form long coalitions in the government (power sharing arrangement between different groups to always vote together).

the goals are to ensure members continue to vote together/stay tg.

What did the founding fathers think about parties? How quickly did we get parties?

the founders basically hated or underestimated them. saw them as dividing. parties formed almost immediately because of disagreements between hamilton and jefferson.