Government U2 Linkage Institutions

Liberals

Social: value freedom of expression, resist government interference in personal lives. However, support government role in solving society's problems (poverty, environment, health care)

Economic: active government role = economic equality

Conservatives

Social: value order and family values, support limited government action on moral issues. However, do not support government role in solving society’s problems, instead support private initiatives (charities, churches, etc)

Economic: limited role of government = economic freedom

Libertarian

Economically conservative (no govt regulation) but socially liberal. (gay marriage ok)

Political Socialization

The process through which an individual acquires his/her particular political orientations (usually from Family, Peers/Friends, Religion).

Scientific Polling

Very formal and structured

Polls rely on a sample of the population – a small portion of people that is supposed to represent the whole population

Benchmark Polls

Used to gather information about people’s views and concerns.

Tracking Polls

Ask people the same or similar questions over time to track changes in public opinion.

Entrance and Exit Polls

Conducted outside a polling place on election day to predict outcome (criticized in 2000 and 2016 elections).

Bandwagon Effect

People form their political opinions based on what they hear other people say.

Expanding Suffrage

15th Amendment – African American Males (although subsequently prevented from voting by poll taxes, literacy tests, and grandfather clauses)

19th Amendment – all women

24th Amendment – outlaw of poll taxes

Voting Rights Act of 1965 – outlawed literacy tests

26th Amendment – those 18 and older

Declining Voters

People have no political efficacy – they don’t believe their vote actually counts or has any effect on the outcome

Motor Voter Act

1993- Allows registration @ DMV. Motor-Voter increased registration (up to 70% of voting-age population, highest since 1970) but has not increased turnout (record low of 36% in 1998)

Most Likely to Vote

A white woman, over the age of 35 who is a long-term resident of a northern urban center, is actively involved in her community and sees a difference between the two parties.

Rational Choice Voting

Voting based on what is perceived to be in the citizen’s individual interest.

Retrospective Voting

Voting to decide whether the party or candidate in power should be re-elected based on recent past.

Prospective Voting

Voting based on predictions of how a party or candidate will perform in the future.

Party Line Voting

Supporting a party by voting for candidates from one political party for all public offices across the ballot.

Media Role in Government

Gatekeeper (sets agenda), scorekeeper (winners/losers), watchdog (government wrongdoing – Watergate)

Conventional Participation

Voting, Running for office, Persuading others

Unconventional Participation

Protesting, Civil disobedience, Violence

Newspaper

(1700’s to late 1800s): Local and extremely biased to candidates and parties. Often used specifically to present party biases and platforms.

(Late 1800s to today): Corporate news companies (Hearst…) creating “stories” (Yellow Journalism). Regional and then national news paper leaders (New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times). The rise of the Washington Press Corps & “lapdog journalism”: TR, FDR, JFK. Investigative journalism and “watchdog” journalism: Vietnam, Watergate, to today

Television

The big 3 (CBS, NBC, ABC) – visual and audio Broadcasting - Usually politically moderate

Cable TV (CNN, Fox News, MSNBC) – Narrowcasting (focus on one topic or narrow audience) - Diverging political reporting

Internet

The rise of opinion journalism. The rise of bitterly partisan attack journalism (911 conspiracies, “birther” conspiracies….).

Institutional Reasons for Low Voter Turnout

Registration laws

no penalty for not voting

more elections due to federalism

complex ballot

single-day Tuesday voting

citizenship requirements

disenfranchisement of felons/immigrants

declining party-ID.

Demographic Reasons for Low Voter Turnout

education (less)

race (minority due to socioeconomic)

income (low)

age (young)

religious identification (not)

marital status (single)

Purpose of Political Party

Endorse (support) candidates and win elections.

Party in the Electorate

People who claim membership in the party.

Party as an Organization

National party and state party organizations – leaders, offices, rules.

Party in the Government

People in elected office who claim membership in a party – have been officially endorsed by the party.

