AP Gov Unit 5

Climate Control

The practice of using public outreach to build favorable public opinion of an organization.

collective goods

Outcomes shared by the general public; also called public goods.

economic incentive

Motivation to join an interest group because the group works for policies that will provide members with material benefits.

electioneering

Working to influence the election of candidates who support the organization’s issues.

elite theory

A theory that holds that a group of wealthy, educated individuals wields most political power.

free rider problem

The phenomenon of someone deriving benefit from others’ actions.

interest group

An organization that seeks to achieve goals by influencing government decision making.

iron triangle

The interaction of mutual interests among members of Congress, executive agencies, and organized interests during policy making.

issue network

The fluid web of connections among those concerned about a policy and those who create and administer the policy.

lobby

To communicate directly with policy makers on an interest group’s behalf.

pluralist theory

A theory that holds that policy making is a competition among diverse interest groups that ensure the representation of individual interests.

political action committee (PAC)

An entity whose specific goal is to raise and spend money to influence the outcome of elections.

public employee unions

Labor organizations comprising federal, state, and municipal workers, including police officers and teachers.

purposive incentive

Motivation to join an interest group based on the belief in the group’s cause from an ideological or a moral standpoint.

rational choice theory

The idea that from an economic perspective it is not rational for people to participate in collective action when they can secure the collective good without participating.

social capital

The many ways in which our lives are improved in many ways by social connections.

social movement

A large, often informal group of individuals or organizations striving for a broad, common goal, frequently centered on significant change to the social or political order

solidary incentive

The motivation to join an interest group based on the companionship and the satisfaction derived from socializing with others that it offers.

umbrella organizaitons

Interest groups that represent collective groups of industries or corporations.

Who are most likely to join interest groups

Higher income, upper-middle class, people with higher education

Who do PACs typically favor

They favor Incumbents

big tent principle

A strategy in which a political party seeks to build a broad coalition among individuals with wide-ranging beliefs, backgrounds, and priorities.

Buckley v. Valeo (1976)

Limitations on spending on politicla parties and candidates violated 1st Amendment

candidate-centered campaign

A strategy in which a political party seeks to build a broad coalition among individuals with wide-ranging beliefs, backgrounds, and priorities.

candidate committees

Organizations that candidates form to support their individual election.

dealignment

The situation in which fewer voters support the two major political parties, instead identifying themselves as independent, or splitting their ticket between candidates from more than one party.

divided governnment

The situation that exists when Congress is controlled by one party and the presidency by the other.

grassroots organizing

Tasks that involve direct contact with voters or potential voters.

independent

A voter who does not belong to any organized political party; often used as a synonym for an unaffiliated voter.

loyal opposition

A role that the party out of power plays, highlighting its objections to policies and priorities of the government in power.

New Deal

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s broad social welfare program in which the government would bear the responsibility of providing a safety net to protect the most disadvantaged members of society.

New Deal Coalition

Group composed of southern Democrats, city dwellers, immigrants, poor catholics, labor union members, blue collar workers, African Americans, and women who elected FDR to presidency 4 times

party identifiers

Individuals who identify themselves as a member of one party or the other.

party in government

The partisan identifications of elected leaders in local, county, state, and federal government.

party in the electorate

Individuals who identify with or tend to support a party.

party organization

The formal party apparatus, including committees, party leaders, conventions, and workers.

party system

The categorization of the number and competitiveness of political parties in a polity.

patronage

The system in which a party leader rewarded political supporters with jobs or government contracts in exchange for their support of the party.

platform

The formal statement of a party’s principles and policy objectives.

political machine

Big-city organizations that exerted control over many aspects of life and lavishly rewarded supporters.

political party

An organization that recruits, nominates, and elects party members to office in order to control the government.

populism

A philosophy supporting the rights and empowerment of the masses as opposed to elites popularized by Andrew Jackson

primary election

An election in which voters choose the party’s candidates who will run in the later general election.

proportional representation system

An electoral structure in which political parties win the number of parliamentary seats equal to the percentage of the vote the party receives, benefits

realignment

A shift in party allegiances or electoral support that propels a political party to majority status.

responsible party model

Political scientists’ view that a function of a party is to offer a clear choice to voters by establishing priorities or policy stances different from those of rival parties.

soft money loophole

Created by Buckley v. Valeo, political parties can raise unlimited funds for party building activities

spoils system

The practice of rewarding political supporters with jobs.

Tea Party movement

A grassroots, conservative protest movement that opposed recent government actions, including economic stimulus spending and health care reform.

third party

A party organized in opposition or as an alternative to the existing parties in a two-party system.

ticket splitting

The situation in which voters vote for candidates from more than one party.

truncated government

The situation that exists when one chamber of Congress is controlled by the same party that controls the White House, while the other chamber is controlled by the other party.

winner-take-all system

The situation that exists when one chamber of Congress is controlled by the same party that controls the White House, while the other chamber is controlled by the other party.

