AP Gov Review Unit 3

Goal of Political Parties

Elect party members to gain control of the govn’t in order to gain control over the policy agenda

Functions of Political Parties

Link people to elected officials

Run campaigns through National Committees

Give cues to voters with party labels; tell voters what each candidate stands for

Articulate policies and write a platform

Coordinate policymaking by linking policies

National Convention

Every 4 yrs, a party hosts a convention in which they formally nominate a candidate for POTUS

The parties also write their platform

The delegates (attendees) are very ideological, either very liberal or very conservative

National Committee

Run the party between the conventions

Spokesperson chairman of the national committee

Closed Primary

Must be registered in a party to vote

Ex: In New York, you have to be registered with a party to vote

Open Primary

Anyone can vote, including independents

Party Realignment

A group of votes shifts their support to a different party

Ex: After the 1960’s democrats in the south turned republican when JFK supported the Civil Rights Movement

Party Dealignment

Voters leave a political party and they become independent

Independent voters have been the largest voting group for the last 30/40 yrs

Coalition

Different groups of people who support a candidate

Ex: FDR built current democratic coalition; Jewish and Black workers in the North

If you can’t maintain a coalition, you can’t win an election

Straight Ticket Voting

A person who votes for candidates based on their registered party

Split Ticket Voting

Vote for multiple parties

Vote for a candidate rather than a party

Partisanship

Party label

Largest indicator of how someone will vote

Why do Third Parties Exist?

To represent ideas not expressed by major parties

Some of splinter parties (broken off the major parties)

Some are single issue parties (focus on one issue)

Why Can’t Third Parties Win?

1. Seen as a “throwaway vote”; they can get votes, but not enough to get plurality (the most)

2. Only get federal funding because they get less than 5% of the popular vote

3. Difficult to raise $

4. They “spoil” elections: They take voters away from the lead candidate

Political Machines

Parties that use patronage; a reward for political loyalty

Party Identification

Younger Generation

Graduate Education (PhD, MD)

Females

Undergraduate Education

Swing States (Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Nevada, New Hampshire, Michigan)

Older Generations

High School Education

Males

What the Democratic Party Stands For

Bigger govn’t (more federally funded programs)

Increase regulation

Believe in global warming

Increase $ on education

Pro-Choice

Pro-LGBTQ

Diplomacy > War

What the Republican Party Stands For

Want a smaller federal govn’t

Don’t believe in global warming

Pro-Life

War > Diplomacy

Tougher on crime/immigration

Hawkish on foreign policy

How Interest Groups Support Candidates

1. Electioneering: Rate candidates/endorse; publish info that gives cues to members on who to vote for

2. PACS: Formed by interest groups/candidates to raise $$ for a party/candidate

PACS

Formed by interest groups/candidates to raise for a party/candidate

Limits: $5000 for a candidate, $15,000 for a party

They give so they have access to the govn’t policy makers

FECA (Federal Election Campaign Act)

Election campaign reform post Nixon

Establish FEC (Federal Election Committee) set donation Limits and regulate financing

McCain Feingold Act

Bipartisan reform

1. Ban soft $$ (given to parties for non-election activites)

2. Increase independent contribution

3. Limit independent expenditure (private spending by individuals) to no ads 60days b4 a general election and 30days b4 a primary

Super PACs

Independent groups that can spend unlimited $$ on ads as long as theres no coordination with a campaign

Incumbent

Politicans seeking re-election

They win at higher rates

Advantages: Money PACs give most $$ to incumbents

When are the Senate Elections?

Elections are every 6yrs

Every 2yrs, 1/3 of this chamber is up for re-election

When are the HOR Elections?

Every 2yrs

When is there a new Congress?

Every 2yrs

How many Electoral Votes do you need to win?

270

Why do we have an Electoral College and not rely on the popular vote?

The founders didn’t trust democracy

Winner Takes All

Candidate with plurality (the most votes) wins all the electoral votes of a state

Used in the Republican Primaries

What determines how many electoral votes a states get?

#of senate members + # of HOR members

Frontloading

Process that states move up their primaries to get more attention by candidates

Reasons why people don’t vote

Low efficay

Time

Registration requirement

Voter ID

Non-Citizens can’t vote

Motor Voter Law 1993

Voters can register at DMV

Was supposed to increase voter turnout

What can increase the participation in an election?

Same day voter registration

Early voting

Ballots in multiple language

How has suffrage increased?

Voting Rights Act of 1965

24th Amendment

26th Amendment

15th Amendment

19th Amendment

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Prohibits the use of literacy tests

Proportional System

The % of a states voters = the % of delegates you get

Used in Democratic primaries

Ex: You get 35% of New York’s voters, so you get 35% of New York’s delegates

Superdelegates

15% of democratic primary vote is reserved for party officials in order to have some control over who wins the presidental candidacy

Interest Group

Group of people with similar ideas

#1 goal is to influene policy agenda

Free-Rider Program

Those who don’t pay still enjoy benefits, so why pay

Goal of Interest groups

Influence agenda to benefit them

Lobbying

Meeting with legislatures to provide specialized info

Judicial branch only lobby’s with amicus curiae brief

Electioneering

Support candidates through:

1. Giving $$

2. Endorse a candidate

3. Media/ads

4. Provide info to members

Litigation

Bring a lawsuit

Utilized when an idea/program doesn’t have wide support

Grassroot Lobbying

Mobilize public

Goal: Gain media attention

Ex: Writing letter, phone calls, protesting, rallies

Amicus Curiae Brief

“Friend of the Court”

Brief paper in support if a side of a case

Checks on Interest Groups

1. PACs must disclose all $$, revenue and spending, wtih FEC

2. Lobbyist must register with Congress

3. FED oversees campaign spending

Iron Triangle

Tight bonds between 3 parts

1. Congressional Committee

2. Agency

3. Interest Group

Issue Networks

Replaced iron triangles

Mulitple pressure on agencies from interest group

What does the media care about?

Only about ratings and $, therefore investigative journalism decreased because it wasn’t earning enough $$$

Gatekeeper

Controls what is news worthy and influence public opinion and decides what is important

Watchdog

Scrutinize the actions of public officals

Scorekeeper

Racehorse Journalism

They look at polls and numbers instead of issues and policies

Investigative Journalism

In depth reporting exposing Watergate and Vietnam War

Decreased trust in the govn’t

How did the media change the way they cover POTUS?

They use to focus on personality

Now they want to big up every bad thing they ever done

Narrowcasting

News for a target audience tends to re-enforce ideas

Ex: Fox is Conservative, MSNBC is Liberal, CNN is Neutral

Trial Balloons

Intentional leaking of a story to see how the public reacts

Ex: Clinton Affairs

Prior Restraint

SCOTUS has struck down prior restraint

When the govn’t tries to stop the publication of something

FCC (The Federal Communications Commission)

Gives broadcasters licenses to use public airways, control content fine/revoke license if rules are broken

Fairness Doctrine

Law that he news had to show both sides of the story

Leak

Intentionally giving info to the media

1. Trial Balloon

2. Whistle Blower