Exam 3 PLS

Political Parties

 Organization trying to influence government by electing people into the government

Interest groups

Try to influence specific policies by often lobbying elected officials and contributing to certain campaigns

Lobbying

the act of influencing government decisions, legislation, or public opinion

Partisanship

Identification with or support for a paticular party or cause

Faction

Any group of people who intensely advocate for their own interest, whether defined by region, religion, race, or any other characteristic

Party/Political Polarization:

parties and political leaders today are too divided along liberal and conservative lines 

Proportional Representation:

a multi member district system that allows each political party representation in proportion to its percentage of the total vote

Plurality system:

a type of electoral system in which, to win a seat in the parliament or other representative body, a candidate need only receive the most votes in the election, not necessarily a majority of the votes cast (US)

Duverger’s Law:

a law that holds that plurality-rule elections, where the winner has the most votes but not necessarily a majority within single-member geographic districts, tend to result in a two-party system, whereas proportional representation tends to result in a multiparty system

Two-Party system:

a political system in which only two parties have a realistic opportunity to compete effectively for control

What are the Roles of political parties?

• Parties represent interest(usually socio-economic)

• Parties recruit candidates(from membership outside of the party, usually people from party and people they think can win)

• Parties Organize nominations(Hillary getting nomination over berine sanders)

• Parties help get out the vote(trying to mobilize voters)

• Parties organize power(formation of government)

Throughout history, how often are the realignment of the political parties?

every 40 years

Democratic Realignment

1960s civil rights movemnt - realignment of black votes, civil rights movement pushed blacks to vote more democrat 

Congressional Progressive Caucus:

Established by Bernie Sanders and other members of house

• Now has over 100 members of congress 

tea party

Polarized conservative faction, established the Freedom Caucus in 2015:

• Around 45 members

• COnsidered one of the most conservative factions within republican party

• Filed a motion to vacate speakership(more moderate republican Kevin McCarthy) resulting in removal from the position 

Third Parties

Highlight issues which forces two parties to focus on a certain issue

Third parties: Libertarian, Forward together, Green party, limited success electorally, rarely sustained over a number of elections

Third Party Spoiler effect:

Third party siphons off votes from one of the two main parties

What happens when the new third party issues becomes salient(important)?

• Two main parties develop positions on that issue

• PArties join one of the primary parties

  • Take ownership of the issue which removes 3rd party support base

  • Third party joins main party

Single issue politics:

voters vote for a single issue

Why do we have a 2 party system?

• History:

• Single member districts(gerrymandering):

• Party identification and psychological ties:

• Structure that promotes a 2 party system:

Why do we have a 2 party system? (HIstory)

• Historically there have only been 2 main parties in the US

Why do we have a 2 party system?(Single member districts(gerrymandering))

• One representative of an electoral district

  • Gerrymandering: political manipulation of electoral district boundaries to advantage a party, group, or socioeconomic class within the constituency.

Why do we have a 2 party system?(Party identification and psychological ties)

• Socialization, affiliating with a party psychologically ties you with that party

Why do we have a 2 party system? (Structure that promotes a 2 party system)

• Winner-takes all system: 1 vote per person, leads to minority rule, results in unavoidable 2 party system, 

Median Voter Theorem: In primary election voters are mostly extreme, candidates tend to act extreme in primary debates to get extreme voters, when it comes to general election candidates care more about moderate(3rd party owl party) voters because they swing the election(extremists are gonna vote for me anyways), MEDIAN VOTERS ARE WHAT MATTER MOST WHICH FURTHER PUSHES FOR A 2 PARTY SYSTEM

What is a possible way to get rid of the 2 party system?

Rank choice voting: ranking each candidate based on who you agree with(doesnt only trend to two parties) Problems with this: Makes Political parties less powerful

1. What did the citizens united decision do?

Let corporations and unions spend unlimited money, but cant be sent to candidates only independent groups like Super PACs that support candidates independently

1. What is “American Bridge”? What is a “Tracker?”

American Bridge: Outside group, Find research for candidate ads, Tracker: works for American bridge to follow opposing candidates

501(c)4

tax exempt primarily focused on being a social welfare group, not required to disclose their donors, by claiming that issues are the main goal of ad not a campaign/candidate ad. They can spend money on political ads and other advocacy efforts, but they can’t coordinate with candidates.

Super PACs

independent expenditure-only committees that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to support or oppose political candidates. Unlike 501(c)(4)s, Super PACs must disclose their donors. However, they also can’t coordinate directly with candidates.

Magic Words

Types of words that set apart campaign ad from issue ad: vote for____, elect ____, support____

Why is secrecy argued to be a good thing for political campaigns?

important that 1st amendment protects citizen ability to speak on politics

What is the Western Tradition Partnership?

