AP Gov 9, 14, 16-17: AMSCO AP United States Government and Politics, 3rd Edition Chapters 9, 14, 16-17

Miller Test Wednesday, 10/21/2026

Political Parties

Organized groups of people with similar political ideologies and goals

Linkage Institutions

Channels that connect people with the government

Robocalls

Prerecorded messages delivered to large groups of people reminding them to vote for a candidate and avoid voting for another candidate

Shoe Leather Campaign

Door to door canvassing and handing out materials in person

Platform

Written list of beliefs and political goals

Republican Party

Conservative party founded in 1856, supports strong national defense, reduction in government spending, and limited regulation of businesses

Democratic Party

Liberal party supporting aggressive efforts for minority rights and stronger protections for the environment, desire more government services for citizenry and programs to solve public problems

National Convention

Gathering of political parties every 4 years to vote on a presidential nominee and discuss the party’s platform, gives runners up influence on final platform

Safe District

District where a party consistently wins at least 55% of the vote (>+10%)

War Chest

Accumulation of campaign funds to spend, often earned through prior political activity

Federal Election Commission

Government agency regulating campaign finance and party activity

Social Media

Interactive platforms where users can share information and interact with each other, used by 2/3rds of young people, important for campaign outreach

National Chairperson

Chief strategist and spokesperson of a political party convention

Big Tent

Every ideology which supports a major party, having more people on the party’s side

McGovern-Fraser Commission

DNC commission designed to reform convention rules to be more accessible for minorities and increase their representation

Superdelegates

Powerful convention delegates not beholden to state primary votes, comprising of powerful leaders like city mayors & Congressmen

DNC Unity Reform Commission

DNC commission meeting before 2016 election decreasing number of freely voting delegates to 1/3rd, other 2/3rds must vote according to state primary

Party Realignment

Change in underlying electoral forces due to changes in party identification

Critical Elections

Elections that reveal sharp, lasting changes in loyalty to political parties

Jacksonian Democracy

Shift toward greater democracy for the common man and away from aristocracy that previously held power, occurred during 1st Alignment

New Deal Coalition

Democratic voters during the 4th Realignment including Democratic state & party organizations, labor unions, blue collar workers, minorities, farmers, White Southerners, poor people, immigrants, intellectuals

Split Government

One party controls White House, other controls Congress

Party Dealignment

Voters stop identifying with either major party

Psychographic Segmentation

Using views and demographic groups to create profiles of groups and voters, helps to target outreach and messaging

Minor Parties/3rd Parties

Political parties with little governmental power, often force major parties to reform or change policy positions

Ideological Parties

Third parties who subscribe to a consistent ideology across many issues

Splinter Party

New parties that form when large factions of members from off from a major party

Single Issue Parties

Political parties with concern for one issue only

Economic Protest Parties

Populist parties who want economic change

Single Member Districts

Winner-take-all legislative districts where whoever wins the most votes gets the seat

Ballot Access

Official naming on an election ballot, usually requires a certain number of signatures or previous election performance by the party

Winner Take All Voting

Whoever wins the popular vote in a state gets all of its electors, used in every state except Maine and Nebraska

Swing States/Battleground States

States that could go either way and change affiliation every election, receive heaviest campaign funding by parties

Pluralism

Multitude of views that ultimately results in consensus on some issues

Lobbying

Applying pressure to influence the government or legislators

Hyperpluralism

Multiple competing interest groups cause a party deadlock

Free Rider Problem

Reduction in a special interest group’s power because not everyone that benefits from its lobbying or supports its ideas is a paying member

Iron Triangle

Bond between an agency, congressional committee, and interest groups

Issue Networks

Short term iron triangles that come together regarding a specific issue

Direct Lobbying

Direct communication between interest groups and legislators

Lobbyists

Individuals or groups who lobby the legislature to promote a certain cause

Insider Strategies

Quietly persuading government decision makers through exclusive access

Outsider Strategies

Public efforts to influence policy with things such as lawsuits and voter registration drives

501c(3)

Nonprofit organizations that cannot lobby officials or donate to campaigns, but can receive tax deductions for donations and can influence government

501c(4)

Nonprofit organizations that can lobby officials but cannot spend more than half of expenditures on political issues

Endorsement

Public expression of support for a candidate by a person or interest group

Grassroots Lobbying

Interest group tries to inform, persuade, and mobilize large groups of people

Grasstops Campaigning

Interest groups get opinion leaders to share their positions with legislators in person or by phone

Astroturfing

Grasstops organization cherry picks people and opinions to make an issue seem more popular, especially with leaders

Trade Associations

Interest groups made up of businesses in a certain industry

Intergovernmental Lobby

Local and state politicians lobby federal government for more funding and resources, and for policies that protect local interests

