Unit 2 Into To American Politics

Public Opinion

Citizens attitudes towards political issues, leaders, institutions, and events

Ideology

System of ideas that display our current society, the ideas convey where we should go & how to get there

Liberal

Supporter of reform, gov intervention in the economy, expansion of federal services, "rational individual",

Conservative

Those who generally support the social& economic "status quo" and are suspicious of efforts to introduce new political formulas & economic arrangements, resistant to change, less optimistic

Libertarian

Those who emphasize freedom & believe in voluntary association with small governments.

Socialist

Those who believe in social ownership, strong government, free markets, and reduction in economic inequality

Political socialization

The process by which we develop our political attitudes, values, and beliefs.

RAS model

Receive, Accept, Sample

Receive Stage

Individuals receive information from various sources

Accept Stage

Individuals assess information through the lens of their own political views

Sample Stage

individuals select the most recent information when forming their opinion

Heuristics

An information shortcut that voters use to make their decisions

Simple Random Sample

Equal probability of being selected as a respondent

Random Digit Dialing

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

Traditional Political Participation

Activities designed to influence government.

What are two examples of traditional political participation?

Voting and face-to-face activities such as protesting or volunteering for a campaign.

Digital Political Participation

Activities designed to influence politics using the Internet.

Examples of digital political participation

Visiting a candidate's website & signing online petitions

Automatic Voter Registration (AVR)

Eligible citizens who interact with governmental agencies such as the DMV are automatically registered to vote; it is an 'opt out' instead of 'opt in' system.

Same Day Registration (SDR)

Option in some states to register on the day of the election, at the polling place

Strict ID Law

Voters without acceptable ID MUST cast a provisional ballot

Provisional Ballot

a vote that is cast but not counted until determination is made that the voter is properly registered

Strict, Non-Photo ID Law

No requirement for photo ID, must have acceptable ID in order to vote

Photo ID Requested

If the voter cannot present a photo ID, they can take other actions at the polling station to have their vote counted that day

ID Requested, Non-Photo Required

If the voter cannot present their ID, they can take other actions at the polling station to have their vote counted that day.

No Document Required to Vote

Once you register, and are eligible, you can vote.

Political Parties

organized groups that attempt to influence the government by electing their members to important government offices

Two Major

Democratic & Republican

Two Minor

Libertarian and Green

Partisanship

identification with or support of a particular party or cause

Third Party

Parties that organize to compete against the two major American political parties

National Convention

Convened by both parties to nominate official candidates for president and vice presidents in the upcoming election, establish party rules, and adopt the party's platform

Party Polarization

Division between the two major parties on most policy issues, with members of each party unified around their party's positions with little crossover

Primary Election

held to select a party's candidate for the general election

General Election

Regularly scheduled election in the US, first Tues, after first Mon, every even numbered year

Midterm Election

The congressional election that occurs midway through the president's term of office, sometimes called, "off year"

Closed Primary

Only a registered "Republican or Democrat" can participate in nomination of candidates

Open Primary

Can wait till day of the primary to choose which party to enroll in

Redistricting

Process of redrawing elections district and redistributing legislative representatives, every 10 years

Gerrymandering

Draw the lines of districts that give parties an advantage

Legalized Racial Gerrymandering

Can create minority-majority districts or electoral district in which majority of constituents belong to racial or ethnic minorities

Individual Donor

a private citizen who gives money to support a cause can donate as mush as 2.8k to candidates every 3 months

Political Action Committee (PAC)

a private group that raises and distributes funds for use in election campaigns

Super PAC's

Non profit, independent PAC that may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, union and individuals, but isn't permitted to coordinate directly with parties & candidates

Dark Money

Politically active nonprofits, spend unlimited amounts on political campaigns, undisclosed