AP GOV UNIT 5 CHAPTER 13

political participation (p. 414)

the different ways in which individuals take action to shape the laws and policies of a government.

linkage institution (p. 417)

channels that provide a way for individuals to communicate their preferences to policymakers, including elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.

social movement (p. 417)

people who come together for a common purpose or goal of making social and political change and placing issues on the policy agenda.

franchise or suffrage (p. 419)

the right to vote.

26th Amendment (p. 420)

allows those eighteen years and older to vote.

24th Amendment (p. 420)

prohibits Congress from imposing poll taxes as a condition for voting in federal elections.

poll tax (p. 420)

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

rational choice voting (p. 420)

voting based on what a citizen perceives to be in their best interest.

retrospective voting (p. 420)

deciding whether a candidate should be reelected based on their recent past performance.

prospective voting (p. 420)

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

straight ticket voting (p. 421)

voting for all of the candidates on the ballot from one political party.

registration requirements (p. 422)

rules requiring eligible voters to register on an official list prior to voting.

mail-in or absentee voting (p. 425)

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

voter turnout (p. 425)

the number of eligible voters who participate in an election as a percentage of the total number of eligible voters.

Types of elections

primary/general, midterm/presidential**

demographic characteristics (p. 426)

measurable characteristics of a population, such as economic status, education, age, race or ethnicity, and gender.

political efficacy (р. 427)

a person’s belief that an individual’s participation in the political process will make a difference.

political mobilization (p. 430)

efforts by political parties to encourage their members to vote.

Electoral College (p. 432)

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

winner-take-all system (p. 432)

a system of elections in which the candidate who wins the plurality of votes within a state receives all of that state’s votes in the Electoral College.

faithless electors (p. 432)

electors who do not vote for the candidate supported by the plurality of the voters in their states

battleground or swing states (p. 433)

a state where the polls show a close contest between the Republican candidate and the Democratic candidate in a presidential election.

independent expenditures (p. 435)

an expenditure for a communication that expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate and which is not made in coordination with any candidate or their campaign or political party.

Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (p. 436)

created the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

Federal Election Commission (FEC) (p. 436)

an independent agency that oversees campaign finance laws.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) of 2002 (p. 436)

placed stricter limits on campaign contributions by individuals and political action committees (organizations that raise money to support or defeat candidates). BCRA included a “Stand by Your Ad” provision, which required candidates, interest groups, and political parties to inform viewers about who paid for the ad and to confirm that the candidate approves the message. Under BCRA, independent groups were not allowed to run ads thirty days before a primary or sixty days before the general election.

Campaign contributions

A contribution is anything of value given, loaned or advanced to influence a federal election.

Citizens United v. FEC (p. 437)

In a 5–4 decision, the Supreme Court struck down portions of the BCRA, ruling that corporations and labor unions are persons under the law protected by the First Amendment.

political action committee (PAC) (p. 437)

an organization that raises money to elect and defeat candidates and may donate money directly to a candidate’s campaign, subject to limits.

Super PAC (p. 437)

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.

hard vs. soft money**

Hard money refers to regulated, direct contributions to candidates subject to Federal Election Commission (FEC) limits. Soft money refers to unregulated, unlimited donations made to political parties or organizations for "party-building" activities.