AP Government Unit 2

Baker v Carr

'One person, one vote' standard ensuring equal weight in legislative apportionment.

Census

Actual enumeration conducted every 10 years to determine representation in the House.

Civil disobedience

Political participation breaking a law believed to be immoral, accepting consequences.

Conservative

Less government regulation, low taxes, pro-life, focus on military spending.

Demography

The science of population changes.

Exit poll

Public opinion surveys predicting electoral winners.

Gender gap

The pattern of women supporting liberal candidates more than men.

Gerrymandering

Manipulating electoral boundaries to favor one party.

George Gallup

Developer of public opinion polling science.

Group benefit voters

Voting based on benefits for specific groups.

Ideologues

Voters who primarily vote along ideological lines.

Liberal

Support for government regulation, civil rights, and pro-choice policies.

Melting pot

Mixing of cultures, ideas, and peoples in America.

Minority majority

Emergence of a non-Caucasian majority.

Nature of the times voters

Voting for the party perceived to ensure economic prosperity.

No issue content

Voting based solely on candidate personality rather than issues.

Political culture

A widely shared set of values within a society.

Political efficacy

A citizen’s ability to understand and influence political events.

Political ideology

A coherent set of beliefs about politics and public policy.

Political socialization

The process of acquiring political ideologies based on various inputs.

Political tolerance

A belief that citizens should tolerate differing opinions and actions.

Protest

Political participation aimed at changing policy through unconventional tactics.

Public Opinion

Distribution of beliefs about politics and policy issues.

Random-digit dialing

Technique for conducting surveys by calling random phone numbers.

Random sampling

Technique ensuring equal probability of selection for survey participants.

Reapportionment

Reallocating seats in the House every 10 years based on the census.

Redistricting

Redrawing district lines after congressional reapportionment.

Sample

A smaller, representative subset of a population in a survey.

Sampling error

Level of confidence in public opinion poll findings.

Simpson – Mazzoli Act

Legislation requiring employers to verify employee immigration status.

Straw poll

An unofficial poll to gauge opinion on an issue.

Beats

Specific locations from which news is reported.

Broadcast media

Media including television, radio, and internet.

Chains

Massive media conglomerates controlling a significant portion of newspaper circulation.

High-tech politics

Political behavior shaped increasingly by technology.

Investigative journalism

In-depth reporting to uncover scandals and public interest information.

Mass media

Means of communication like TV, radio, newspapers, and the internet.

Media events

Staged events for media that appear spontaneous.

Narrowcasting

Media programming focused on one topic for a specific audience.

Policy entrepreneurs

Individuals investing political capital in specific issues.

Press conferences

Meetings of public officials with reporters.

Print media

Traditional communication forms like newspapers and magazines.

Sound bites

Short video clips of approximately 10 seconds.

Talking head

A shot of a person's face speaking directly to the camera.

Trial balloons

Tentative actions to test public opinion.

527s

Tax-exempt organizations influencing elections, not regulated by FEC.

Actual group

Members of a potential group who actually join.

Amicus curiae briefs

Legal documents submitted to provide additional perspectives.

Class action suits

Lawsuits permitting small groups to sue on behalf of many.

Collective good

Valuable resources that cannot be withheld from group members.

Electioneering

Direct group involvement in electoral processes.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Agency regulating radio and television licenses.

Free-rider problem

Issue faced when individuals benefit from group activities without joining.

Grass-roots lobbying

Public appeals by interest groups to influence policymakers.

Interest group

Organizations with shared goals attempting to influence policy.

Iron Triangles

Subgovernments formed by interest groups, agencies, and congressional committees.

Litigation

Engagement in legal proceedings.

Lobbying

Communication methods used to influence policymakers.

Political Action Committees (PACs)

Political funding vehicles used by interest groups.

Potential group

All individuals who might become members of an interest group.

Revolving door

Movement of government officials between public and private sectors.

Right-to-work laws

State laws prohibiting union membership as a job requirement.

Selective benefits

Goods provided to those who pay membership dues.

Spin doctor

Campaign staff working to present favorable interpretations to media.

Subgovernments

Networks exerting significant control over specific policy areas.

Union shop

Requirement for employees to join the union in certain agreements.