ap gov unit 5 (wilkosz)

Candidate Recruitment

Parties ask viable candidates to run and target winnable seats.

Third Party Candidate

A candidate who represents a political party that is neither Democrat nor Republican.

Independent Candidate

A candidate who is not associated with any political party.

Coalition

An alliance of groups with common interest or goals.

First Party System

The historical period dominated by the Democratic-Republicans and Anti-Federalists.

Jackson and the Democrats (1828-1856)

Era characterized by Andrew Jackson's popularity among the general populace.

Republican Era: Lincoln (1860-1896)

This era saw the Republican party gain dominance, primarily opposing slavery.

New Deal Coalition (1932 - 1964)

Coalition formed to support FDR's plans to recover from the Great Depression.

Divided Party Government (1968-present)

Period during which no single party dominates government.

Candidate-Centered Campaigns

Campaigns focused more on individual candidates than on party affiliation.

Major Parties

The two dominant political parties in the US: Democratic and Republican.

Third Parties

Political parties that challenge the two major parties.

Ideological Parties

Political parties that focus on specific ideologies, like the Libertarians.

Spoiler Role

Third parties can influence election outcomes by siphoning votes from major parties.

Interest Groups

Organizations that aim to influence governmental policies.

Lobbying

Activities aimed at persuading policymakers to enact certain laws.

Inside Lobbying

lobbying strategies inside of Washington DC to influence policy makers to amend or propose laws

Outside Lobbying

Indirect methods to influence policy through public engagement.

Iron Triangles

A stable relationship among interest groups, bureaucracy, and congressional committees.

Winner-Take-All

A method where the candidate receiving the most votes gets all delegates.

Proportional Allocation

Dividing delegates in proportion to the votes received by candidates.

Citizens United v FEC

a landmark Supreme Court case decided in 2010 that ruled that the government cannot restrict independent expenditures for political communications by corporations and unions, under the First Amendment.

Federalist 10

A paper discussing the dangers of factions and the need for a large republic.

Impact of 24 Hour News Media

The shift towards constant news coverage affecting public information.

Free Rider Problem

Relying on others for collective efforts while not contributing oneself.

Electioneering

direct group involvement in political campaigns, including fundraising and volunteering.

Campaign Finance

The funding of political campaigns and regulations governing them.

Presidential Elections

Elections held every four years to choose the president.

Midterm Elections

Elections held halfway through a president's term.

Primary Election

A ballot election to determine a party's candidate for an upcoming election.

Closed Primary

A primary where only registered party members can vote.

Open Primary

A primary where any voter can participate, regardless of party affiliation.

Caucus

A meeting of party members to debate and publicly vote for candidates

Super PAC

Political action committees that can raise unlimited funds for campaigns.

PAC

Political Action Committee, limited in contribution amounts to candidates.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)

aimed to regulate campaign finances by banning soft money contributions to national political parties and restricting the use of corporate and union money for campaign advertising.

Hard Money

Direct contributions to a candidate's campaign.

Soft Money

Donations made to political parties for purposes other than supporting a specific candidate.

Public Policy

Government actions in response to political issues.

Political Efficacy

The belief in one's ability to influence government policy.

Polarization

The increasing ideological distance between political parties.

Demographic Factors

Characteristics such as age, race, and education influencing political ideology.

Horse Race Journalism

Media coverage focusing on poll standings rather than substantive differences.

Electorate

All individuals eligible to vote in an election.

Incumbent

An official currently holding office, typically seeking reelection.

Rational Choice Voting

Voting based on individual self-interest and informed choices.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to favor information that confirms existing beliefs.

13th Amendment

Abolished slavery except as punishment for a crime.

14th Amendment

Granted citizenship and equal protection under the laws to all born in the U.S.

15th Amendment

Gave African American males the right to vote

24th Amendment

Abolished poll taxes restricting voting.

16th Amendment

Allowed Congress to levy income taxes.

Federalism

The division of power between national and state governments.

Interest groups

organized entities composed of individuals who share common objectives and actively seek to influence public policy to achieve those goals. These groups represent various sectors including business, labor, environmental, and social issues, and may engage in activities such as lobbying, advocacy, research, and grassroots campaigns. They aim to sway political decisions in favor of their specific interests and often play a critical role in shaping legislation.

Electoral college

a constitutionally established group of representatives from each state in the United States, responsible for the formal election of the President and Vice President. Each state's number of electors is equal to the sum of its Senators and Representatives in Congress, totaling 538 electors. To win the presidency, a candidate must secure a majority of these electoral votes (at least 270). The system can lead to scenarios where a candidate wins the presidency without winning the popular vote, as it emphasizes the role of states in the election process.

