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Article 1, Section 4
Directs and empowers states to administer congressional elections, subject to Congress' authority to "make or alter" state regulations
Ballot measures: initiatives, referendums
is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal, Way to get an issue on the ballot
Casework
Assistance given to constituents by congressional members, answering questions/doing favors
Caucus
A meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates for public office and to decide the platform.
Coattail effect
the influence of a popular presidential candidate on the election of congressional candidates of the same party
Delegates
A person who is chosen or elected to represent a person or group
Electoral College
a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president.
Faithless elector
Elector who does not vote for the candidate they promised to vote for. These have never determined outcome of presidential election but is a major problem with electoral college system
Franking privilege
Benefit allowing members of Congress to mail letters and other materials postage-free
General election
a regular election of candidates for office, as opposed to a primary election.
Get out the vote (GOTV)
This phrase describes the multiple efforts expended by campaigns to get voters out to the polls on election day.
Incumbent
An officeholder who is seeking reelection.
Incumbency advantage
the electoral edge afforded to those already in office
Invisible primary
The period before any votes are cast when candidates compete to win early support from the elite of the party and to create a positive first impression of their leadership skills.
Midterm election
Elections held midway between presidential elections.
rational choice voting
Voting based on what is perceived to be in the citizen's individual interest
retrospective voting
voting for a candidate because you like his or her past actions in office
prospective voting
voting based on the imagined future performance of a candidate
party-line voting
process in which voters select candidates by their party affiliation
National conventions
A meeting held every four years by each of the major political parties to nominate a presidential candidate.
Preclearance
mandated by the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the prior approval by the Justice Department of changes to or new election laws by certain States
Open primaries
primary elections in which eligible voters do not need to be registered party members
Closed primaries
Elections to select party nominees in which only people who have registered in advance with the party can vote for that party's candidates, thus encouraging greater party loyalty.
Shelby County v Holder
2013 (5-4 decision) States and localities do not need federal approval to change voting laws. (got rid of Sect 4 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965)
Voting Rights Act of 1965
a policy designed to reduce the barriers to voting for those suffering discrimination.
15th Amendment
Citizens cannot be denied the right to vote because of race, color , or precious condition of servitude
17th Amendment
Direct election of senators
19th Amendment
Gave women the right to vote
24th Amendment
Abolishes poll taxes (1964)
26th Amendment
Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 during Vietnam War
501(c)(4)s
Active nonprofits; under federal law, these nonprofits can spend unlimited amounts on political campaigns and not disclose their donors as long as their activities are not coordinated with the candidate campaigns and political activities are not their primary purpose.
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (McCain Feingold Act)
banned soft money contributions to national political parties from corporations and unions; independent expenditures by corporations, labor unions, trade associations, and nonprofit organizations are sharply restricted
Buckley v. Valeo
A case in which the Supreme Court of the United States upheld federal limits on campaign contributions and ruled that spending money to influence elections is a form of constitutionally protected free speech. The court also stated candidates can give unlimited amounts of money to their own campaigns.
Citizens United v. FEC
A 2010 decision by the United States Supreme Court holding that independent expenditures are free speech protected by the 1st Amendment and so cannot be limited by federal law. Leads to creation of SuperPACs & massive rise in amount of third party electioneering (Citizens for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow)
Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974
Created the Federal Election Commission. Tightened reporting requirements for campaign contributions. Provided full public financing for major party candidates in the general election.
Hard money
Political contributions given to a party, candidate, or interest group that are limited in amount and fully disclosed.
PACs
Political Action Committees, raise money for candidates &/or parties. Limits on contributions, can run ads, disclose donors, direct donate
Super PAC
a type of independent political action committee which may receive unlimited contribution, not coordinated w/ candidates, regulated by the FEC, disclose donors, can run ads
Soft money
Campaign contributions unregulated by federal or state law, usually given to parties and party committees to help fund general party activities.
Interest Groups vs. Political Parties
An interest group, or a collection of people with the shared goal of influencing public policy, are different from political parties in that they do not run their own candidates for office, and they typically seek more specific policy goals than parties.
Interest Group
An organization of people sharing a common interest or goal that seeks to influence the making of public policy
Colective Agenda
political action that occurs when individuals contribute to a larger group goal
Collective Good
a public benefit that individuals can enjoy or profit from even if they do not help achieve it
Free Riders
those who enjoy the benefits of collective goods of an interest group without joining
Selective Benefits
goods that a group can restrict to those who actually join
Types of interest groups
economic, environmental, public interest, single interest, common characteristics, and government interest
Lobbying
Engaging in activities aimed at influencing public officials
Revolving door
the cycle in which a person alternately works for the public sector and private sector (between govt positions to lobbying positions)
Direct lobbying
direct interaction with public officials for the purpose of influencing policy decisions
amicus curiae brief
"friend of the court" brief filed by an interest group to influence a Supreme Court decision
Iron Triangle
The three-way alliance among legislators, bureaucrats, and interest groups to make or preserve policies that benefit their respective interests.
Issue network
webs of influence between interest groups, policymakers, and policy advocates
Grassroots lobbying
A lobbying strategy that relies on participation by group members, such as a protest or a letter-writing campaign.
Protest
A form of political participation designed to achieve policy change through public demonstrations
Civil Disobedience
A form of political participation that reflects a conscious decision to break a law believed to be immoral and to suffer the consequences.
Agenda setting
the power of the media to bring public attention to particular issues and problems
Mass media
the entire array of organizations through which information is collected and disseminated to the general public
Wire service
an organization that gathers and reports on news and then sells the stories to other outlets
investigative journalism
news reports that hunt out and expose corruption, particularly in business and government
media consolidation
the concentration of ownership of the media into fewer corporations
partisan bias
the slanting of political news coverage in support of a particular political party or ideology
horse-race journalism
Election coverage by the mass media that focuses on which candidate is ahead rather than on national issues.
confirmation bias
a tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence
FCC (Federal Communications Commission)
The government agency charged with regulating the electronic media under the commerce clause
telecomunications act of 1996
Opened up markets to competition by removing unnecessary regulation. Leads to media consolidation.
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