AP GOV - ELECTIONS

What does political participation include?

Attending political meetings, contacting public officials, campaigning, donating money, forming interest groups, and protesting.

What are linkage institutions?

Channels like elections, parties, media, and interest groups that connect citizens to the government.

What is suffrage?

The right to vote.

What key amendments expanded voting rights in the U.S.?

Fifteenth Amendment (race), Nineteenth Amendment (gender), Twenty-Fourth Amendment (poll taxes), and Twenty-Sixth Amendment (voting age).

What factors affect voter turnout?

Perceived importance of elections, mobilization by parties, and voter apathy.

What is the core mechanism for democratic representation?

Elections, where voters choose representatives.

What affects the composition of the electorate?

The structure and timing of elections.

What is the process of presidential elections?

Exploration and announcement, primaries and caucuses, national party conventions, general election campaign, and Election Day.

What is the Electoral College?

A body of electors that formally elects the president based on state popular votes.

What is the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA)?

A law that placed restrictions on campaign contributions and required disclosure of donations.

What did Buckley v. Valeo (1976) decide?

It upheld limits on individual contributions but struck down limits on candidate self-financing.

What did the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) aim to do?

Close loopholes in campaign finance and regulate political ads close to elections.

What is Citizens United v. FEC (2010)?

A Supreme Court decision allowing corporations and unions to spend unlimited money on independent political expenditures.

What is hard money?

Direct, regulated, limited donations to a candidate's campaign.

What is soft money?

Unregulated money given to parties for general purposes rather than to a specific candidate.

What are PACs?

Political Action Committees that raise hard money to donate directly to candidates.

What is the role of interest groups?

To influence public policy through lobbying, litigation, and mobilization.

What are negative ads?

Campaign advertisements that attack an opponent's character or record.

What is the difference between a primary and a caucus?

A primary is a statewide election to choose a party's nominee; a caucus is a local meeting to choose delegates.

What is popular sovereignty?

The idea that political power comes from the people.

What is the purpose of a general election?

To choose who wins the office itself.

What is negative advertising?

Campaign advertising attacking an opponent's character or record.

What is a Political Action Committee (PAC)?

A group that collects donations from members and gives limited amounts to candidates.

What causes polarization in politics?

Gerrymandering, ideologically sorted parties, cable news & social media, closed primaries, decline of moderates, and regional realignment.

What are primaries in AP Gov?

State-level elections where voters choose party nominees, especially for president.

What is gerrymandering?

Drawing electoral districts to benefit a political party.

What is the Efficiency Gap?

A measure of wasted votes used to detect partisan gerrymandering.

What is political efficacy?

A person's belief that their vote or political participation matters.

What is rational choice voting?

Voting based on what benefits the voter most.

What is prospective voting?

Voting based on what a candidate promises to do in the future.

What is retrospective voting?

Voting based on a candidate's or party's past performance.

What is split-ticket voting?

Voting for candidates from different parties on the same ballot.

What is straight-ticket voting?

Voting only for candidates of one party.

What is a valence issue?

An issue where most people agree on the goal; candidates try to appear more competent.

What are critical elections?

Elections that cause a major shift in party coalitions.

What is party alignment?

Strong attachment to a party.

What is dealignment?

Decline in party loyalty; more independents.

What are party coalitions?

Groups of voters that consistently support a party.

What is a political machine?

Party organizations that use jobs and favors to win loyalty and votes.

What are the two main party eras in U.S. history?

Republican Era (1860-1932) and Democratic Era (1932-1968).

What are third parties?

Parties besides Democrats and Republicans; influence policy and elections even if they rarely win.

What is the two-party system?

A political system dominated by two major parties.

What is an electoral mandate?

The belief that a winning candidate has broad public support to implement their agenda.

What is a plurality system?

The candidate with the most votes wins, even without a majority.

What is election fraud?

Illegal interference with voting.

What is voter suppression?

Actions that make voting harder for certain groups.

What does the Fifteenth Amendment do?

Prohibits denying voting rights based on race.

What does the Nineteenth Amendment do?

Gives women the right to vote.

What did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 accomplish?

Outlawed voting discrimination and required federal oversight in certain states.

What was the outcome of Shelby County v. Holder (2013)?

