AP Gov U3 KBAT

Parties

Organized groups that seek to win elections, influence government policy, and represent political interests. They help connect voters to candidates and organize government action.

Interest Groups

Organizations that try to influence government policy and decisions without running candidates for office, often by lobbying and mobilizing public opinion.

Elections

The formal process by which citizens vote to choose government representatives or decide on policy issues.

Media

Channels of communication (TV, newspapers, internet, social media) that inform the public, shape political opinions, and act as a watchdog on government.

Mobilization and education of voters

Efforts by parties, interest groups, or campaigns to inform voters about candidates/issues and encourage them to participate in elections.

Party platforms

Official statements of a political party’s core beliefs, policy goals, and positions on key issues, presented during a party’s convention.

Candidate recruitment

The process by which political parties identify and encourage qualified individuals to run for public office.

Campaign management

The organization and coordination of a candidate’s election campaign, including strategy, fundraising, advertising, media, and voter outreach.

Committee and party leadership in legislatures

Key lawmakers who organize and direct legislative business, set agendas, and coordinate party strategy within Congress or state legislatures.

How are parties influenced by?
1. Critical elections and regional realignments

2. Campaign finance law

3. Communication and data-management technology

• Critical elections and regional realignments:
  Major shifts in voter loyalty or party coalitions that reshape party platforms and strategies, often changing which regions or demographics support each party.

• Campaign finance law:
  Regulations (like BCRA and Citizens United) that limit or enable how parties raise and spend money, affecting their fundraising and election strategies.

  • Communication and data-management technology:
    Social media, data analytics, and voter databases help parties target voters more precisely, mobilize support efficiently, and tailor messaging.

Disseminate control

The party’s ability to control and distribute information strategically to shape voter perceptions and maintain message consistency during campaigns.

Clarify political messaging

Using voter data to tailor and simplify campaign messages so they resonate clearly and effectively with specific audiences.

Enhance outreach

Using voter data to improve how parties connect with and engage voters through targeted communication and personalized contact efforts.

Mobilization efforts

Using voter data to identify, target, and encourage supporters to participate in elections, increasing voter turnout for the party.

Proportional system

Electoral system where parties gain seats in proportion to the percentage of votes they receive.

Winner-take-all system

Electoral system where the candidate or party with the most votes wins all the representation or electoral votes, even if by a slim margin.

Interest group influences on elections and policymaking (6)

Represent very specific or more general interests

Educate voters and officeholders

Conduct lobbying

Draft legislation

Apply pressure on government agencies

Work with government agencies

Interest groups and bureaucratic agencies

Interest groups often work closely with bureaucratic agencies to influence policy implementation and regulation through lobbying, expertise, and providing information.

Interest groups and congressional committees

Interest groups lobby congressional committees to shape legislation, provide expert testimony, and influence policy decisions during the lawmaking process.

Interest groups and other interest groups

Interest groups sometimes collaborate or compete with each other to advance or block policies, form coalitions for greater influence, or protect shared interests.

Iron Triangle

A stable, mutually beneficial relationship among interest groups, bureaucratic agencies, and Congressional committees, where each supports the others’ goals to influence policy and maintain power.

Notes:

i. Corporations often fit in as interest groups

ii. Bureaucratic agencies are agencies like the EPA, FCC, IRS, FEC

Revolving door

The movement of individuals between roles in government (especially bureaucratic agencies) and jobs in the private sector (often lobbying or related industries), which can create conflicts of interest.

Bureaucracy

A large, complex organization of appointed officials and agencies that implement and administer government policies and programs.

Issue networks

Loosely connected groups of policymakers, interest groups, experts, and media that collaborate temporarily to influence policy on specific issues, often replacing the more stable iron triangle.

Inequality of political and economic resources

Some groups have more money, connections, or influence than others, giving them an advantage in lobbying and shaping policy.

Unequal access to decision-makers

Not all groups can easily reach or persuade lawmakers and bureaucrats, limiting their influence.

Free rider problem (Freeloader)

People benefit from an interest group’s work without contributing time, money, or effort, making it harder for groups to mobilize support and resources.

