APGOV 5

liberal

favoring progress and reforms

conservative

inclined to keep things as they are; opposed to abrupt change

moderate

kept or keeping within proper bounds; not extreme

radical

favoring extreme changes or reforms

reactionary

favoring a return to a previous, usually more conservative, state of affairs

electorate

all the people in a country or area who are entitled to vote in elections

15th Amendment (1870)

African American men gained the right to vote

19th amend

women gained the right to vote nationwide

The Indian Citizenship Act 1924

Native Americans gained the right to vote

24th Amendment (1964)

poll taxes were eliminated

Voting Rights Act of 1965

literacy tests were eliminated

26th Amendment (1971)

voting age was lowered to 18

When are elections held

primary elections are held every spring

general elections are held every November

Primary elections

purpose is to nominate one democrat and one republican to run in the general election for each office

general elections

voters choose between a dem, a rep, and possibly other candidates from minor parties for each office

presidential elections

held every 4 years

midterm elections

members of congress are elected (even yrs)

municipal elections

local officials and some PA judges are elected (odd numbered yrs)

political parties

a group of people with broad common interests who organize to nominate candidates for office, win elections, run the govt, and determine public policy (law regulations)

functions of political parties:

-nominate candidates for office

-to simplify the ballot for voters

-to educate the public about issues and candidates

• to operate the govt

-to hold those in power accountable

barriers faced by third parties

-ballot access

-they don't/can't raise as much money as Dems and Reps

-many voters feel is a waste voted

-can't win any states=winner takes all

-closed primaries

-rarely included in presidential debates

Political culture

the dominant set of beliefs, customs, traditions, and values that define the relationship between citizens and government

individualism

the belief that individuals should be responsible for themselves and for the decisions they make

Laisses-faire or free enterprise

an economic system in which government intrudes as little as possible in the economic transactions among citizens and businesses

Rule of law

the principle that no one, including public officials, is above the law

Political socialization

the experiences and factors that shape an individual's political values, attitudes, and behaviors

Political ideology

an individual's coherent set of beliefs about government and politics

Generational effect

the impact of historical events experienced by a generation upon their political views

Life-cycle effect

the impact of a person's age and stage in life on his or her political views

Globalization

the increasing interconnectedness of people, businesses, and countries throughout the world

Outsourcing

when a company moves its business to a place where labor costs cheaper or production is more efficient because workers work longer hours

focus group

a small group of individuals assembled for a conversation about specific issues

scientific poll

a representative poll of randomly selected respondents with a statistically significant sample size, using neutral language

sample

a group of individuals from a larger population used to measure public opinion

random selection

a method of choosing all poll respondents in a way that does not over or underrepresent any group of the population

representative sample

a sample that reflect the demographics of the population

weighting

a procedure in which the survey is adjusted according to the demographics of the larger population

sampling error

the margin of error in a poll, which usually is calculated to plus or minus three percentage points

mass survey

a survey designed to measure the opinions of the population, usually consisting of 1500 responses

entrance survey

a poll conducted of people coming to an event

exit poll

a survey conducted outside of polling place in which individuals are asked who or what they just voted for

benchmark poll

a survey taken as the beginning of a political campaign in order to gauge support for a candidate and determine which issues are important to voters

tracking poll

a survey determining the level of support for a candidate or an issue throughout a campaign

random digit dialing

the use of telephone numbers randomly generated by computer to select potential survey respondents

question order

the sequencing of questions in public opinion polls

question wording

the phrasing of a question in a public opinion poll

Political ideology

a set of beliefs about the desired goals and outcomes of a process of governance

Right

something guaranteed, that the government cannot take away

Privilege

something a person may obtain or receive, but that the government can take away

Party ideology

a party's philosophy about the proper rules of government and its set of positions and major issues

Party identification

an individual's attachment to a political party

Conservatism

n ideology favoring more control of social behavior, fewer regulations on businesses, and less government interference in the economy

Liberalism

an ideology favoring less government control over social behavior and more greater regulation of businesses and of the economy

Libertarianism

an ideology favoring very little government regulation and intervention beyond protecting private property and individual liberty

Laissez-faire economy

economic policy in which governments intrude as little as possible in the economic transactions between citizens and businesses.

Command and control economy

economic policy in which government dictates much of a nation's economic activity, including the amount of production and price for goods

Mixed economy

economic policy in which many economic decisions are left to individuals and businesses, with the government regulating economic activity

Gross domestic product (GDP)

the total value of goods and services produced by an economy

Economic recession - a period of decline in the economic activity, typically defined by two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth

Unemployment rate

the percentage of people actively looking for work who cannot find jobs

Inflation - the rise in prices of goods and services

Consumer price index

the cost of a fixed basket of goods and services over time, used to measure the cost of living

Fiscal policy

government use of taxes and spending to attempt to lower unemployment, support economic growth, and stabilize the economy

Federal reserve system

a board of governors, federal reserve banks, and member banks responsible for monetary policy

Monetary policy

a set of economic policy tools designed to regulate the amount of money in the economy

Medicare

federal program that provides health insurance to seniors and disabled

Medicaid

a federal program that provides health care for the poor

Political participation

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

Political action committee

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

Linkage institution

channels that connect individuals with government, including elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media

Social movement

the joining of individuals seeking social or political change with the goal of placing issues on the policy agenda

Franchise

the right to vote

Poll tax

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

Voter turnout - the number of eligible voters who participate in an election as a percentage of the total number of eligible voters

Demographic characteristics

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

Socioeconomic status

a measure of an individual's wealth, income, occupation, and educational attainment

Political efficacy

a person's belief that he or she can make effective political change

Political mobilization

efforts by political parties to encourage their members to vote

Registration requirements

the set of rules that govern who can vote and how, when, and where they vote

Absentee ballot

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

Rational choice voting

voting based on what a citizen believes is in his or her best interest

Retrospective voting

voting based on an assessment of an incumbent's past performance

Prospective voting

casting a ballot for a candidate who promises to enact policies favored by the voter

Party-line voting

voting for candidates who belong only to one political party for all of the offices on the ballot

Electoral college

constitutionally required process for selecting the president through slates of electors chosen in each state who are pledged to vote for a nominee in the presidential election

Winner-take-all system

a system in which the candidate who wins the plurality of votes within a state receives all of that state's votes in the electoral college

Battleground state

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

Get out the vote (GOTV)

efforts to mobilize supporters

Super PAC

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

Party coalition

groups of voters who support a political party over time