Unit 5: Political Participation

Rational Choice

choosing the alternative that has the greatest value from among comparable-quality products

Retrospective Choice

Voting to decide whether the party or candidate in power should be reelected based on the recent past

Prospective Choice

Voting based on predictions of how a party or candidate will perform in the future.

Party-line voting

process in which voters select candidates by their party affiliation

What factors influence voter turnoout?

Election type, registration laws, voting incentives, midterms/presidential

political efficacy

The belief that one's political participation really matters - that one's vote can actually make a difference

Winner-take-all

An almost obsolete system whereby a presidential aspirant who won the preference vote in a primary automatically won all the delegates chosen in the primary

Lobbying

Engaging in activities aimed at influencing public officials, especially legislators, and the policies they enact.

Iron Triangle

A close relationship between an agency, a congressional committee, and an interest group

Citizens United vs. FEC

Ruled that individuals/groups/businesses, etc. can give an unlimited amount of money toward political campaign [attack] ads with anonymity; ads do not have to disclose/announce who funded it

Incumbent

the current officeholder

Open vs. Closed Primaries

An open primary allows any registered voter to cast her ballot in either party's primary, while a closed primary mandates that voters registered with a party vote in that party's primary.

Caucuses

meetings where political parties chose their candidates

Party Convention

A meeting of party delegates to vote on matters of policy and in some cases to select party candidates for public office.

Delegates

A person who is chosen or elected to represent a person or group