pols 233 exam 2 tamu simas

Why is political participation often lower than expected in a republic?

Because participation is costly (time, effort, money), and many voters conclude the personal benefit isn't worth the cost.

What 3 things make political participation costly

time, effort, money

What are the four propositions of participation?

The more costly the participation, the lower the rate.

Public policies can influence participation by adjusting those costs.

People with more political resources (education, income, time) participate more.

Higher costs create greater resource bias.

The more costly the participation....

the lower the rate.

Public policies can influence participation by

adjusting those costs.

People with more political resources (education, income, time)

participate more

Higher costs create

greater resource bias

What is resource bias?

When the cost of participation means only resource-rich individuals engage, leading to unequal influence.

What is affective polarization?

Strong emotional attachment to one's political party and animosity toward the other.

valance issue (voter's interests)

which is more likely to bring about outcomes that we all want, such as peace, prosperity, and honesty in government?

position issue (voter's interests)

Which candidate is closest to me on policies?

Define rational ignorance

Voters often stay uninformed because their individual vote is unlikely to sway the election.

What are heuristics in voting?

Decision shortcuts like party labels, endorsements, candidate background, hearsay, socialization, etc

What is retrospective voting?

Evaluating the incumbent's past performance to decide your vote.

What is prospective voting?

Voting based on expectations about future outcomes and policy proposals.

What is pocketbook voting?

Basing vote on your personal economic condition.

What is sociotropic voting?

Assessing the overall rate of employment and unemployment more than individual circumstances -- Basing vote on the health of the national economy.

What is the most common type of economic voting?

Retrospective sociotropic voting.

What is the Michigan model of partisanship?

theoretical framework that explains voting behavior by emphasizing the importance of party identification, candidate evaluation, and issues. It suggests that voters' decisions are significantly influenced by their emotional attachment to a political party, alongside their perceptions of candidates and the relevance of specific issues during elections.

How did Madison view political parties?

As dangerous factions that threaten the balance of power. Parties are factions...dangerous factions that try to seek majority control

Why did parties emerge despite Madison's warnings?

They help solve ambition, coalition building, and mobilization problems.

What is cycling in politics? (parties solve problems)

When coalitions constantly shift and policy benefits change—parties stabilize this. ***get a better definition for this later

What is agenda control? (parties solve problems)

When parties influence legislative priorities using rewards (carrots) or punishments (sticks).

***get a better definition for this later

Electoral democracy is possible only when

voters can cast a self-interested vote without expending much effort or other resources

core values of party theory

political equality, electoral democracy (Counters the non-egalitarian and undemocratic aspects of Madison's republic), responsibility (Individuals vs. the collective)

Critique of Madison's Republic

Self-interest → Representation → Conflict in a dispersed system

Self-interest

Acting in one's self-interest is costly and dispersing power undermines the expression of self interest

Representation

Only occurs IF self-interest is activated and

rejects the whole idea of representation as a by-product

Conflict and Dispersed Power

Dispersal does not solve the self-interest problem, it CREATES it

Federalists

Led by alex hamilton

Strong, central government

Rooted in wealthy, mainly in northeast and atlantic seaboard

Democratic republicans

Led by jefferson and Madison and sought to Protect states rights

why parties?

ambition/office seeking (more aspirants than seats ), coalition building, collective actions (needing mobilization)

What is mobilization promotion?

Parties help simplify choices and energize voters to participate.

What is district-centered representation?

When members of Congress focus on serving local district needs over national party goals.

Incumbents Re-Elected Based on Personal Following and District Policy Response:

- Members of Congress often build strong personal brands within their districts by focusing on constituent services, local projects (like securing federal funding), and frequent communication with voters.

- Re-election depends more on a legislator's perceived responsiveness and attentiveness to local needs than on party loyalty.

- This leads to high incumbent reelection rates, as voters reward candidates who "bring home the bacon" and demonstrate district-level impact.

Autonomous Committees Reflect District Median Voter Interests (district-centered congress)

- Appropriations, Agriculture, Transportation), operate with a high degree of independence.

- Members on these committees often advocate for policies and programs that benefit their specific districts or regions.

-The median voter in a district has strong influence over a representative's positions, and committee work is often tailored to reflect that constituency.

norm of universalism

important aspects of congress are organized to benefit all members equally

Example: perks of the office

particularized policymaking

a trait of district-centered congress that refers to the ability of policymakers to further their careers by catering to narrow interests rather than to broader national platforms.

Particularized Policy-Making & the Norm of Universalism

- Legislation tends to favor specific districts rather than broad national goals.

- A norm of universalism emerges—where benefits (like federal grants or infrastructure projects) are distributed across districts regardless of party, ensuring all members get something.

- This creates coalitions for passing bills but can dilute efficiency and national prioritization.

Weak Party Leadership

- Party leaders have limited influence over members' votes and agendas.

- Representatives prioritize their district's interests over party unity, making it harder for leadership to enforce discipline.

-Party cohesion is weaker, and national platforms are less enforceable.

Two major goals of members of congress

1. Deliver good policies

2. Acquire power

Incumbents win in congress, so are we really getting a responsive government?

vital question

direct incumbency effects

resource advantages (staff, mail, travel).

select incumbency effects

only strong challengers run; weak ones avoid races.