Duties of Political Parties

Pick/ Recruit Candidates (primary system) – most people can not win an election unless they are endorsed by a major party – independents are rarely successful

Run / Manage Campaigns – fundraising and media strategy - through their many levels of organization (nat’l, state, local)

Mobilize and Educate Voters

Party Platforms

Coordinate policymaking within government through committee and party leadership

Change in Political Parties

Party Power has weakened (rise in Independent voters)

Campaigns more candidate centered

Focus on communication technology and data to enhance outreach

Rise in Independents

Dissatisfaction with both major political parties (Dem= Vietnam / Rep = Watergate). People do not affiliate with any major political parties.

Coalition

Group of individuals with a common interest that vote for the same political party.

Critical Elections

An election where new ideas emerge, coalitions shift and reform, majority party is often displaced by the minority party – often accompanied by a national crisis

Party Realignment

The replacement of the majority party with the minority party in power.

Variations in Third Parties

Those that promote certain causes (Ex. Populist Party, Progressive Party)

Splinter parties – offshoots of major party (Ex. Green Party, Libertarian Party).

Those that are an extension of a popular individual – created just so that the candidate can run for office (Ex. Bull Moose Party (TR), Reform Party (Perot))

Effects of Third Parties

A “safety valve” for popular discontent

Bring new people into the political process

Bring new issues onto the political agenda

Split the ticket of the party with whom they most identify (1912 & 1992 elections)

Lack of Third Party Success

Not included in the primary process – not on any of the ballots because the major two parties run the primary system. In order to get on the ballot in NOVEMBER for the general election the third party must collect a certain number of signatures (different number for each state) – these signatures have to be of people that did NOT vote in the primary (their signature is the equivalent of a primary vote) – 75,000 in TX

Debates – organized by the major two parties

Single Member, Winner-Take-All Districts: we do not have proportional representation in Congress

Agendas incorporated by major parties

Media Coverage – focuses on the major two parties= Horse Race Journalism

Wasted Vote / Throwing Vote Away - Tactic used by major parties telling voters that 3rd parties can’t win and a vote for 3rd party is a vote wasted.

Horse Race Journalism

Media Coverage – focuses on the major two parties.

Wasted Vote

Tactic used by major parties telling voters that 3rd parties can’t win and a vote for 3rd party is a vote wasted

Primary

Open, Closed, Blanket (Obsolete) – an election that chooses the candidate for a political party in each state.

Caucus

Same role as primary, but people don’t vote on ballots – voting is discussed and executed publicly

Party Platform

Formal statement of beliefs and objectives of a political party – the candidate selected is supposed to “stand” on this platform when elected – try to fulfill the platform

Delegates

Representatives in the convention process

Precinct Conventions

At the convention, delegates are chosen to go to the next convention and changes are suggested and perhaps added to the party platform.

Anyone who voted in the primary or participated in the caucus can then attend.

Senatorial District Conventions

Same purpose as precinct with senatorial district. Pick delegates to go to the next convention and vote on changes to the party platform.

State Conventions

Choose delegates to go to the national convention to represent the state; vote on changes to the party platform; choose state electors for the Electoral College.

National Convention

Arranged by the national committee of the political party; Party platform is finalized.

Democrats award delegates based on proportion.

Republicans award delegates to presidential candidates either proportionally (if held before March 15) or through a “winner-take-all” system (March 15 or later) – whoever gets the MOST (even if it’s not a majority), wins all that state’s delegates.

Electoral College

Electors are chosen by the States – each state gets as many electors as they have reps in the house and senators in the senate (min. 3 electors)

12th Amendment

Put the President and VP on the SAME ballot – no longer on two separate ballots.

Problems of Electoral College

Presidents wins the Electoral College but lost popular vote. (5x - Trump, Bush, Harrison, Hayes, JQA)

President wins popular vote but doesn’t have a majority

Example - The 1912 Election:

Wilson = 41.84%

Roosevelt = 27.4%

Taft = 23.2%

Debs = 6%

Purpose of Interest Groups

Influence the political process to achieve desired goals.

