AP Gov: Unit 5

Interest Group

Organization formed to influence policy making.

Solidary Incentive

The social rewards (sense of pleasure, status, or companionship) that lead people to join political organizations.

Material Incentives

Benefits that have a monetary value, including money, gifts, services, or discounts received as a result of one's membership in an organization.

Purposive Incentive

A benefit that comes from serving a cause or principle.

National Committee

A standing committee of a national political party established to direct and coordinate party activities between national party conventions.

Climate Control

The use of public relations techniques to create favorable public opinion toward an interest group, industry, or corporation.

Unit Rule

A traditional party practice under which the majority of a state delegation can force the minority to vote for its candidate.

Whig Party

A major party in the United States during the first half of the nineteenth century, formally established in 1836. The Whig party was anti-Jackson and represented a variety of regional interests.

Lobbyist

A person who is employed by and acts for an organized interest group or corporation to try to influence policy decisions and positions in the executive and legislative branches.

Social Movement

A widely shared demand for change in some aspect of the social or political order.

Latent Interests

Public-policy interests that are not recognized or addressed by a group at a particular time.

Free Rider Problem

Potential members fail to join a group because they can get the benefit, or collective good, sought by the group without contributing the effort.

Labor Movement

Generally, the economic and political expression of working-class interests; politically, the organization of working-class interests.

Service Sector

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Public Interest

The best interests of the overall community; the national good, rather than the narrow interests of a particular group.

Direct Technique

An interest group activity that involves interaction with government officials to further the group's goals.

Indirect Technique

A strategy employed by interest groups that uses third parties to influence government officials.

Boycott

A group's refusal to have commercial dealings with some organization in protest against its policies

Independent

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Political Party

A group of individuals with broad common interests who organize to nominate candidates for office, win elections, conduct government, and determine public policy

Faction

A group or clique within a larger group, party, or government

Two-Party System

An electoral system with two dominant parties that compete in national elections.

Era of Good Feelings

A name for President Monroe's two terms, a period of strong nationalism, economic growth, and territorial expansion. Since the Federalist party dissolved after the War of 1812, there was only one political party and no partisan conflicts.

Democratic Party

A political party that favors greater government action than its conservative opposition does, to direct and promote the welfare of the people in the republic it often governs.

A political party formed by supporters of Andrew Jackson after the presidential election of 1824.

Republican Party

1854 - anti-slavery Whigs and Democrats, Free Soilers and reformers from the Northwest met and formed party in order to keep slavery out of the territories

Reverse-Income Effect

A tendency for wealthier states or regions to favor the Democrats and for less wealthy states or regions to favor the Republicans. The effect appears paradoxical because it reverses traditional patterns of support.

Party-in-the-Electorate

Those members of the general public who identify with a political party or who express a preference for one party over another.

Party Organization

The formal structure and leadership of a political party, including election committees; local, state, and national executives; and paid professional staff.

Party-in-Government

All of the elected and appointed officials who identify with a political party.

National Convention

A national meeting of delegates elected in primaries, caucuses, or state conventions who assemble once every four years to nominate candidates for president and vice president, ratify the party platform, elect officers, and adopt rules.

Party Platform

A political party's statement of its goals and policies for the next four years. The platform is drafted prior to the party convention by a committee whose members are chosen in rough proportion to each candidate's strength. It is the best formal statement of a party's beliefs.

State Central Committee

The principal organized structure of each political party within each state. This committee is responsible for carrying out policy decisions of the party's state convention.

Patronage

Granting favors or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support

Divided Government

Governance divided between the parties, as when one holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of Congress.

Ticket Splitting

Voting with one party for one office and with another party for other offices. It has become the norm in American voting behavior.

Safe Seat

An elected office that is predictably won by one party or the other, so the success of that party's candidate is almost taken for granted.

Plurality

Candidate or party with the most votes cast in an election, not necessarily more than half.

Electoral College

A group selected by the states to elect the president and the vice-president, in which each state's number of electors is equal to the number of its senators and representatives in Congress.

Third Party

A political party organized in opposition to the major parties in a two-party system

Splinter Party

A new party formed by a dissident faction within a major political party. Often, splinter parties have emerged when a particular personality was at odds with the major party.

Realignment

A process in which a substantial group of voters switches party allegiance, producing a long-term change in the political landscape.

Dealignment

A process whereby voters are moved toward non-partisanship thus weakening the structure of political parties.

Party Identification

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Straight-Ticket Voting

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Swing Voters

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Tipping

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Amicus Curiae

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Describe the effect of third party candidates in presidential elections. Use at least 3 examples.

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Analyze the functions of interest groups in American democracy

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What are lobbyists?

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Why are lobbyists called the third house of Congress?

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Explain the methods of lobbying.

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Evaluate major lobbying resources for their effectiveness: Information.

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Evaluate major lobbying resources for their effectiveness: Public Support.

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Evaluate major lobbying resources for their effectiveness: Money.

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Define interest groups. How do they differ from political parties?

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Why does american society & government encourage a multiplicity of interest groups?

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Analyze the statement: "Interest group politics have an upper class bias."

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Evaluate the effectiveness of interest groups on policy making

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Describe the problems involved with "revolving door" government employment.

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Explain the role of the media in campaigns and elections.

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Explain why America remains a two-party system.

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Describe the differences in the national platforms of the two major political parties.

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Describe the functions of American political parties.

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