1st Party System

Anti-Federalists vs Federalists, Jeffersonian Republicans became Democratic-Republicans (modern descendants are democrats)

2nd Party System

Democratic Rise, emphasized Jacksonian Democratic principles of "leadership from merit rather than birth"

3rd Party System

Republican Rise, Leadership with Abraham Lincoln allowing voting rights to African Americans, rise of political machines, and patronage

4th Party System

Republican Dominance, with Theodore Roosevelt's Progressive Party agenda being put into Woodrow Wilson's Republican agenda

5th Party System

Democratic Dominance, with FDR's New Deal and LBJ's Great Society

Issue Advocacy Parties

Third parties formed to promote a stance on particular issue, often short lived due to major parties incorporating their agenda

Ideologically Oriented Parties

Third parties that have a broad agenda, structured around an ideology and broad views about many different aspects of government (ex

Splinter Parties

Third parties that breaks off from one of the two dominant parties because of intraparty disagreement on particular issues (ex

Impact of Third Parties

They provide a release for disatisfied voters, influence electoral outcomes, and draws attention to a variety of issues on national political agenda

absentee voting

The casting of a ballot in advance by mail in situations where illness, travel, or other circumstances prevent voters from voting in their precincts.

Australian ballot

A secret ballot prepared by the government, distributed to all eligible voters, and, when balloting is completed, counted by government officials in an unbiased fashion, without corruption or regard to individual preferences.

campaign consultant

A paid professional who specializes in the overall management of political campaigns or an aspect of campaigns.

campaign manager

A professional whose duties comprise a variety of strategic and managerial tasks, from fund-raising to staffing a campaign.

campaign strategy

The blueprint for the campaign, including a budget and fund-raising plan, an advertising strategy, and a staffing plan.

caucus

A meeting of party members held to select delegates to the national convention.

chad

A ready-made perforation on a punch card ballot.

Citizens United v. Federal Eleciton Commission (2010)

Corporations and labor unions entitled to same 1st Amendment protections individuals enjoy, drastically increased spending through super PACs by corps and labor organizations

closed primary

A type of primary in which voting in a party’s primary is limited to members of that party.

coattail effect

The phenomenon by which candidates running for lower-level offices such as city council benefit in an election from the popularity of a top-of-ticket nominee.

contested convention

An open convention in which no candidate has won the required number of delegates to win the nomination on the first ballot.

501(c)4s

Nonprofit organizations operated exclusively for the promotion of social welfare, including lobbying or engaging in political campaigning.

527

A tax-exempt group that raises money for political activities, much like those allowed under the soft money loophole.

fund-raising consultant

A professional who works with candidates in identifying likely contributors to the campaign and arrange events and meetings with donors.

general election

An election that determines which candidates win the offices being sought.

GOTV

Get out the vote

incumbency

The situation of already holding the office that is up for reelection.

independent expenditures

Outlays by PACs and others, typically for advertising for or against a candidate, but uncoordinated with a candidate’s campaign.

initiative

A citizen-sponsored proposal that can result in new or amended legislation or a state constitutional amendment.

instant runoff election

A special runoff election in which the computerized voting machine simulates the elimination of last-place vote-getters.

media consultant

A professional who brings the campaign message to voters by creating handouts and all forms of media ads.

office-block ballot

A type of ballot that arranges all the candidates for a particular office under the name of that office.

open primary

A type of primary in which both parties’ ballots are available in the voting booth, and the voters simply select one on which to register their preferences.

party-column ballot

A ballot that organizes the candidates by political party.

proposition

A proposed measure placed on the ballot in an initiative election.

prospective voting

A method of evaluating candidates in which voters focus on candidates’ positions on issues important to them and vote for the candidates who best represent their views.

rational abstention thesis

A theory that some individuals decide the costs of voting are not worth the effort when compared to the benefits.

recall

A special election in which voters can remove an officeholder before his or her term is over.

referendum

An election in which voters in a state can vote for or against a measure proposed by the state legislature.

retrospective voting

A method of evaluating candidates in which voters evaluate incumbent candidates and decide whether to support them based on their past performance.

runoff election

A follow-up election that is held when no candidate receives the majority of votes cast in the original election.

salient

In relation to a voting issue—having resonance, being significant, causing intense interest.

super PACs

Political organizations that use contributions from individuals, corporations, and labor unions to spend unlimited sums independent from the campaigns, yet influencing the outcomes of elections.

Super Tuesday

The Tuesday in early March on which the most primary elections are held, many of them in southern states.

turnout rate

The proportion of eligible voters who actually voted.

voter fatigue

The condition in which voters grow tired of all candidates by the time Election Day arrives, and may thus be less likely to vote.

Formal requirements for President

Natural born citizens. 35 year olds, must have been a resident of US for 14 years by time of inauguration

Formal requirements for Vice President

Natural born citizens, 35 year old, must not be resident of same state as candidate for president who they will serve with