GOVT 2305 Exam 2 Review

What is political ideology?

A cohesive set of beliefs that form a general philosophy about government (and the role of government); set of underlying orientation, ideas and beliefs

What is public opinion?

The values and attitudes that people have about issues, events, and personalities

What is political socialization?

The process through which underlying political beliefs and values are formed

What influences the results of public opinion polls?

-Family: stories we hear growing up are highly influential when narratives are coherent and consistent (most important because time and emotional commitment)
-Social groups: people with similar traits or background have similar life experiences that shape their understanding of the political world

How are polls conducted?

Polls were originally conducted by people going door to door and asking questions from a clipboard. With new technology, it is much more convenient to use telephones and the internet. Now it is common to use random-digit dialing to secure a variety of people.

What is the gender gap?

The distinctive pattern of voting behavior reflecting the differences in views between women and men
-women's vote turnout consistently higher than men
-men vote GOP at higher rate while women vote Democrat at a higher rate

Different types of ideology:

Conservative: those who generally support the social and economic status quo and believe that a large and powerful government poses a threat to citizens' freedom
Liberal: those who generally support the governmental intervention in the economy and more economic equality; expansion of federal social services; and greater concern for consumers and the enviorment

What is the marketplace of ideas?

The public forumin which beliefs and ideas are exchanged and compete

What causes measurement error in public opinion polls?

Sampling error can occur, which is polling error that arises based on the small size of the sample. The design of the survey or the wording of the questions can be flawed in a way that skews the answers/responses. In face-to-face surveys many will not state their honest opinion, instead saying what they think the interviewer wants to hear.

What is he median voter theorem?

A proposition predicting that when policy options can be arrayed along a single dimension, majority rule will pick the policy most preferred by the voter whose ideal policy is to the left of half of the voters and to the right of exactly half of the voters

What is political mobilization?

The process by which large numbers of people are organized for a political activity

How many people usually vote in the US?

America's voter turn out is low. About 6 out of 10 eligible voters, vote in presidential elections.

Trends of party identification:

Democrats started with the largest following, independent in the middle and Republicans with the least (1970-1990ish). Republicans stayed the least but independent voters rose above Democrats. As of today most voters identify themselves as Independent Voters.

What does rational choice approach say about political parties?

-Voters want policies they favor adopted by gov't
-Parties want to win elected office
-Winning elections trumps ideology -Wise parties-Select policies that are widely favored* -People act in their own best interests, weighing the costs and benefits of possible alternatives

How are interest groups different from political parties?

Political parties sponsor candidates and nominate them for elections. Interest groups support them but DO NOT nominate them.

What is a political party?

Organized groups that attempt to influence the government by electing their members to local, state, and national offices.

What influences political participation?

Citizens who are more informed and feel that their votes makes a difference tend to participate more.

How did the Democrats and Republicans begin as parties?

-First system: Federalist and Jeffersonian Republicans. Democrats take their roots from Jeffersonian Republicans.
-Second party system: Democrats and Whigs
-The Civil War and Postwar system: Republicans and Democrats
-System of 1896: Republicans and Democrats
-Republican roots 1854

Characteristics of the current party era:

historical periods in which a majority of voters cling to the party in power, which tends to win a majority of the elections.

Why does the US have two parties?

-Political parties arose out of debates between Federalists and Anti-Federalists over ratification of the Constitution
-Continuing disagreement between supporters and opponents of strong national government led to the development of the first political parties

What are party alignments and dealignments?

Alignment: displacement of the majority party by the minority party.

Dealignment: the gradual disengagement of people and politicians from the parties, as seen in part by shrinking party identification.

When do third parties do well in election?

-Two-party system often produces "third" parties
-However, third parties have difficulty winning elections and are often short-lived
-Seldom win seats in Congress and have never won presidency

What is a safe district?

is one where the margin is at least 60 percent of the vote. The percentage of the House districts that are considered safe is almost 90 percent. About 50 percent of Senate districts are considered safe.

What is a party platform?

Statement of policies of a national political party

What do state and local parties do?

Do you do the dirty work like recruit candidates, register voters, get out the vote, call you, give rides to the polls, and make signs

What is a party activist?

Potential Candidates for Public Office--ppl who serve in party posts as committee members or chairpersons at the city, county, or state level, OR as delegates to party conventions (higher level)

What does the Constitution say about political parties?

Does not mention political parties. But it was common to call such groups "factions".

What is the relationship between party competition and voter turnout?

Researchers have demonstrated a connection between party competitiveness and voter turnout. This is due to voters' perception that in tight races, their votes count for more than in a race where the result is a foregone conclusion. Competitive races also draw increased media attention, increasing voter awareness and encouraging the perception among voters that every vote counts.

What are open and closed primaries?

Open: a primary in which any registered voter can vote (but must vote for candidates of only one party)

Closed: a party nominating election in which only declared party members can vote

What is a runoff election?

a "second round" election in which voters choose between the top two candidates from the first round.

What is split ticket voting?

voting for candidates of different parties for different offices at the same election

What is one person, one vote mean?

The 1964 case in which the Supreme Court invalidated unequal congressional districts saying that all legislative districts must contain about equal numbers of people. The ruling is populary known as the principal of one person, one vote

Why are early primaries so important?

because listening to candidates during the primary to see the distinguish in where they stand on the downs model (political spectrum)

What is an incumbent?

A candidate running for re-election to a position that they already hold.

What is soft money?

Money given to the party (not the candidate) therefore not subject to the same campaign finance regulations; money contributed directly to political parties and other organization for political activities that is not regulated by federal campaign spending laws

What is a referendum?

The practice of referring a proposed law passed by a legislature to the vote of the electorate for approval or rejection.

What are political action committees?

A PAC is a private group that can spend unlimited amount of money to endorse a campaign without being affiliated with it. they raise and distribute funds for use in election campaigns.

What relationship between campaign spending and electoral success?

Spending more than an opponent does not guarantee success. In many cases, candidate that who spent more money lost the overall election.

How do campaigns affect voters?

Campaigns can have 3 outcomes on voters: reinforce, activate, or convert.

What is selective perception?

phenomenon that people often pay the most attention to things they already agree with and interpret them according to their own predispositions. Usually through media coverages

What is retrospective voting?

Voting on past performance; "what have you done for me lately"