vocab 7-8-10

High Tech Politics

Politics in which the behavior and policymakers and the political agenda itself are increasingly shaped by tech

Mass media

TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, the internet, and other means of popular communication

Media event

Press conferences or staged events that are significant because they are covered by the media.

Press Conferences

Meetings of public officials with reporters

Investigative journalism

In-depth reporting by journalists to uncover scandals, scams, and schemes, at times putting reporters in adversarial relationships with political leaders

Print media

Newspapers, magazines, and other printed publications

Broadcast Media

TV, Radio, and the internet

Narrowcasting

Broadcasting or programming that targets a specific audience or interest

Beats

Specific locations from which news frequently emanates

Trial balloons

Intentional news leaks to assess political reactions

Sound bites

Short video clips of about 10 seconds

Talking Head

Shot of a person’s face talking directly to the camera

Policy agenda

The issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other people involved in politics

Policy entrepreneurs

Individuals who invest their political “capital" in an issue

Party competition

The battle between political parties for control of public offices

Linkage institutions

Channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the government's agenda

Party Image

a voter’s perception of what a party stands for

Rational-choice theory

The perception that voters and politicians act in their best interest, weighing the pros and cons

Party identification

Self-determined preference for a political party

Ticket-splitting

Voting for one party for one office and another party for a different office

Party machines

Political party organizations that heavily rely on material inducements to win votes

Patronage

Positions given to people for political reasons over merit or competence

Closed primaries

Elections to select party nominees where only registered party members can vote

Open primaries

Elections where voters can decide on election day which party to vote for

Blanket primaries

Elections where voters can vote for candidates from different parties for each office

National convention

gathering where a party's platform is written and candidates for President and Vice President are nominated

National committee

Representatives from various states within a party's convention

National chairperson

The person responsible for the daily activities of a political party

Coalition

A group of individuals with a common interest

Critical election

An electoral "earthquake" where new issues emerge and new coalitions replace old ones, and the majority part is often displaced by the minority party

Party realignment

The displacement of the majority party by the minority party

Party dealignment

The gradual disengagement of people from political parties

Party neutrality

Not siding with a specific party

Third parties

Electoral contenders other than the two major parties

Winner-take-all system

An electoral system where legislative seats are awarded only to candidates who come first in their constituencies

Responsible party model

The view that parties should offer clear choices to voters and carry out campaign promises once in office

Interest Group

A group of people with shared goals entering the policy process to achieve those goals

Pluralist theory

A theory of government and politics emphasizing that many groups compete and counterbalance each other

Elite theory

A theory that states the upper class elites hold most of the power

Hyperpluralist theory

A theory that states that when groups become too strong, the government becomes weak by trying to please them

Subgovernments

Composed of interest group leaders, government agencies, and committee members controlling a particular policy

Potential group

People interested in an interest group

Actual group

People interested who actually join an interest group

Collective good

Something of value that cannot be withheld from a potential group member

Free riders

People who benefit from interest groups without joining them

Selective benefits

Goods that a group can restrict to those who actually join

Single-issue group

Groups with a narrow interest that typically refuse to compromise

Lobbying

Communication by someone other than a citizen acting on their own behalf directed to a government decision maker with the hope of influencing the decision

Electioneering

Direct group involvement in the electoral process, such as funding campaigns or getting members to work for candidates

Political Action Committee (PAC)

groups that raise money from individuals to distribute it as contributions to candidates they support

Amicus curiae brief

Written arguments submitted to the courts in support of one side of a case

Class action lawsuits

Enable a group of people in similar situations to combine their grievances into a single suit

Union shop

Found in collective bargaining agreements, requiring all employees of a business to join the union within a short period and stay members as a condition of employment

Right-to-work laws

State laws forbidding requirements that workers must join a union to hold a job

Public interest groups

Organizations that seek a collective good, selectively and materially benefit