Studied by 12 people
Political participation
Ways in which individuals take action to shape the laws and policies of a government
Political action committees (PACS)
Organizations that raise money to elect and defeat candidates, may donate money to a candidates campaign (limits)
indivuduals, corporation,s and unions may form PACs
Linkage Institution
Channels that connect individuals with government, including elections political parties, interest groups, and the media
Social movement
Joining of individuals who seek social/political change with the goal of placing issues on the policy agenda
Suffrage/franchise
The right to vote
26th amendment
Allows 18 and over to vote
24th amendment
Prohibits Congress/states from imposing poll taxes as a requirement for voting in federal elections
Poll tax
A payment required by a state/federal government before a citizen can vote
Voter turnout
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/ethnicity, and gender
Socioeconomic status (SES)
Meausure of an individuals wealth, income, occupation, and educational attainment
Political efficacy
A persons belief that they can make an effective politcal change
Political mobilization
Efforts by political parties to encourage their members to vote
Sponsoring meetings, recruiting, etc
Registration requirements
Who can vote, how many ballots can be cast, where someone can go to vote
Absentee ballot
Voting completed and submitted by a voter before the day of an election without going to polls
Rational choice voting
Voting based on what a citizen believes what is in their best interest
Retrospective voting
Voting based on an assesssment of a candidates past performance
Prospective voting
Voting for a candidate who promises to enact policies favored by the voter in the future
Party-line voting
Voting for candidates who belong only to one political party for all of the offices on the balolot
Electoral college
constitutionally required process for selecting the president thru slates of electors chosen in each state pledged to vote for a nominee in the presidential election
Winner-takes-all system
Candidate who wins the PLURALITY of votes within a state recieves all of that states votes in an electorla college
Battleground states
States w a close contest between the Republican and Democratic candidate in a presidential election
Swing states
Levels of support for the parties are similar and elections “Swing” back and fort between parties
Get Out the vote (GOTV)
An effort to mobilize supporters
Super PACs
An organization that may spend an unlimited amount of money on a political campaign, along as the spending is not coordinated with a campaign
Note 
Flashcard (59)