Poli Sci 2320 TXST Exam 3

Limits on the influence of Public Opinion on Public Policies

Contradictions, poorly or misinformed, personal values and beliefs matters more, people often have no opinion

A situation in which multiple group loyalties diminish a person's identification with a single group

Crosscutting

Political party

an ongoing coalition of interests joined together in an effort to get its candidates for public office elected under a common label

Political Parties

Organizationally, the U.S. major parties are decentralized and fragmented

True or False
Since the Civil War, Republicans and Democrats have switched opinions several times; not ideologically consistent

True

National Party Organizations: Republican National Committee (RNC) and Democratic National Committee (DNC)

• Largely confined to setting organizational policy
• Directed by a chairperson
• Training programs, money raising, media coverage, conduct issue and group research, send field representatives to help state and local parties

Interest Group

any organization that actively seeks to influence public policy

Common-carrier function

the media's function as an open channel through which political leaders can communicate with the public

Media provides _______

watchdog

The media is seen as

fourth branch of government

70's had high inflation due to ______.

Stagflation

Motor voter act

once you get a license, you are registered to vote

Super PAC's

industries have no limit on amount able to be donated

Public Opinion

Expressed opinion of the people on relevant issues

Characteristics of Public Opinion

• Direction
• Intensity
• Salience

Political Socialization

Influenced by childhood learning

Political Socialization Agents

• Family,•
• School,
• Pop culture
• Peer
• Media
• Religion

Why People's Political Attitudes Differ?

• Party Identification
• Race
• Social Class
• Region
• Education
• Gender
• Age
• Religion

Crosscutting

each group includes individuals who also belong to other groups, fostering political moderation

Three of America's deepest divides

race, religion & geography

Public Opinion & Boundaries of Action

limits the choices of policy makers, lasting and substantial change in the direction of national policy

True or False:
The founding fathers believed in political parties

False

Suffrage is the right to

Vote

The __th amendment allowed women to vote

19th

Since eighteen-year-olds were eligible for the military, they should also be able to vote.

26th amendment

Opponents of voter ID laws tend to be ______.

Democrats

Loss of interest or emotion in politics

Apathy

True or False
The strongest reform party in U.S. history was the Reorm Party

False, Progressive party

Which type of group typically has to deal with the problem of free riders?

Citizen's group

Political Participation

involvement in activities intended to influence public policy and leadership

Examples of Public Participation

Voting, joining political groups, writing to elected officials, demonstrating/protesting, volunteering or giving money to a political candidate

African Americans lawfully gained the right to vote with the passage of the __th Amendment

15th amendment

Self-government is based on the premise of ________ _______.

political participation

Elections demonstrate _________.

Consent

Frequent elections

a means of keeping politicians close to the preferences of a majority of the people

Elections limit the possibility of "_________" tactics, such as violence and excessive use of protest

impromptu

True or False
Elections make direct democracy unnecessary

True

The proportion of adult citizens who actually vote in a given election

Voter turnout

True or False
Compared to other countries, America has a high turnout rate

False, low voter turnout

Presidential elections tend to draw the ________ percentage of voters in the United States

largest

Midterm elections usually hover around ___% turnout• Local elections have about ___% turnout

40%, 20%

True or False
Citizens don't have to register to vote

False

What is the purpose for registering?

to stop people from voting more than once in the same election

Registration is regulat4ed by ______ government.

state

Because of the effects of registration, candidates for office often gear the positions to _____________ voters

middle-income

Argument against voter registration laws

Negatively affects lower-income families

Crawford v. Marion County Election Board

Indiana Legislature passed a law requiring all voters who cast a ballot in person to present a photo ID issued by the United States

America has ________ elections than any other nation in the world

more

Gubernatorial (governor) elections for most states (including TX) occur during _______ elections

midterm

True or False
The high frequency of elections may actually deter citizens from voting

True

Young adults are likely ______ to vote than the middle-aged and senior citizens

less

Causes citizens to refrain from voting

Apathy and alienation

A limited form of political participation, Is the most widespread form of political participation

voting

Is both a means by which the government controls the people and a means by which the people control government

Voting

Social capital

the sum of the face-to-face interactions among citizens in a society

active and sustained efforts to achieve social and political change by groups of people who feel that government has not been properly responsive to their concerns

Social (political) movements

What was the most successful political movement

Civil Rights Movement

The Tea Party

Began in opposition to high taxes, Became a major force in politics, especially during the 2010 midterm elections, Elected hardline fiscal conservatives in the House & Senate

Occupy Wall Street

Aims to curb the political influence of large donors and to rescind the Bush-era tax policies, emphasizes the influence of the wealthy "1%, lacked momentum

True or False
Most Americans are involved in politics

False

Party Coalition

the groups and interests that support a party

adherents of traditional values, business and capitalist class, white middle-class Americans, evangelical and fundamentalist Christians

Republican

Political parties serve to....