Political parties

organized groups that aim to influence government policy by getting their candidates elected to public office. They typically share a common set of beliefs, ideologies, and policy goals. In the United States, the two dominant political parties are the Democratic Party, which generally advocates for progressive values, and the Republican Party, which typically supports conservative ideologies. Political parties not only nominate candidates for various offices but also articulate policies, mobilize voters, and provide a framework for political debate.

Role of the Media

serves a vital role in a democratic society by informing the public about political issues, candidates, and government actions. It acts as a watchdog, holding politicians accountable for their actions and ensuring transparency in governance. Furthermore, media shapes public opinion by providing platforms for debate and discussion, including news articles, reports, and opinion pieces. The rise of digital media has also changed how information is disseminated and consumed, allowing for greater engagement but also challenges such as misinformation and bias.

Campaign finance

involves the funds that are raised and spent in the pursuit of political office. It includes donations to candidates, political parties, and political action committees (PACs). Campaign finance laws, which have evolved over time, aim to regulate monetary contributions to reduce the influence of money in politics and increase transparency regarding the sources and uses of funds. Challenges to these laws, such as those arising from the Citizens United v. FEC decision, have resulted in increased spending in campaigns, especially at the national level.

Split ticket voting

• voting for a presidential candidate of one party and legislators of another

• voting for candidates of different parties on the same ballot

Straight ticket voting

• voting exclusively for the candidates of one party

• voting for candidates of the same party on the same ballot

Referendum

Direct vote by citizens on policy change proposed by legislature or another government body

Initiative

• Direct vote by citizens on policy change proposed by fellow citizens or organized groups outside of the government

• getting questions on ballot requires collecting set numbers of signatures from registered voters in support of the proposal

Direct lobbying

• Attempts by interest group staff to influence policy by speaking with elected officials or bureaucrats

• directly involved in government, professional, few members

Grassroots lobbying

• Lobbying strategy that relies on participation by group membres like protests or letter-writing campaigns

• not professional, convincing politicians through a big number of people

Lobbying the judicial branch

• Direct sponsorship

• filing amicus curiae (friend of the court) briefs

  • brief that informs the court of the group’s policy preferences, generally in the guise of legal arguments

Media Conglomerates

• Companies that control large number of media sources across several types of media outlets 

  • Ex: New Corp, 21st Century Fox, Disney

Framing

How you choose to present and tell the story

Hard News

• Just the facts

• Investigative journalism

Soft News

• Human interest, entertainment stories

• Based on the topics you choose

Leaking

• As long as journalists doesn´t ask person to provide them confidential information

• It is a crime for journalists to seek and steal confidential information or bribe someone to steal it

• Someone provides nonpublic info to reporter

Filtering/agenda-setting/gatekeeping

Influence on public opinion that results from journalists and editors’ decisions about which of many potential stories to report on

Retrospective voting

Voting to decide whether the party or candidate in power should be re-elected based on the recent past.

Prospective voting

Voting based on predictions of how a party or candidate will perform in the future.

Party-line voting

Supporting a party by voting for candidates from one political party for all public offices at the same level of government.

Linkage institution

structures that connect individuals to the government and facilitate communication between citizens and policymakers.

17th amendment

Allowed the people (instead of state legislatures) to vote for senators

26th amendment

Changed the voting age from 21 to 18

Realignment

A major change in the composition of party coalitions, often brought on by a new or pressing issue (often economic trouble or war)

Critical election

An election that leads to a major party realignment. After this type of election, a number of key supporters of one party (for example, southern white voters) switch to the other party.

Dealignment

The process by which an individual loses his or her loyalty to a political party without developing loyalty to another party.

Elite democracy

a form of representative democracy in which power is held by a small, select group of individuals or institutions, rather than being distributed among a broader cross-section of society

Fake news

intentional use of the media to support a political party, the intentional presentation of material that the news agency knows to be untrue or unverified, or the intentional use of the mass media to deceive the public with the goal of changing political outcomes.

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

to oversee and enforce federal campaign finance laws in the United States. It plays a critical role in ensuring transparency in political campaign financing, setting rules for contributions and expenditures, and administering the public funding of presidential elections. The FEC's activities directly impact how candidates can raise and spend money during elections.

Federal Elections Campaign Act (FECA)

to ensure transparency and fairness in the electoral process by setting limits on campaign contributions and requiring disclosure of campaign expenditures. This act established the framework for federal election funding and led to the creation of the FEC which oversees and enforces campaign finance laws

Independent expendentures

political campaign spending that is not coordinated with a candidate's campaign, meaning the spending is done independently by individuals or organizations to advocate for or against political candidates.

Voter turnout

the percentage of eligible voters who participate in an election by casting their votes.

19th amendment

granted women the right to vote