AP Gov Unit 5 (unfinished)

Political Participation

501 (c)(3)

Nonprofit organization that cannot support or oppose election candidates, and donations given to it are tax-deductible.

501(c)(4)

Nonprofit organiaztion that can support or oppose election candidates, although that can't be the primary purpose, and donations given to it are not tax deductible.

Associated Press (AP)

the first formal news organization who could share news by wire service

Bandwagon Effect

a shift of support to a candidate or position holding the lead in public opinion polls and therefore believed to be endorsed by many people

"Big Three" Networks

The original television broadcast networks: NBC, CBS, and ABC.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)

Act in 2002 that 1. banned soft money contributions to the national parties, increased the limits on hard money donations for individuals, PACS, and national parties per election cycle, 2. placed an aggregate limit on how much an individual could donate to multiple candidates in a 2-year cycle, 3. prohibited corporations, trade associations, and labor organizations from paying for electioneering communications on radio/TV using campaign treasury money during a certain time around a vote (declared unconstitutional), 4. required candidates to state "I'm [name], and I approve this message."

Blanket Primary

A primary that allows voters to cast votes for candidates in multiple parties (allows voters to use a split ticket)

Budget and Impoundment Control Act

Act passed in 1974 that created congressional budget committees in both houses to examine the president's budget. Created in response to the practice of some presidents refusing to spend money appropriated by Congress.

Bundling

Raising large sums from multiple donors for a candidate

C-SPAN (Cable Satellite Public Affairs Network)

A privately funded nonprofit public service that takes footage of Congress, including committee hearings, but also seminars at university campuses and think tanks, public meetings, and political rallies.

Caucus

A meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates for public office and to decide the platform. Less convenient and more public than a standard election.

Closed Primary

A primary in which voters must declare their party affiliation in advance of the election, typically when they register to vote.

Coattail Effect

When a congressional candidate rides the popularity of their party's presidential candidate, giving themselves popularity as well.

Commentary

Stating opinions and interpretation rather than hard fact.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to seek out and interpret information in a way that confirms what they already believe

Consumer-driven media

Media whose content is influenced by the actions and needs of consumers

Conventions

a meeting of delegates in order to nominate candidates for president and vice president and create party platforms

Critical Election

an election that reveals sharp, lasting changes in loyalties to political parties

Dark Money

Alternative name for 501(c)(4) groups that don't disclose their donors and don't coordinate with any candidate

Democratic National Committee (DNC)

official governing body of the United States Democratic Party

Democratic Party

One of the two major U.S. political parties. Founded in 1828, supporting Andrew Jackson, the party now captures a lot of ideologies but is dominated by modern liberalism.

Divided Government

When different political parties control the House, the Senate, and the Presidency.

Economic Protest Parties

Parties that form against those with great power over the market; the Greenback Party opposed monopolies, and the Populist Party opposed railroads, big banks, corporations, and supporting politicians.

Editorial Board

Group of veteran journalists who guide the editorial philosophy of a news outlet

Editorials

A news organiaztion's opinion pieces, sometimes including endorsement of political candidates.

Electoral College

The system established by the Constitution through which the president is chosen. Its members of each state (and D.C.) gather in their respective capital cities to vote on the same day, generally based on the popular vote of their state.

Electors

Electoral College members chosen to vote for the President

Endorsement

A public expression of support

Fairness Doctrine

A former federal policy that required radio and television broadcasters to present alternative viewpoints

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

An independent federal agency that regulates electronic media, has authority over the content of radio, television, wire, and satellite broadcasts, and regulates ownership by attempting to prevent monopolies.

Federal Elections Campaign Act (FECA)

A law passed in 1971 that tightened campaign finance reporting requirements and limited candidates' expenditures. It was amended in 1974; the amendment created the FEC to enforce the law, created a legal definition for PACs, limited donation amounts to federal candidates and political committees per election, and capped how much a candidate could donate to their campaign and how much the campaign could spend.

Federal Elections Commission

A six member bipartisan agency that administers campaign finance laws and enforces compliance with their requirements. Its board of commissioners is appointed by the President and approved by the Senate.

Free Riders

Nonmembers of a group (such as the NAACP or NRA) that don't participate in the group's activites but support the group and benefit from it.

Freedom of Information Act

A law passed in 1966 that allows the public to gain access to nonclassified federal documents, with some exceptions.

Front Loading

States scheduling their primaries and caucuses earlier to boost their political clout and to enhance their tourism

Gatekeeper

Acting as something that determines what is newsworthy and therefore deciding what information the public will recieve.

General Election

election in which voters decide which candidates will actually fill elective public offices

Government Accountability Office (GAO)

a government agency that provides auditing, evaluative, and investigative services for the United States Congress. It is the supreme audit institution of the federal government of the United States.

Grand Old Party (GOP)

Alternative name for the Republican party

Grassroots Lobbying

When interest groups try to inform, persuade, and mobilize large numbers of people

Grasstops

Business owners or lesser officials in a community that lobbying firms try to connect with to shape opinion on the local level

Hard Money

Any contribution subject to the regulation of the Federal Election Commission (FEC), such as donations to candidates.

Horse-Race Journalism

When reporters find new ways to discuss who is leading and who is falling behind in a campaign season.

Ideological Party

a political party based on a specific set of beliefs. Ex. the Socialist and Libertarian parties.

Incumbent

An officeholder who is seeking reelection.

Incumbent Advantage Phenomenon

The ability to use all the tools of the presidency to support candidacy for a second term

Independent Expenditures

Advertising to support or disparge any candidate, without being connected to a super PAC.

