AP GOV UNIT 5 VOCAB + SOME EZPZ DEFINITINOS!!!!

Twenty-Sixth Amendment

prevents states from denying citizens 18 and over the right to vote.

Lowered voting age to 18

Twenty-Fourth Amendment

Outlawed poll taxes in federal elections

Voter Turnout

The number of voters who actually cast votes as a percentage of the voting-age population

% of eligible people who actually vote in an election

Political Efficacy

Sense that their vote makes a difference

Rational Choice Voting

A voting model in which a voter examines an issue or candidate, evaluates campaign promises or platform points, and consciously decides to vote in the way that seems most beneficial.

A voting model where the voter knows why they're voting for the candidate

Retrospective Voting

A voting model in which the voter looks backwards to consider candidates' track records.

A voting model where the voter sees if the candidate did a good job before

Prospective Voting

A voting model in which citizens anticipate the future. They consider how candidates or proposed ballots initiatives might affect their lives or the operation of government.

Voting model where people vote based on what the candidate says they're gonna do

Party-Line Voting (Lecture Definition)

Voting for candidates who belong only to one political party for all of the offices on the ballot

A voting model where citizens vote for and based on their political party instead of candidate

Linkage Institutions

Channels that connect people with the government—keeping people informed and trying to shape public opinion and policy.

Political Party (Lecture Definition)

An organized group of party leaders, officeholders, and voters who work together to elect candidates to political office

People with similar political ideologies who work together to gain political power

Split Ticket Voting (Not really defined in AMSCO)

voting for candidates of different parties for different offices at the same election

Example: Voting for a Republican president but voting for a Democratic Senator

Party Platform

A written list of beliefs and political goals

Primary Election (Lecture Definition)

An election in which a state's voters choose delegates who support a presidential candidate for nomination or an election by a plurality vote to select a party's nominee for a seat in Congress

An election in which citizen-voters cast votes for delegates to attend the party's national convention.

Open Primary (Lecture Definition)

All eligible voters may vote, regardless of their party affiliation

Closed Primary (Lecture Definition)

only those who have registered as a member of a political party may vote

People are only allowed to vote for their own party's primary

Proportional Representation

Multiple parties compete for office, and voters cast ballots for the party they favor. After the election those officers are filled proportionally.

The # of seats in office is proportionate to the voting results

Single Member Districts

A electoral district in which the candidate who wins the most votes wins that office

Ideological Groups

Interest groups formed around a political ideology.

Public Interest Groups

Groups that are geared to improve life or government for the masses

Single Issue Groups

Interest groups formed to address a narrow area of concern, focused on just one topic.

Professional Associations

Associations that typically represent white-collar professions: they are concerned with business success and the laws and practices that guide their trade.

Lobbying

A strategy that applies pressure to influence government.

Iron Triangle

The bonds among an agency, a congressional committee, and an interest group. The three entities establish relationships that benefit them all.

Relationship/bond that is used for long term issues

Issue Network

Collectives with similar goals and come together to support a specific issue. Usually not permanent

Relationship/bond that is used for a specific, short term issue

Grassroots Lobbying

When an interest group tried to inform, persuade, and mobilize large numbers of people to influence the government.

When people gather a lot of people to contact the government to influence policy

Political Action Committee (PAC)

Formal groups formed around a similar interest. Donates heavily to incumbents

Committee made to donate limited amounts of money directly to candidates' campaigns to either support them or oppose the other candidate

Winner-Take-All System

A system where the candidate who wins the plurality of the popular votes in a given state will ultimately receive all that state's electoral votes.

The person who wins the most amount of votes wins the whole state

Swing State

States that have a unpredictable political pattern.

States where it is likely to go either way

Super PACs (Not in AMSCO)

(An) organization(s) that is allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money but supports the candidate indirectly through ads, messaging, and publicity.

Free Press

An uninhibited institution that places an additional check on government to maintain honesty, ethics, and transparency.

The right of the media to report news without government interference (enforced by the 1st Amendment)

Horse Race Journalism

Journalism that updates readers and viewers nonstop on the ups and downs of competing candidates

Gatekeeper

News media that sets their own news agenda by determining what is newsworthy and therefore deciding what information the public will receive.

An individual or group of individuals that determine what the public receives

Citizens United v. FEC

SCOTUS case where they gave unlimited corporate money as long as it is independent from candidates' campaigns