3. Pluralism + Campaigning

Pluralism

A democratic theory where power is distributed among many interest groups, ensuring no single group dominates policy-making

Membership dues

Fees paid by members of an organization (such as a union or interest group) to support the group’s activities

Solidary benefits

Non-material benefits, like a sense of community or belonging, gained from participating in a group of cause

Think tanks

Research oragnizations that produce policy research and analysis, helping shape public opinion or legislative decisions

Professional political advocates

Individuals who specialize in lobbying and political strategy, often working for organizations to influence legislation or elections

Lobbying firms

Companies that employ lobbyists to represent the interests of clients, such as corporations, unions, or advocacy groups, in policy discussions

Grassroots movements

Social movements that are driven by the collective action of ordinary people rather than elites or professionals

Astroturfing

The practice of creating a fake or artificial appearance of grassroots support, often organized by interest groups to mimic public opinion

Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971

A law that set limits on individual contributions to political campaigns and established the framework for PACs

PAC (Political Action Committee)

An organization that raises and spends money to influence elections, subject to certain contribution limits

Super PAC

A type of PAC that can raise unlimited funds for independent expenditures, often funding negative ads or supporting a candidate without direct coordination

Citizens United V. Federal Election Commission (2010)

A Supreme Court ruling that allowed corportiaons and unions to spend unlimited money on political campaigns, seeing it as a form of free speech

Independent expenditures

Political spending made by PACs or Super PACs on behalf of a candidate, not coordinated with the candidate’s campaign

Campaigns

Organized efforts to influence the outcome of an election, involving strategy, advertisements, mobilization, and voter outreach

Retrospective evaluations

Voters’ assessments of past performance of politicians or parties, influencing their voting decisions based on previous promises and actions

Campaign platform

The set of policies and promises a candidate or party presents to the electorate during an election campaign

District fundamentals

Factors influencing election outcomes in a district, such as partisan composition, economy, issues of importance, and voting laws

Gerrymandering

The manipulation of district boundaries to favor a particular political party or group

Party identification

A long-term psychologcal attachment or loyalty to a political party that influences voting behavior

Straight-ticket voting

Voting for all candidates from one political party across all races in an election

Party labels

The political party identification attached to a candidate’s name, such as Democrat or Republican, which influences voters’ perceptions and decisions

Mobilization

Efforts by campaigns to encourage supporters to vote and engage in political participation

Demobilization

Efforts to reduce the likelihood of the opponent’s supporters turning out to vote, often through negative ads or discouraging tactics

Persuadability

The likelihood that a voter will change their mind about a candidate or issue, often influenced by information or emotional appeals

Attack ads

Negative advertisements that criticize an opponent’s record, character, or policies to harm their reputation and sway voter opinion

Political efficacy

The belief that one’s actions, such as voting or engaging in politics, can make a difference and influence poltical outcomes

Candidate

person who can be portrayed as sufficiently qualifies and trustworthy for the job

Focus group

sessions in which a small number of ordinary citizens are observed as they talk with one another about political candidates, issues, and events

Issue voting

is when voters choose candidates based on their stance on specific political issues rather than party loyalty or personality.

Message

answer to the voter’s question: why should I vote for this canddiate rather than another?

Microtargeting

specific campaign messages to those they think are the most susceptible

Negative or attack campaigning

pointed personal criticism of the other candidate, is thus a normal if sometimes ugly component of the electoral process—and an effective one

Party label

a large majority of voters continue to take their cues from party affiliations, even though popular attitudes toward parties as institutions tend to range from indifference to outright hostility

Performance voting

voting for the party in control when one thinks the government is performing well; voting for the outs when one thinks the party in charge is performing poorly

Single-issue voters

people compelled by one issue, that this is enough for them to pick who they’ll vote for

Soft money

not going directly to a candidate and instead a party as whole → can serve as a loophole