Professional Organizations

Interest groups that represent the interests of white collar workers

Purposive Incentives

People pay to support a cause because it gives them psychological satisfaction

Solidarity Incentives

People join groups because they allow them to meet with like minded people

Material Incentives

Discounts, merchandise, and subscriptions given to members of interest groups

Upper Class Bias

Average income of interest group members is higher than that of the general population, making interest groups often fight for wealthier causes

Public Interest Groups

Groups that are geared towards improving life or government for the masses

Ideological Groups

Interest groups formed around a political ideology

Bundling

Raising money from multiple sources for a candidate

Honest Leadership and Open Government Act

2007 law banning lobbyists and their clients from giving direct gifts to Congressmen and from giving gifts and trips to Congressional staffers

Revolving Door

Movement of the job of a legislator to a job in an industry affected by their laws and policies

United States v. Harriss

1954 Supreme Court case upholding disclosure regulations for lobbying groups while establishing that all people and groups have 1st Amendment rights

Second Amendment

1791 addition to the Constitution establishing a “well-regulated militia” and that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”

National Firearms Act

1934 law requiring registration and taxation of certain weapons and restricting ownership of fully automatic weapons and sawed off shotguns

Gun Control Act

1968 law banning mail order sales of guns & ammunition and sale of guns to felons, fugitives, drug users, mentally ill people, and recipients of dishonorable discharges

Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act

1993 law establishing 5 day waiting period to buy a handgun to allow for background checks, prevented sale of more than 2 million firearms

National Rifle Association

Largest gun rights lobbying organization

District of Columbia v. Heller

2008 Supreme Court case ruling that the Second Amendment protected individual ownership of guns unrelated to militia service

Eighth Amendment

1791 addition to the Constitution banning cruel & unusual punishment and excessive bail

Furman v. Georgia

1972 Supreme Court case putting the death penalty on hold because unnecessary and inconsistent application of it was unconstitutional

Gregg v. Georgia

1976 Supreme Court case ruling that death penalty does not inherently violate 8th & 14th amendments, ending Furman’s execution moratorium

Fourth Amendment

1791 addition to the Constitution banning unreasonable search & seizure, requires probable cause to make an arrest or issue a search warrant

Writs of Assistance

Broad search warrants allowing British soldiers in Colonial America to search any vessel, warehouse, home, or wagon,

PRISM

NSA program compelling internet service providers to give up information related to internet activity and communications

Metadata

All cell phone communication information except the actual conversation

Ideology

Comprehensive and mutually consistent set of ideas

Valence Issues

Concerns or policies that are viewed in the same way by people with a variety of ideologies

Wedge Issues

Issues which sharply divide the public

Saliency

Weight or importance that voters give to a certain issue

Moderate

One who is between the political left and right

Liberal

One who is open to allowing the government to act flexibly and expand beyond established constraints, definition has changed over time

Conservative

One who believes in following tradition and having reverence for authority

The Conscience of a Conservative

1960 book by Barry Goldwater which outlined many key conservative positions, helped him win 1964 GOP nomination

Libertarians

Voters who generally oppose government intervention or regulation

Populists

Working class voters who support workplace safety protections and farm subsidies while opposing obscene and unpatriotic speech

Progressives

Voters who support labor unions and strict worker protections while believing that wealthy people & high earners should pay more in tax

Platform

List of principles and plans that a political party hopes to enact, approved at national conventions every 4 years

Majoritarian

Policy making which emerges from the interaction of people with government in order to put in place and carry out the will of the majority

Agenda

List of potential policy ideas, bills, or plans to improve society

Fiscal Policy

Part of economic policy that is concerned with government policy and taxation

Keynesian Economics

Interventionist economic theory promoting government spending to manage aggregate demand, influenced New Deal

Multiplier Effect

Mechanism by which an increase in spending results in an economic growth greater than the amount of spending

Supply Side Economics

Economic theory believing that the government should leave as much of the money supply as possible with the people, letting the laws of economics govern the marketplace

Laissez-Faire

Term meaning “let it be”, economic approach which lets the free market determine economic conditions without taxation or regulation

Pollock v. Farmers’ Loan and Trust

1892 Supreme Court case ruling federal income taxes unconstitutional due to lack of explicit authority given to Congress in Article I of Constitution

Sixteenth Amendment

1913 addition to the Constitution allowing Congress to levy federal income taxes on the people, overturned Pollock

Internal Revenue Service

Income tax with higher rates charged for higher income brackets

Flat Tax

Income tax charged at the same rate for all income earned by all people

Balanced Budget

Congress spends no more than it makes in tax revenue

Monetary Policy

Process by which the government manages the supply and demand of its currency and therefore the value of the dollar