501(c)4 social welfare group with a legislature hit list, Independent group with no limits: unlimited money, complete secrecy, independent of candidates

1. how can independent Groups running issue ads coordinate with candidate campaigns 

Without Magic words, issue ads can express benefits indirectly to a candidate

3 Key court cases

Buckley v. Valeo(1976): court case trying to assess what kind of money can be used in office, If you are independently wealthy can the government restrict you from spending money on your campaign, court ruled an individual can spend as much money you have on your OWN campaign (protected under 1st amendment)

Citizens United v. the Federal Election Commission (2010): Prior to 2010 certain groups could not get involved in funding for candidates: corporations, labor union(large groups). Citizens united allowed for corporations, labor unions and large groups can get involved in funding elections/candidates

McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission (2014): before 2014: limits on candidates cannot spend more than 123,000(only affected about 400 people in US), Now there is no aggregate cap on how much she can give to one person, Wealthy persons can have more political influence

Federal election commission FEC:

enforce campaign finance law

What are the 5 ways candidates receive money for campaign?

Individual Donors: 

Candidates themselves 

Public funds 

Political Action Committees(PACs) EXAMPLE OF 527 COMMITTEE

Super PACs created in 2010 after citizens united ruling

Individual Donors: 

• Some limits on how much may be given to candidates parties and other groups,(Buckley) 

• no limit on number of candidates that an individual may donate to

Candidates themselves 

• Candidates may contribute an unlimited amount of money to their own campaigns(Mccutcheon)

Public funds 

• Candidates for president who meet certain qualifications may apply for certain funds, 

• However if take public funds may not spend more than a certain amount in their presidential primary campaigns(52 mil for 2020) and for general election (104mil for 2020) IF YOU TAKE PUBLIC SPENDING YOUR CAMPAIGN CAN ONLY SPEND 104 MILLION

• No major party candidates accepted public funding in recent presidential elections

Political Action Committees(PACs) EXAMPLE OF 527 COMMITTEE

• Private organization with the purpose of raising and spending money to elect and defeat a candidate, 

• Cant take money from corporations or unions

• Have limited spending

Super PACs created in 2010 after citizens united ruling

• Independent expenditure-only committee(have to be independent from candidate, no coordinating with candidate)

• Came after citizens united and speech now ruling

• May raise UNLIMITED sums of money from corporations unions associations and individuals, then spend unlimited sums to overtly advocate for or against political candidates.

• No money goes to candidate

• Americans for a better Tomorrow, Tomorrow (Stephen Colbert)

How are PACs and Super PACs different?

PACs have strict limits on how much money they can receive, PACs can donate directly to candidates but only up to a limited amount, PACs can have limited amounts of coordination with candidates

How to know if ads come directly from campaign?

I am _____ and I approve this message

Affective polarization:

the emotional dislike of members of the other party

Negative partisanship:

a phenomenon in which people form strong opinions against a political party rather than in support of one

Minor parties:

parties that organize to compete against the two major American political parties

Pluralism:

theory that most interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government 

Collective goods:

benefits sought by groups that are broadly available and cannot be denied to nonmembers

Free rider:

those who enjoy the benefits of collective goods but did not participate in acquiring or providing them

Informational benefits:

special newsletters, periodicals, training programs, conferences, and other information provided to members of groups to entice others to join

Material benefits:

special goods, services, or money provided to members of groups to entice others to join

Solidary Benefits:

selective benefits of group membership that emphasize friendship, networking, and consciousness-raising

Purposive benefits:

selective benefits of group membership that emphasize the purpose and accomplishments of the group

Iron triangle:

the stable, cooperative relationship that often develops among a congressional committee, an administrative agency, and one or more supportive interest groups; not all of these relationships are triangular, but the iron triangle is the most typical

Issue networks:

a loose network of elected leaders, public officials, activists, and interest groups drawn together by a specific policy issue

Insurrection:

a violent attack on government; the act of revolting against civic authority or an established government

Protest:

participation that involves assembling crowds to confront a government or other official organization

Suffrage:

Right to vote

How did states try to restrict voting rights:

Poll taxes and Literacy tests

Digital Political Participation:

activities designed to influence politics using the internet, including visiting a candidate’s website, organizing events online, and signing an online petition

Gender gap:

distinctive pattern of male and female voting decisions in electoral politics

Closed primaries:  

only registered members of a political party may vote in a primary election to select that party’s candidates, and independents do not get to participate

Open Primaries:

allow all registered voters, including independents, to choose which party’s primary they will participate in.

Frontloading:

the moving up of presidential primaries by states to provide those states greater influence on the selection of candidates

Delegates:

a representative to national party conventions who votes according to the preferences of voters in caucus and primary elections

Electoral college:

the presidential electors from each state who meet after the general election to cast ballots for president and vice president

Campaign:

an effort by political candidates and their supporters to win the backing of donors, political activists, and voters in their quest for political office

Incumbents:

a candidate running for re-election to a position that the candidate already holds

Grassroots Campaigns:

political campaigns that operate at the local level, often using face-to-face communication to generate interest and momentum by citizens