Initiative

A procedure in which citizens or an organized group formulate a law in writing, then gather the necessary number of registered voters' signatures on a petition to place the proposal on the ballot for approval by the electorate at-large.

Intergovernmental Lobby

the lobbying that occurs between different levels of government, such as between the state and national government or between local governments and the state government. Ex. National Governors Association

Investigative Journalism

When reporters purposely find in-depth information, especially on national issues and especially to expose corruption.

Invisible Primary

early attempts to raise money, line up campaign consultants, generate media attention, and get commitments for support even before candidates announce they are running

Iowa Caucuses

Caucuses that take place every election cycle before any other vote in other states

Iron Triangles

The bonds among an agency, a congressional committee, and an interest group

Issue Ads

Notices (such as commercials) that highlight an important topic or problem of concern

Issue Networks

A loose grouping of people and organizations who seek to influence policy formation.

Leadership PACs

PACs formed by politicians and party-driven organizations

Lobbying

Applying pressure to influence government

Lobbyist

Person who tries to persuade someone to support a particular cause

Mainstream Media

The collection of traditional news organizations that still operate an objective news model.

Matching Money

definition 1. the federal government will match, dollar for dollar, all individual donations of $250 or less.
definition 2. donations to presidential campaigns from the federal government that are determined by the amount of private funds a qualifying candidate raises

McGovern-Fraser Commission

Commission in the Democratic Party, led by the senator of the same name, that brough significant changes to ensure minorities, women, and younger voter representation at future conventions

Midterm Elections

Federal elections for the House and Senate that take place halfway through a president's term. Receive a fraction of the media attention and fewer votes.

Minor Parties

Alternative name for third parties

Narrowcasting

When media outlets have a specific political agenda and a targeted audience

New Hampshire Primary

The first presidential primary and the second party contest. Winner gains a lot of media attention.

Nineteenth Amendment

The constitutional amendment adopted in 1920 that guarantees women the right to vote.

Open Primary

A primary that allows voters to declare party affiliation on Election Day

Outsider Strategy

Interest group strategy that tries to sway public policy without directly interacting with a Congress member, such as through lawsuits and get-out-the vote drives.

Party Chairperson

The chief strategist and spokesperson of a political party.

Party National Convention

nominating conventions to select the party's presidential candidate and running mate

Party Dealignment

When party voters become independents or move away from politics altogether

Party Realignment

dramatic shifts in partisan preferences that drastically alter the political landscape

Platform

A party's written list of beliefs and political goals

Pluralism

A multitude of views that ultimately results in a consensus on some issues

Political Action Committee (PAC)

an organization that collects political donations from its members and uses the funds to influence an election, either by supporting or opposing a candidate

Political Analysis

a form of journalistic expression that explores and provides opinions on a topic in depth, typically legislation, court rulings, budget proposals, etc,

Polling Place

Assigned location for voters to vote at, often a school or community center.

Precinct

A small geographic area of about 500-1,000 voters, who all vote at an assigned polling place within the area. These areas are pieces of wards.

Press Conference

Media event held for journalists to speak with and ask questions to notable individuals. Held by the press secretary regularly in the James Brady Press Briefing Room

Primary Election

Basic elections for nominating presidential candidates for a party, where state delegates are awarded to candidates based on the vote outcome

Professional Associations

Institutional interest groups that typically represent white-collar professions, such as the American Medical Association and the American Bar Association

Public Interest Group

(Member?) interest groups that are geared to improve life or government for the masses, rather than specific types of people.

Recall

A statewide/local vote to remove an elected official from office in the middle of their term: passes if the effort makes the ballot and if over half of the voters are in favor. Allowed in 19 states

Referendum

A vote to repeal (or approve) a law, available in all 50 states

Republican National Committee (RNC)

The official governing body of the Republican Party

Republican Party

One of two major political parties in the U.S. Founded by anti-slavery activists in 1854 in opposition to the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and stemming from the fallen Whig party, especially Northern Whigs. Currently, the party is dominated by conservatism in ideology.

Robocalls

Prerecorded messages that can be automatically delivered to large numbers of people, used to remind people to vote for their candidates and to discourage voting for opposing candidates (such as by push polling)

Scorekeeper

The role the media takes when they track political successes and failures through public opinion polling and updating readers and viewers nonstop on the ups and downs of competing candidates

Seventeenth Amendment

Amendment ratified in 1913 that made senators be elected by a popular vote, rather than by the state legislature

Single-Issue Parties

Political parties, typically 3rd parties, that focus on one problem, such as the Prohibition, Green, and Marijuana Parties.

Single-Member Districts

Districts in which the candidate who wins the majority or plurality of votes wins that office

Sixteenth Amendment

Amendment ratified in 1913 that empowered Congress to tax individual incomes, which enhanced the national treasury and encouraged interest groups to push for more services.

Social Media

Interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks, which became strongly used by news outlets, including the Big Three.

Soft Money

Donations to a party or interest group, untracked by FECA

Solidarity Incentives

Interest group incentives that allow people of like mind to gather on occassion (monthly organizational meetings, citizen actions, etc.)

Sound Bites

Short excerpts edited from a longer remark that are especially vivid in presenting an issue, which can be presented to the public with drastically different effects depending on the wording.

Splinter Parties

Third parties formed from breaking off of a major party.

Split Ticket

Voting style of picking candidates of different parties for different races on one ballot

Super PAC

Political action committees, specifically independent expenditure-only committees, that can receive unlimited donations and raise and spend as much as they wwant on electioneering communication if the donors are disclosed and there's no coordination with any candidates. Began to exist after Citizens United v. FEC

Super Tuesday

The day that a large amount of states happen to hold their primaries on in February or March, after the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire Primary.