Note:

i. Often seen in unions

Right-to-work law

State laws that prohibit requiring workers to join a union or pay union dues as a condition of employment, which can weaken union membership and bargaining power.

Economic Interest Groups

Represent businesses, labor unions, or professional associations focused on economic benefits for their members.

• Examples:

  • Chamber of Commerce (business interests)

  • AFL-CIO (labor union)

    • American Medical Association (professional group)

Public Interest Groups

Advocate for causes they believe benefit the general public or society at large, not just their members.

• Examples:

  • Sierra Club (environment)

    • Common Cause (government accountability)

Government Interest Groups

Represent the interests of governments themselves, such as state or local governments lobbying the federal government.

• Examples:

  • National Governors Association

    • United States Conference of Mayors

Ideological Groups

Promote policies based on a set of core political or moral beliefs, often representing a particular ideology.

• Examples:

  • Christian Coalition (conservative)

    • ACLU (civil liberties)

Single-Issue Groups

Focus intensely on one specific policy area or cause.

• Examples:

  • MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving)

    • NRA (National Rifle Association)

Foreign Policy Groups

Advocate for U.S. policies related to international affairs or specific foreign countries.

• Examples:

  • AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee)

    • Council on Foreign Relations

Lobbying

The act of attempting to influence policymakers and legislators by interest groups or individuals through direct contact, providing information, and advocacy to shape legislation or regulations.

Caucus

A meeting of members of a political party or group to discuss policy, select candidates, or decide strategy—can also refer to a group of legislators with shared interests within a larger legislative body.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) 2002

Federal law that banned soft money contributions to national political parties, limited issue advocacy ads close to elections, and increased individual contribution limits to candidates to reduce the influence of money in politics.

Case Law; Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

A Supreme Court case that ruled corporations and unions can spend unlimited money on independent political expenditures (like ads), leading to the rise of Super PACs and increased outside spending in elections.

Notes:

i. Challenged restrictions on a damaging documentary on Hillary Clinton

ii. SCOTUS rules in favor of Citizens United, arguing under 1st amendment that corporations unions have the right to spend unlimited funds on independent political communications

iii. Allowed for growth of Super PACs

PAC (Political Action Committee)

An organization that collects and pools campaign contributions from members or donors to support candidates, parties, or legislation; subject to federal limits on donations.

i. Individuals can donate up to $5,000 annually per PAC

ii. Individuals can donate to political parties separately

iii. Individuals can donate $3,500 per election per candidate

Super PAC

An independent political action committee that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to advocate for or against candidates but cannot directly coordinate with candidates or parties.

Hard money

Political contributions that are regulated and limited by federal law, given directly to candidates or parties for their campaigns.

Soft money

Unregulated contributions to political parties for "party-building" activities (like voter registration), not directly for candidates’ campaigns; banned at the federal level by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) of 2002.

Dark money

Political spending by nonprofit organizations that don’t have to disclose their donors, making the sources of the funds anonymous. Often used to influence elections without transparency.

NY Times v. US (1971)

A landmark Supreme Court case that upheld the First Amendment right of the press to publish the Pentagon Papers, ruling that the government could not impose prior restraint (censorship) unless it could prove direct, immediate harm to national security.

Notes:

i. Also called “Pentagon Papers” case

ii. SCOTUS rules 6-3 in favor of NY Times, arguing the govt. suppressing media coverage is unconstitutional under the 1st Amendment freedom of press

Linkage institution

Structures (like political parties, interest groups, media, and elections) that connect the people to the government and help transmit public preferences into policy actions.

Horse race coverage

Media reporting that focuses on who is winning or losing in an election rather than on candidates’ policies or issues.

501©(4) (Social welfare organizations)

A nonprofit social welfare organization that can engage in political activities without disclosing donors, allowing for “dark money” spending. Political activity can’t be their primary purpose.

501©(6) (Business leagues, trade assocations)

A nonprofit business league, like a chamber of commerce or trade association, that can also engage in political advocacy without donor disclosure, making it another “dark money” vehicle. Political activity can’t be their primary purpose.