Unit 3

Linkage Institution

Channels that connect individuals with government, including elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.

Social Movement

The joining of individuals seeking social or political change with the goal of placing issues on the policy agenda.

Franchise or Suffrage

The right to vote.

16th Amendment

Allows those 18 years or older to vote.

24th Amendment

Prohibits Congress and the states from imposing poll taxes as a condition for voting in federal elections.

Poll Tax

A payment required by a state or federal government before a citizen is allowed to vote.

Voter Turnout

The 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, race or ethnicity, and gender.

Socioeconomic Status (SES)

A measure of an individual's wealth, income, occupation, and educational attainment.

Political Efficacy

A person's belief that he/she can make effective political change.

Partisan Attachment

Political mobilization efforts by political members to encourage their members to vote.

Registration Requirements

The set of rules that govern who can vote, how, when, and where they vote.

Absentee Ballot

Voting completed and submitted by a voter before the day of an election without going to the polls.

Rational Choice Voting

Voting based on what a citizen believes is in his/her best interest.

Retrospective Voting

Voting based on an assessment of an incumbent's past performance.

Prospective Voting

Casting a ballot 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 offices on the ballot.

Electoral College

A constitutionally required process for selecting the president through slates of electors chosen in each state.

270 votes to win

The number of electoral votes required to win the presidency.

Winner-Take-All System

A system where the candidate who wins the plurality of votes within a state receives all of that state's electoral votes.

Faithless Electors

Electors who do not vote for the candidate supported by the majority of voters in their states.

Battleground States

A state where the polls show a close contest between the Republican and Democratic candidates.

Swing State

A state where levels of support for the parties are similar.

Get out the Vote (GOTV)

Efforts to mobilize supporters.

Super PAC

An organization that may spend an unlimited amount of money on a political campaign, as long as the spending is not coordinated with a campaign.

Party Identification

The degree to which a voter is connected to and influenced by a particular political party.

Straight Ticket Voting

Voting for all the candidates on the ballot from one political party.

Split Ticket Voting

Voting for candidates from different parties in the same election.

Party Platform

A set of positions and policy objectives that members of a political party agree to.

Recruitment

The process through which political parties identify candidates.

Party Coalition

Group of voters who support a political party over time.

Realignment

When the groups of people who support a political party shift their alliance to a different political party.

Critical Elections

A major national election that signals change in the balance of power between the two parties.

Party Eras

Time periods when one party wins most national elections.

Era of Divided Government

A trend since 1969 where one party controls one or both houses of Congress and the president is from the opposing party.

Nomination

The formal process through which parties choose their candidates for political office.

Delegate

A person who acts as the voters' representative at the convention to select the party's nominee.

Primary Election

An election in which states voters choose delegates who support a presidential candidate for nomination.

Open Primary

A primary election in which all eligible voters may vote, regardless of party affiliation.

Closed Primary

A primary election in which only those who have registered as a member of a political party can vote.

Caucuses

A process where a state's eligible voters meet to select a delegate to represent their preferences.

Superdelegates

Usually a party leader/activist who is not pledged to a candidate based on the outcome of the primary.

Front-loading

A decision by a state to push its primary/caucus to a date as early in the election season as possible.

National Convention

A meeting where delegates officially select their party's nominee for the presidency.

Candidate-Centered

A trend where candidates develop their own strategies and raise money with less influence from the party elite.

Two Party System

A system in which two political parties dominate politics, winning almost all elections.

Proportional Representation System

An election system for a legislature where citizens vote for parties rather than individuals.

Single-member Plurality System

An election system where the candidate with the most votes wins, even if they do not receive a majority.

Third Party

A minor political party in competition with the two major parties, often formed around a particular issue.

Interest Groups

Voluntary associations of people who come together with the goal of getting the policies they favor enacted.

Theory of Participatory Democracy

The belief that citizens impact policymaking through their involvement in civil society.

Civil Society

Groups outside the government that advocate for policy.

Pluralist Theory

A theory that political power is distributed among many competing groups.

Federalist No. 10

Madison argues that the constitution reduces the negative consequences of faction.

Elitist Theory

A theory that the wealthy elite class has a disproportionate amount of economic and political power.

Policy Agenda

The set of issues to which government officials, voters, and the public are paying attention.

Collective Action

Political action that occurs when individuals contribute their energy or time to a larger group goal.

Collective Good

A public benefit that individuals can enjoy or profit from even if they do not help achieve it.

Free Riders

Individuals who enjoy collective goods without joining or contributing.

Selective Benefits

Benefits available only to those who join the group.

Economic Interest Groups

Groups advocating on behalf of the financial interests of their members.

Public Interest Groups

Groups that act on behalf of the collective interests of a broad group of individuals.

Single-issue Groups

Associations focusing on one specific area of public policy.

Government Interest Groups

Organizations acting on behalf of local, state, or foreign government.

Lobbying

Interacting with government officials to influence policy.

Revolving Door

The movement of individuals between positions in government and the private sector.

Direct Lobbying

Contacting Congress officials directly to influence legislation.

Influencing the Judiciary

Interest groups try to influence how laws are interpreted.

Amicus Curiae Brief

A brief filed by someone who is not a party to a case to persuade the court.

Iron Triangle

The coordinated mutually beneficial activities of the bureaucracy, Congress, and interest groups.

Issue Network

The webs of influence between interest groups, policymakers, and policy advocates.

Grassroots Lobbying

Mobilizing members to pressure their representatives.

Civil Disobedience

Intentionally breaking a law to call attention to an injustice.

News Media

Includes newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, and internet sources covering events.

Social Media

Forms of electronic communication enabling users to share content.

Agenda Setting

The media's ability to highlight certain issues and bring them to public attention.

Mass Media

Sources of information designed to reach a wide audience.

Wire Service

An organization that gathers and reports news, selling stories to outlets.

Investigative Journalism

An approach to news gathering focused on uncovering wrongdoing.

Broadcast Media

News outlets that bring stories directly into people's homes.

Media Consolidation

The concentration of media ownership into fewer corporations.

Partisan Bias

The slanting of political news coverage in support of a particular party.

Horse Race Journalism

Coverage of political campaigns focusing on drama rather than policy.