AP GOV Unit 5 Vocab Part 3

Party Image

what voters think they know about a party (i.e., liberal, conservative, moderate, etc.)

Party Machines

dominated much of the late 19th century USA where voters were given reward for political loyalty

Party Neutrality

voter does not have strong connection to either party

Party registration

The act of declaring party affiliation; required by some states when one registers to vote.

Patronage

The dispensing of government jobs to persons who belong to the winning political party.

Pluralism

A theory of government that holds that open, multiple, and competing groups can check the asserted power by any one group.

Political Efficacy

voters do not believe their vote will make a difference

Political party

An organization that seeks political power by electing people to office so that its positions and philosophy become public policy. They are responsible for: recruiting candidates, nominating and supporting candidates for office, educating the electorate about campaign issues, and organizing the government.

Potential Group

all people who may join the interest group

Presidential Preference Primary

a primary in which the voters indicate preferences for nominees for president of the U.S. directly by vote or indirectly through the choice of delegates to the presidential nominating convention

Proportional representation

An election system in which each party running receives the proportion of legislative seats corresponding to its proportion of the vote.

Public choice

Synonymous with "collective action," it specifically studies how government officials, politicians, and voters respond to positive and negative incentives.

Quid pro quo

Something given with the expectation of receiving something in return.

Rational Choice Theory

explains political outcomes by knowing that 1. voters want to maximize change policies they favor will be adopted by government and 2. political parties want to win office...therefore, political parties will adopt policies most favorable to the public.

Realigning election

An election during periods of expanded suffrage and change in the economy and society that proves to be a turning point, redefining the agenda of politics and the alignment of voters within parties.

Reform party

A minor party founded by Ross Perot in 1995. It focuses on national government reform, fiscal responsibility, and political accountability. It has recently struggled with internal strife and criticism that it lacks an identity.

Responsible Party Model

parties must be able to govern the whole nation, candidates must have commitment to party's platform, majority party must implement its programs, and majority party must accept performance of government.

Revolving door

Employment cycle in which individuals who work for governmental agencies that regulate interests eventually end up working for interest groups or businesses with the same policy concern.

Runoff Primary

when no candidate from a party receives a majority of the votes, the top two candidates face each other in a runoff

Selected perception

The process by which individuals perceive what they want to in media messages.

Selective Benefits

goods that a group can restrict to only those who pay group dues

Selective exposure

The process by which individuals screen out messages that do not conform to their own biases.

Single-Member Districts

Voters are given an 'either or' choice. Supports a two-party system.

Sound bites

30-second statements on the evening news shows. The media have been accused of simplifying complicated political issues by relying on sound bites to explain them to the public.

Split Ticket Voting

voting for candidates of different parties for different positions

Subgovernments

let by powerful interest group leaders, agencies, and members of congressional committees (iron triangles)

Trial Balloons

when a candidate will leak a story to the media to gain a sense of public reaction before they public release story.