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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