What is strategic retirement?

Incumbents choosing not to run and retire from their positions when the odds of re-election are low.

Define quality challenger

A well-known or previously elected individual who has a legitimate shot at winning.

Distributive policy making

Distributive policies allow government actors to provide beneficial goods and services to a majority of the population. They are designed to improve the equitable distribution of goods and services by providing benefits to a large portion of the population rather than by taking from one group and giving to another

What is partisan gerrymandering?

Manipulating district lines to benefit one political party.

What is "packing"?

Concentrating the opposing party's voters in a few districts.

What is "cracking"?

Splitting the opposing party's voters across many districts to dilute their power.

How do committees function in a district-centered Congress?

Members gain seniority, specialize in district-relevant issues, and have autonomy.

How do committees differ in a party-centered Congress?

Party leaders appoint chairs, override seniority, and centralize control over the agenda.

Congressional Politics: Summary and Implications

We can understand congressional organization as a response to collective action problems in the situation

The committee system and political parties are not mentioned in madison's republic or the constitution

Both developed as ways congress could get its increasingly complex work done

What explains why congress might move from a district centered to a party centered mode of operation?

conditional party government, cartel theory

conditional party government

emphasizes that polarization facilitates strong parties and more authority delegated to party leaders because there is more internal agreement within the party, and a larger threat from the opposing party

cartel theory

emphasizes the importance of the party brand to members reelection prospects and the need to protect the brand from defection in the ranks

keep in mind: under the district centered model of congress,

parties are still relevant

keep in mind: under the partisan model of congress,

districts remain the gateway for members to get into congress

Think of the district and party models of forces at work, where...

he balance between the forces may be altered, but both forces remain in play!

The spatial model

The spatial model suggests that voters will vote for the candidate whose policies more closely align with them

What is the gridlock region?

The area between the two chamber medians (house and senate)

The policy space between the house and senate medians is known as the

gridlock region

A supermajority requirement generally makes the gridlock region larger than it would be under a simple majority (t or f)

True, you need more people that agree with the policy in question

win set

Range of policies that are plausible within the spectrum considering median voters is called

What is a pivot?

A legislator whose vote is essential to pass or block policy (e.g., 60th senator in a filibuster).

What's the president's role in gridlock?

He can veto policy. Overriding a veto requires a two-thirds vote, creating a new pivot.

What if you need a supermajority?

The median voter is no longer pivotal

Two pivots are required: one on the left and one on the right. These are the most extreme members of the winning coalition needed to get to the supermajority threshold.

---- Any proposal must make both of these pivots better off than the status quo — otherwise they block it.

Filibuster

a delay or blocking tactic used by opponents of a proposed legislation by talking or threatening to talk until the senate is forced to abandon that proposal

Cloture vote:

a vote to stop a filibuster

that requires 60% of senate vote

Implications of senate

all legislation needs the support of 60% to pass!!!!!!!

how much of congress does it take to override president veto

2/3, The critical members are the ⅔ members, they become the pivot

why couldn't republicans dismantle Obamacare

obamacare existed within the presidential gridlock zone

partisan polarization makes change even more difficult by

expanding gridlock zones when power is divided between the parties

change is possible and swifter when

congress and presidency are held by the same party. Even then, though, the filibuster in the senate can be a major roadblock.

limitations of the spatial model

The model ignores committees

The model ignores parties

The model ignores other actors

How do interest groups behave in gridlock situations?

- If policy is in their winset: they push for change.

- If not: they maintain or create gridlock by lobbying pivots.

How has presidential power evolved?

It has expanded beyond its constitutional origins, especially in crisis management and agenda setting.

What is the "unilateral presidency"?

The modern expectation that presidents can act independently and decisively, often bypassing Congress. // powers and authority that have developed as expectations for the president have expanded

What are the president's personal resources?

- Prestige: public approval

- Reputation: standing among elites and lawmakers

What does "going public" mean?

strategy whereby a president promotes himself and his policies directly to the american public for support

Presidential power is largely

power of persuasion

How is the presidency critiqued from the madisonian frame

Too much power and too high expectations are lodged in the hands of one person in an office that has expanded beyond its constitutional boundaries

How is the presidency critiqued from the party theory frame

Collective responsibility should lie with the party, not just the president.

How is the presidency critiqued from the pluralist frame

The role evolved to meet growing demands, but Congress still retains checking power.

unlike interest groups ____ run candidates and seek government control

political parties

_____ issues are things everyone agrees on

valence

stare decisis is the norm of respecting judicial ____

precedent

voting is an _____ act if done to produce benefits that reflect interests

instrumental

presidential leadership is made up of power and ____

persuasion

The ideological divide between parties' elites is known as

polarization

when the president goes right to the people, this is known as

going public

the ____ is a delay or blocking tactic that the minority can use in the senate

filibuster

in congress, there is tension between ___-centered representation and party centered representation

district

the area between the pivotal players is known as the ____region

gridlock

deference to the elected branches is known as judicial ___

restraint

third parties are like ___ : once the sting, they die

bees

according to the ____ model, partisanship is a lasting force that shapes other judgements

Michigan

those with more political ____ are more likely to participate

resources

____ theory emphasizes the importance of the party brand

cartel