AP Gov: Chapter 6-10

Need-to-know terms from the textbook

public opinion

distribution of population beliefs about politics and policy issues

demography

science of population changes

census

official count of a population, typically conducted every ten years, that collects demographic information.

melting pot

characterizes the U.S.A.’s history of of immigration and mixing of cultures, ideas, and peoples

minority majority

a demographic trend where minority groups collectively outnumber the majority group in a population.

Political culture

overall set of values shared within a society

reapportionment

the process of redistributing seats in the House of Representatives based on population changes after each census.

Political socialization

the process by which individuals acquire their political beliefs and values, often influenced by family, education, and media.

Sample

small proportion of people who are chosen for a survey to represent a whole population

Random sampling

a technique used to select a group of respondents for a survey where each individual has an equal chance of being chosen, ensuring that the sample is representative of the larger population.

sampling error

level of confidence in the findings of a public opinion poll; the more interviews → more confident one can be of results

random digit dialing

telephone calls made to randomly selected phone numbers for survey purposes.

Exit poll

a survey conducted with voters immediately after they have exited the polling station, used to predict the outcome of an election.

Political ideology

a coherent set of beliefs about political values and the role of government, influencing opinions on various issues and policies.

gender gap

regular pattern in which women are more likely to support Democratic candidates than men, reflecting differences in political priorities and issues.

Political participation

the various ways in which citizens engage in the political process, including voting, protesting, and civil disobedience.

protest

a form of political participation where individuals express their opposition or support for policies or social issues, often through dramatic demonstrations or rallies.

civil disobedience

form of political disobedience based on conscious decision to break a law believed to be unjust and suffer the consequences.

High-tech politics

politics which technology shapes the behaviors of citizens, policymakers, and political agenda

mass media

TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, the Internet, and other popular means of communication.

press conference

meetings between public officials w/ reporters.

investigative journalism

use of in-depth reporting to unearth scandals, scams, and schemes; occasionally puts reporters in adversarial relationships w/ political leaders.

print media

newspapers and magazines

electronic media

TV, radio and the Internet

narrowcasting

media programming on cable TV or Internet that focuses on a particular interest & aimed at a particular audience.

selective exposure

process where people consciously choose to get the news from information sources that have viewpoints compatible with their own.

chains

groups of newspapers published by media conglomerates and accounts for over 4/5 of nation’s daily newspaper circulation

beats

specific locations which news frequently emanates (e.x. Congress or White House); Top reporters work at a particular beat & become specialist in the events of that location.

Trial balloon

Intentional news leaks for assessing political reaction.

sound bites

10 sec video clips — typically all that’s shown from a politician’s speech on nightly TV news

talking head

shot of a person’s face talking directly to camera; visually unstimulating

Policy agenda

Issues that attract serious attention of public officials and other people actively involved in politics simultaneously

Policy entrepreneurs

people who invest their political capital in an issue (officeholders, interest groups, voters, etc)

party competition

battles of parties for control of public offices; ups and downs of competition between 2 major parties are crucial to politics

political party

team of men and women seeking to control governing apparatus via gaining office in a duly constituted election

linkage institution

channels through which people’s concern become political issues on the government’s agenda (elections, interest groups, political parties, and the media)

rational-choice theory

politcal science theory explaining voter and politician action; assumes individuals act in their own best interest, carefully weighing the costs and benefits of each alternative.

party image

voter perception of Republican and Democratic views (conservatism or liberalism)

party identification

citizen’s self-proclaimed party preference

ticket-splitting

voting for different candidates from different parties for various offices on one ballot; American voting norm; less prominent nowadays

party machines

type of political party organization relying heavily on patronage to win votes and to govern

patronage

key material inducements used by party machines: jobs, promotion, or contracts given for political reasons over merit or competency alone

closed primaries

Elections to select party nominees where only people registered w/ party in advance can vote for party’s candidate; encourages greater party loyalty

open primaries

Elections to select party nominees where votes can decide on Election day whether they want to participate in the Democratic or Republican contests

National party convention

meeting of party delegates every 4 years to choose a presidential ticket and write the party’s platform

national committee

one of the institutions keeping the party operating between conventions composed of representatives from states and territories

national chairperson

person responsible for day-to-day activities of the party 

coalition

A group of individuals w/ common interest on which every political party depends

party eras

Historical periods in which a majority of voters cling to the party in power; tends to win a majority of the elections

critical election

An electoral “earthquake” where new issues emerge, new coalitions replace the old, and the majority party is often displaced by the minority. Critical election periods are sometimes marked by national crises and may require more than one election to bring about a new party era

party realignment

displacement of majority party by minority

New Deal coalition

coalition forged by Democrats; basic elements: urban working class, ethnic groups, Catholics and Jews, the poor, Southerners, African Americans and intellectuals

party dealignment

gradual disengagement of people from the party; shrinking party identification

third parties

electoral contenders other than the 2 major parties; not unusual and rarely wins elections

responsible party model

view about parties should work, held by some poli. sci; parties should offer clear choices to the voters and once in office, should carry out their campaign promises