Differences between IG and Political Parties

IGs support candidates, but don’t run their own candidates

IGs are policy specialists, whereas political parties are policy generalists – IGs are much more focused on particular issues

IGs do not have to try and appeal to everyone for their success/survival

Pluralist Theory

IGs provide a very important link between the people and government

No one group will become too dominant

Groups typically “play by the rules”

All groups have different strengths and weaknesses to even each other out

Elite / Class Theory

The only powerful IGs are the ones that represent big business and corporations

These powerful IGs always win when it comes to the “big decisions”

Hyperpluralist Theory

There are too many IGs

Government spends too much time/effort catering to each individual IG

Policy (laws) are contradictory and ineffective

Problems are compounded by the existence of Iron Triangles and IG influence there

Lobbying

Lobbyists are professional political persuaders; often former legislators (Revolving Door); work in Washington D.C; represent organized IGs; typically “lobby” Congress

Electioneering

IGs try to keep close ties with the party they have the most in common with

IGs urge their members to vote for certain candidates

IGs Aid candidates financially (Campaign Contributions)

More likely to support the incumbent than support a challenger.

Litigation

Go to court to get a specific ruling and get case law created

IGs use this when they fail in Congress or when Congress passes a policy that is too vague

Write amicus curiae briefs

Organize class-action lawsuits

Mass Media / Propaganda

Publicize the issue and get public opinion on your side – government will eventually have to act. (ex. protests, marches, boycotts, etc.)

Frontloading

Refers to the practice of scheduling primary elections, earlier in the election cycle to gain more influence. Early primaries or caucuses can have a bigger impact on deciding candidates, as later states often follow the momentum built in the early contests.

AMA

Lobbying and campaign contributions

Represents a large group of professional people who make a significant amount of money

Sierra Club

Mass mobilization

Have very broad policy goals – the “environment”

Are fighting for a “collective good,” so membership is pulled from a variety of places,

Their policy goals are not often addressed by policy-making institutions

They employ tactics that gain a lot of attention

National Rifle Association (NRA)

Campaign Contributions

Lobbying

Have a very large membership

NAACP

Mass Mobilization

Litigation

Their policy goals are/were not often addressed by policy-making institutions

Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA)

Created the Federal Election Commission

Required the disclosure of donor information (for public access)

Placed limits on the amount of money that individuals and interest groups (through PACs) can give to candidates (aka, hard money)

Individual: $1000

Interest Group (PAC): $5000

Created a system of public financing (federal money) for presidential elections

Placed limits on the amount an individual can spend on their own campaign

Effects of FECA

More PACs→ more hard money getting into the process, not less→ large donors would create multiple PACs and donate 5000 from each

More Soft Money→ not regulated by FECA

Buckley vs Valeo

Declared the individual contribution limit on ones’ own campaign costs unconstitutional → Money is Speech

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)

Hard Money: Raised the limitations on the amount individuals can give to candidates - to $2,000 (Today = $2,700)

Individual Contribution to an Individual PAC stayed the same- $5,000

Soft Money: Limited ind. Contr. to a political party – to $25,000 (Today=$33,400)

Limited PAC contributions to a political party – to $15,000

Cap on Overall Expenditures: Limited the TOTAL / OVERALL amount of money that can be donated in an election cycle (every 2 years) – to $95,000

McCutcheon v. FEC

Ruled that there can be limits on individual donations to an individual candidate, Pol. Party, or PAC – But they can not limit the overall amount an individual spends(1st Amend – Speech)

Effects of BCRA

More 527 advocacy groups→ can receive unlimited amounts of money and spend the money as long as the spending is not “coordinated” with a particular campaign – 527s ARE NOT under the BCRA umbrella

Citizens United vs FEC

Ruled that 1st Amend (Speech) allows them to spend as much as they like to promote their political views, as long as they do so without coordinating with a candidate's campaign

→ formed Super PACs→ expenditure-only PACs (SuperPACs) can not be limited

Hard Money

Contributions that are directly given to a candidate's campaign and are regulated by federal law.

Soft Money

Contributions made to political parties or other organizations for "party-building activities" (like voter registration drives or issue advocacy), which are not directly tied to a candidate's campaign.