AP Gov Review Sheet

Test Review

Political Party

An organization seeking power with the goal of getting someone elected.

Linkage institutions

Political parties act as linkage institutions by representing the interests and demands of the public in government.

Rational-choice theory

The theory that individuals act in their own best interest, weighing the costs and benefits of political actions.

Party image

The general perception of what a political party stands for, including their policies, ideology, and values.

Party identification

The political party with which an individual affiliates; its decline is due to technology and media allowing for independent decision-making.

Ticket splitting

The practice of voters choosing candidates from different parties, indicating a decline in party loyalty.

Party machine

A highly organized political party that rewards members in exchange for votes; exemplified by Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall.

Patronage

The practice of giving jobs or favors as a reward for party loyalty rather than on merit.

Closed primaries

Primaries where only registered party members can vote for their party’s candidate.

Open primaries

Primaries in which any registered voter can vote in a party’s primary election, regardless of party affiliation.

Invisible primaries

The period before actual primaries and caucuses, where potential candidates build support and raise money.

National convention

An event held to formally nominate the party’s presidential candidate and establish the party platform.

National committee

The organization that manages the operations of the political party.

National chairperson

The leader of the national committee who manages party operations, fundraising, and strategy.

Coalition

A group of interest groups that come together to support a party or candidate, seeking to secure enough votes to win.

Party eras/coalitions (Name all 5)

Historical periods defined by dominant political parties. First five party eras/and or coalitions: New Deal Coalition, Federalists vs. Democratic Republicans, Jacksonian Democrats vs. Whigs, Two Republican Era, Divided Government Era

Critical election

An election where new issues emerge and lead to a shift in political power among parties.

Party realignment

The displacement of the majority party by a minority party, often caused by critical elections.

New Deal coalition

The political coalition formed by FDR uniting diverse groups including Urban workers, labor unions, catholics, jews, the poor, southerners, and african americans

Relief Recovery Reform

The three parts of the New Deal agenda that aimed to address the Great Depression.

Party dealignment

The trend of voters disengaging from political parties, leading to increased independent voters.

Third parties

Political parties that can draw votes away from the major parties in presidential elections.

Winner takes all system

A system where the candidate with the most votes wins all electoral votes.

Proportional representation

A system where parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes they receive, often used in Europe.

Coalition government

A government formed by multiple political parties cooperating to achieve a majority.

Responsible party model

A theory that parties must present clear governing plans and accept responsibility for their implementation.

Nomination

The endorsement of a candidate for office by a political party.

Campaign strategy

A plan to manage money, media, attention, and momentum to achieve nomination.

Caucus

A meeting where party members discuss and vote for their preferred candidate, with Iowa being the first.

Presidential primaries

Elections where voters select a party’s nominee; the earliest is in New Hampshire.

McGovern-Fraser Commission

A commission that reformed national conventions to be more democratic after the chaotic 1968 DNC.

Superdelegates

Party leaders and elected officials who automatically receive a vote at the national convention.

Frontloading

The practice of states scheduling primaries or caucuses earlier to gain influence.

Proposals to change the campaign system

Suggests reforms to address issues such as excessive influence of money and unrepresentative voter participation.

Primaries

Elections where voters select a party’s candidate for the general election, which can be open or closed.

Party Platform

A party’s stance on policies and goals that guides its approach to major issues.

Direct mail

Mail sent to specific voter groups to raise funds or promote candidates.

Doctrine of sufficiency

The concept that candidates need to raise enough money to be competitive, not necessarily to outspend opponents.

Federal Election Campaign Act

Legislation that regulated campaign finances, including limits on contributions and public funding.

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

The regulatory body that enforces campaign finance laws and monitors federal election contributions.

Soft money

Unregulated contributions to a political party for general advertising purposes.

501c organizations

Nonprofits that do not have to disclose donors and can only spend half of their funds on political expenses.

527 groups

Organizations that can receive unlimited donations but cannot coordinate with candidates and must disclose donors.

Political Action Committees (PACs)

Groups formed to raise and spend money to elect or defeat candidates, made up of corporations or interest groups.

Selective perception

The process by which individuals view political information through a biased lens.

Citizens United

A Supreme Court decision that allows corporations and unions to spend unlimited money on independent political advertisements.

Super PACs

Independent political action committees that can raise and spend unlimited money, but cannot coordinate with candidates.

Electoral college

A body that formally elects the president, with electors determined by state congressional representation.

Example when the Electoral College Failed

2000, Bush vs Gore. Candidate who won popular vote didn’t win the presidency due to electoral college winner takes all (for each state)

Battleground states

States where election outcomes are uncertain and both candidates have strong winning chances.

Scope of government

The extent to which candidates promise to expand government function to benefit their electoral chances.

McCain Feingold

A campaign reform act that banned soft money and limited certain forms of advertising near elections.