Struck down the VRA's preclearance formula, weakening federal oversight.

What are Voter ID Laws?

State laws requiring ID to vote; supporters say they prevent fraud, critics say they suppress turnout.

What does the Twenty-Fourth Amendment do?

Bans poll taxes in federal elections.

What does the Twenty-Sixth Amendment do?

Lowers voting age to 18.

What is the Motor Voter Act (1993)?

Allows voter registration at DMVs and public agencies to increase turnout.

What are candidate-centered campaigns?

Campaigns focused on the candidate's personality and message, not the party.

What are party-centered campaigns?

Campaigns focused on party platforms and loyalty.

What are RNC and DNC?

Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee; national party organizations.

What is the Air War in campaigns?

Campaigning through TV, radio, and digital ads.

What is the Ground War in campaigns?

Campaigning through door-to-door efforts, get-out-the-vote initiatives, and rallies.

What are Super PACs?

Groups that can raise unlimited money but cannot donate directly to candidates or coordinate with campaigns.

What was the significance of Citizens United v. FEC (2010)?

Allowed unlimited independent political spending by corporations and unions.

What is tribunalism?

The concept of being 'in a tribe' and viewing others as 'the other'.

What sparked the American culture wars?

The Vietnam War and civil rights movements.

What was the backlash to the civil rights movement in the 1960s?

A reaction against the changes brought about by the civil rights movement.

What defines elite status in society?

Elite status is often defined by one's tastes, such as the type of car driven or food eaten.

What was the impact of the draft on societal divides?

The draft brought together diverse groups of people, leading to less division and more discussion.

What does the phrase 'Blue Lives Matter' signify?

It represents an 'us vs. them' issue in the context of police and community relations.

What does 'Black Lives Matter' address?

It addresses real problems faced by black communities.

What was the significance of the 15th Amendment?

It granted ex-slaves the right to vote, imposing federal requirements on states.

What did the 19th Amendment achieve?

It granted women the right to vote.

What was the purpose of the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

To ensure that all eligible voters, particularly black voters, could register and vote.

What is the grandfather clause?

A law that allowed individuals to vote if their grandfather had voted before, disenfranchising many black voters.

What was the impact of the Motor Voter Act?

It made registering to vote easier.

What is the unitary executive theory?

The theory that the executive branch has broad powers.

What does the term 'gerrymandering' refer to?

The manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor one party.

What was the outcome of Baker v. Carr?

The Supreme Court ruled that federal courts have jurisdiction over state legislative apportionment.

What was the issue in Shaw v. Reno?

Whether the creation of a majority-black district violated the equal protection clause.

What did Citizens United v. FEC determine?

Political spending is a form of protected free speech under the First Amendment.

What was the significance of the 24th Amendment?

It abolished poll taxes in federal elections.

What is the efficiency gap in voting?

A measure used to evaluate the fairness of electoral district maps.

What is the impact of voter ID laws?

They can suppress voter turnout, particularly among poor and minority populations.

What is the significance of the term 'malapportionment'?

It refers to the unequal distribution of representatives in legislative districts.

What does the term 'asymmetrical polarization' mean?

It describes the phenomenon where one political party moves further from the center than the other.

What does the term 'push polling' refer to?

Polling that is designed to influence respondents' opinions rather than measure them.

What is the role of interest groups in elections?

They lobby and influence legislation and electoral processes.

What does 'political efficacy' mean?

The belief that one's vote matters and can make a difference.

What is the significance of the term 'super PACs'?

Political action committees that can raise unlimited funds for political campaigns.

What was the Watergate scandal?

A political scandal involving President Nixon's administration that led to significant reforms in campaign finance.

What is the Federal Election Commission (FEC)?

A regulatory agency that oversees campaign finance laws.

What is the impact of gerrymandering on elections?

It creates non-competitive elections and increases polarization.

What is the relationship between education and voting?

Well-educated individuals are more likely to vote.

What is the impact of age on voting behavior?

Older individuals, such as soldiers, are more likely to vote.

How does race affect voting patterns?

White individuals are more likely to vote compared to minorities.

What is the significance of the term 'civic duty'?

The responsibility of citizens to participate in their government, primarily through voting.

What is the relationship between marital status and voting?

Married individuals are more likely to vote than single individuals.