Link the public with its elected leaders, Enable people with different opinions and backgrounds to act together, Offer the public a choice between policies and leaders, Provide potential leaders an opportunity to attain public office

The Federalists

Mostly Northerners; nationalism and strong federal government; merchants and manufacturers; economic ties with Great Britain; controls Congress in 1790s; collapses due to War of 1812

The Democratic-Republicans

Agrarian interests; states rights; economic ties with France; Lock on presidency for 24 years (1801-1825)

Grassroots Party

a political party organized at the level of the voters and dependent on their support for its strength

Democratic Party

Pro-slavery; expansionism; manifest destiny; party based in the South

Whig Party

Northern party; mercantile interests; national bank; internal improvements; usually against expansion

Both parties have __________ because of their ability to adapt to changing circumstances

survived

The Democratic Party

• Young adults, Hispanics, LGBT
• African-Americans
• Social liberals
• Have lost the South

The Republican Party

• Had 49-state sweeps (1972, 1984)
• White southerners disenchanted
with the Democrats
• Business-oriented class
• Social conservatism
• Have lost the Northeast

Independents

• 1/3 of Americans see themselves as
independents
• Most independents lean to a specific
party

voting uniformly for one's party's candidates

Straight-Ticket Voting

Median Voter Theorem

the theory that parties in a two-party system can maximize their vote by locating themselves at the position of the median voter

Minor (Third) Parties

• Third parties usually have little effect on American politics
• Third parties arise to promote policies that both major parties ignore
• Usually, single-issue parties
• Factional Parties (e.g. George Wallace in 1968)
• When a third party achieves some success, one or both major parties usually absorb the ideas of the third party, causing support for the third party to weaken

Party Organizations

the party organizational units at national, state, and local levels

Nomination

the selection of the individual who will run as the party's candidate in the general election

A form of election in which voters choose a party's nominee for public office

Primary election

Money chase

the need for candidates to spend a great amount of time raising funds in order to compete successfully

Hard money

the money given directly to the candidate and can be spent as he or she chooses

Political consultants

campaign strategists, pollsters, media producers, fundraising, get-out-the-vote specialists

Packaging

highlighting those aspects of the candidate's policy positions and personality that are thought most attractive to voters.

very prevalent aspect of modern campaigning

Negative television ads

candidates' relentless use of televised ads

Air wars

Rapid response

used to rebut attacks and exploit fast-breaking developments

Most organized/successful interest groups deal with _______ issues.

economic

Pluralism

at society's interests are substantially represented through the activities of groups
• Pro: society is best seen as a collection of separate interests.
• Contra: the representation of interest groups is not equal.
• Pluralism leads to inequality.

Economic Groups

groups that look for material incentives (such as jobs, higher wages, profits)

Types of economic groups

• Labor Groups-Union groups (AFL-CIO), Local governments have some of the most successful unions in the country.
• Farm groups- Agricultural policy, Different groups represent different interests.
• Professional groups- Lobby on behalf of a specific profession, American Medical Association (AMA)

Citizens' groups

groups that exist not for material gain but fora purposive incentive, usually single-issue

Private (individual) good

benefits that a group can grant directly and exclusively to individual members of the group.
• Economic Group, Union Membership

Collective (public) good

non-divisible and therefore are available to nonmembers as well as members of the particular group, Environment, the air we breathe, Free-rider problem (e.g. NPR)

Lobbying

efforts by groups to influence public policy through contact with public officials

Inside lobbying

group efforts to develop and maintain close("inside") contacts with policy makers

Many _______ rely on the opinions of interests group in interpreting bills

legislators

New lobbying moto

provide information, rely on trusted allies in Congress, push steadily but not too aggressively for favorable legislation

Lobbying the ________ branch is becoming more common and important

executive

Lobbying & the Judiciary

• Initiating lawsuits.
• Amicus briefs.
• Lobbying for certain judges to be appointed to the bench.
• Sometimes interest groups fight other interest groups in courts

Outside lobbying

a form of lobbying in which an interest group seeks to use public pressure as a means of influencing officials

Grassroots lobbying

• Letter-writing campaigns, public demonstrations.
• AARP: one of the most successful vessels of outside lobbying