AP GOV - Unit 5: Political Participation

Franchise

Whoever in America has the right to vote.

15th Amendment

Recognized the right of black men to vote.

17th Amendment

Granted the people the right to vote senators into office.

19th Amendment

Recognized women’s right to vote.

24th Amendment

Abolished poll taxes which were used to suppress the minority vote.

26th Amendment

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.

Rational Choice Voting

When a person votes based on their individual self-interest, carefully studying the issues and platforms of each party.

Retrospective Voting

When a person votes based on the recent track record of the politician in question.

Prospective Voting

When a person votes based on predictions of how a party or candidate will perform in the future.

Party-Line Voting

When a person votes for all the candidates of a certain party.

Reasons for Voter Turnout

1. Structural Barriers

2. Political Efficacy

3. Demographics

4. Type of Election

Structural Barriers

A policy or law that can prevent people from voting or encourage people to vote.

ex. Voter ID laws

Political Efficacy

A citizen’s belief about whether their vote matters.

Demographics

Senior citizens often vote in the highest numbers.

Type of Election

National elections see more participation than state or local elections.

Factors that Affect Voting Choices

1. Party identification/ideological orientation

2. Candidate characteristics

3. Political issues

4. Religious beliefs, gender, race, ethnicity

Linkage Institution

A societal structure that connects people to their government or the political process.

Types of Linkage Institutions

1. Political Parties

2. Interest Groups

3. Elections

4. Media

Political Party

An organization defined by a certain ideological belief that puts forward candidates for election.

What Parties Do

1. Mobilization and education of voters

2. Write and publish a party platform

3. Find quality candidates

4. Provide campaign management support for candidates

How Parties Change

1. The way parties interact with candidates

   • Past: The party mattered and the candidate was secondary

   • Present: The candidate matters and the party is secondary.

2. Changed platforms to appeal to a larger audience

3. Altering the party structure

   • Party realignment

   • Campaign finance laws

   • Communication and data management technology

Why Can’t Third Parties Win?

1. Winner-take-all voting districts (states)

2. Incorporation of third party agendas into the two major parties’ platforms.

Interest Group

A group of people who gather around a certain policy issue to persuade policy makers to pass legislation favorable to the group.

Reasons Interest Groups Exist

1. To educate voters and office holders on the group’s chosen issue

2. To engage in lobbying

3. To draft legislation

4. To mobilize its members to apply pressure on and work with legislators and government agencies

Iron Triangle

The strong, mutually beneficial relationship between interest groups, congressional committees and government agencies.

Issue Networks

When many interest groups come together to achieve a short-term policy goal.

Influences on Interest Groups

1. Inequality of political and economic resources

2. Unequal access to decision makers

3. Free-rider problem

Free-Rider Problem

When a larger group benefits from efforts of an interest group without contributing to the costs.

Single-Issue Interest Groups

Pro-gun groups, Pro-choice groups, Pro-life groups

Prohibition Movement

The Women’s Christian Temperance Union coordinated efforts for an amendment to ban the manufacture and sale of alcohol.

Civil Rights Movement

Civil disobedience led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act.

How Interest Groups Affect Policy Making

1. Social/protest movements get the nation’s attention on certain issues

2. Interest groups draft potential legislation for lawmakers

3. Political parties and bureaucratic agencies finalize laws

4. Bureaucratic agencies figure out rules and regulations to execute the law

5. The law is either implemented well or not

Open Primary

Any registered voter can vote in either party’s primary.

Closed Primary

Only people registered with the party can vote in its primary.

Caucuses

Voters discuss and debate together and vote publicly.

Congressional Elections

Happen every two years, uses primary elections, 90% of incumbents win their elections in Congress.

Incumbency Advantage

The edge held by an incumbent, allowing them to benefit from name recognition, track record, established funding, and safe districts.

Why did money spent on political fundraising increase?

Increased length of election cycle, increasing complexity of campaigns, and reliance on social media.

Federal Elections Campaign Act (FECA)

Created the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to oversee and regulate money spent in political campaigns.

Limits Established by the FEC

1. How much a person could give to a candidate

2. How much a candidate could spend on their campaign

Hard Money

Contributions given directly to a candidate

Soft Money

Money donated to a party or interest group who can buy advertising on the candidate’s behalf and is not subject to the same regulatory limits as hard money.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)

Made provisions to regulate soft money and increased the amount of hard money that can be donated.

Citizens United v. FEC

The Court ruled that limits on contributions from individuals and corporations was a violation of free speech.

Political Action Committee (PAC)

An organization that raises money for the sake of influencing the population to vote for their preferred candidate.

Connected PACs

1. Formed by corporations or labor unions

2. Only collects funds from members of the organization

3. Can donate money directly to candidates

4. Can raise unlimited amounts of money

Non-Connected PACs

1. Formed independently, usually around a specific public interest

2. Cannot donate directly to candidates

3. Able to accept donations from the public

Super PACs

1. Can be formed by anyone

2. Can accept unlimited donations

3. Cannot coordinate directly with a candidate

Watchdog Agency

The media holds the government responsible to the people.

Evolution of the Media

1. Newspapers

2. Telegraph

3. Radio (FDR’s fireside chats)

4. Television (Reagan)

5. Internet and Social Media (Obama)

Investigative Journalism

Long-form news that seeks to expose government corruption (muckraker journalism).

Election Coverage/Political Commentary

Explains who is running for office and interpreting their policies

Horse-Race Journalism

Coverage that focuses on the polling numbers of elections rather than policy issues.

Fairness Doctrine

A policy that required broadcasters to present contrasting viewpoints on important public issues.