Blue Dog Democrats

fiscally conservative Democrats; mostly from the South and/or rural parts of the U.S.

nomination

official endorsement of a candidate for office by a political party -- requirements for success: momentum (mo), money, and media attention

campaign strategy

master game plan candidates lay out to guide their electoral campaign

national party convention

 supreme power within each of the parties; meets every 4 years to nominate party’s presidential and VP candidates & write party’s platform

McGovern-Fraser Commission

commission formed at a 1968 Democratic convention in response to demands for reform by minority groups & others who sought better representation

Superdelegates

National party leaders who automatically get a delegate slot at the national party convention

Invisible primary

period before any votes are cast when candidates compete to win early support from party elites and create positive first impression of their leadership skills

Caucus

system for selecting delegates in a dozen states in which voters are required to attend an open meeting to express presidential preference

Presidential primaries

Elections where state’s voters go to polls to express a party’s nominee for president, most delegates to national party conventions are chosen this way

frontloading

recent tendency of states holding primaries early in the calendar to capitalize on media attention

party platform

political party’s statement of its goals and policies for the next 4 years; drafted prior to party convention by a committee whose members are chosen in rough proportion to each candidate’s strengths (best formal statement of party’s beliefs)

direct mail

method of raising money for a candidate or political cause; info and requirements for donations are sent to people who’re on lists of those who have previously supported similar views or candidates

selective perception

phenomenon that people’s beliefs often guide what they pay the most attention to and how that interpret events based on existing predispositions

suffrage

 legal right to vote in the U.S. that was gradually extended to all citizens over age 18

political efficacy

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

civic duty

belief that citizens should vote to support democratic government

voter registration

system adopted by states requiring voters to register prior to voting; some permit 30 days prior, others allow registration day of Election

Motor Voter Act (1993)

Requires states to permit people to register to vote when they apple for a driver’s license

mandate theory of elections

idea that the winning candidate has a mandate from the people to carry out his or her platforms and politics; liked by politicians. Not so much by poli. sci.

policy voting

electoral choices made on the basis of the voters’ policy pref. and where the cand. Stands on policy issues

Electoral College

unique American institution created by the Constitution provided for the selection of president by electors chosen by the state parties. Although E.C. vote usually reflects popular majority, less populated states are overrepresented and winner-takes-all rule concentrates campaigns on battleground states

Battleground states

key states pres. Campaigns focus on bc. they’re most likely to decide the outcome of the Electoral College vote

Interest group

organization of people w/ shared policy goals entering the policy process at several points to try to achieve those goals - tries to pursuit their goals in many arenas

Pluralism

theory of gov. and politics; each group pressing for their preferred policies compete and counterbalance each other in the political marketplace

Elitism

theory  of gov. and politics ; upper-class will hold majority of power, thus running the government

Hyperpluralism

theory  of gov. and politics ; groups are stronger and gov. bends over backwards to fulfill every request

Iron triangles

subgovernments composed of interest group leaders interested in a particular policy, gov. agency in charge of administering said policy, and members of congressional committees and subcommittees handling the policy -- triangle has a strong hold over particular policy

potential group

All the people who might be interest group members w/ a common shared interest

active group

members of potential group who actually join

collective good

something of value that cannot be withheld from potential group members

free-rider problem

(group) problem of people not joining because they can still benefit from group activities w/o joining

selective benefits

Goods a group restrict to members for joining

single-issue groups

groups w/ narrow interest; tends to dislike compromise and often draws membership from politic newbies

lobbying

“communication by non-citizen acting on their behalf directed to a gov. Decision maker w/ the hope of influencing their decision”

electioneering

Direct group involvement in the electoral process (PACs, campaign funding, getting members to work for candidates)

political action committee (PAC)

Groups that raise money from individual expenditures then distribute it in the form of contributions to candidates the group supports; must register with the FEC and register donations and contributions w/ them

union shop

provision found in some collective bargaining agreements requiring employees of a business to join the union within a short period (us. 30 days) and remain members as a condition of employment

right-to-work laws

state laws forbidding requirements that workers must join a union to hold their jobs; specifically permitted by Tart-Hartley Act of 1947 at the state level

public interest lobbies

organizations that seek a collective good, the achievement of which won’t selectively and materially benefit the membership or activists of the organization (acc. to J. Berry)