AP Gov Interest groups U4-5

direct lobbying

communication by someone other than a citizen acting on his own behalf, provide information/give political strategy

grassroots lobbying (mobilization)

type of movement or campaign that attempts to mobilize individuals to take some action to influence an outcome; write letters, make phone calls, & attend rallies

astroturf

when a well-funded interest group artificially shows off public support by funding groups to make the mobilization seem more authentic from "the ground up"

libertarian

socially left, economically right; individual liberty, limited government; lower gun control, lower taxes, less government spending, but a strong separation of church and state

republican

the right, less gun control, lower taxes, stricter immigration laws, less government control in economy

democratic

the left, more gun control, government involvement in economy (setting prices), and higher taxes for more government subsidaries

populist

(authoritarian) socially right, economically left; the "people's party"

linkage institutions

1 goal is to win elections; interest groups, media, & parties exist to build winning teams

caucus

local party members register their preference for a delegate when meeting

open primary

voters do not declare party affiliation when voting

closed primary

voters declare party affiliation when voting

trial balloon

test leak, which nomination gets the least negative attention

paid media

paying for ads during live sports

earned media

newsworthy media talking about candidate

internet

updates quickly, anyone is a reporter (quality is not)

horserace journalism

overemphasizing polling data, fundraising, & campaign strategy rather than substantive policy issues; the press relies on measurements like poll numbers as a constant comparison of candidate's relative success in a long campaign

print media

newspapers, magazines, print

radio

Franklin D Roosevelt uses for regular communication with the American people

television

JFK uses it to debate with his handsome face (i am not a simp)

interest groups

not a political party; organized grp of individuals that have similar political ideologies; time & money where their mouth is; direct pressure on elected officials, push for information (experts)

iron triangle

congress, executive office (bureaucracy), interest groups

pac

collects & distributes campaign funds, financial arm of an interest group, legally spending & donating to campaigns

pluralists

everyone has a chance

elitism

simplistic, rich get what they want, corporate interests outnumber labor groups & working class

free rider problem

people who benefit from an interest group's goals without joining (eg. teacher's union advocates for higher wages, but without paying to join, I as a teacher, still get the new higher wage)

electioneering

direct to politicians that they favor; donating to "get your foot in the door"

litigation

write letters to the judges (provide info); find the people to bring the suits

going public

"what works for us, works for you"

soft money

Political contributions given to a party, candidate, or interest group limited in amount and fully disclosed (loophole to bypass contribution limits until BCRA 2002)

hard money

political donations regulated by FEC & can only be used for specific purposes; come from pacs

super pacs

gain prominence after 2010 citizens united v fec, receive unlimited money but can't donate directly to candidates or coordinate with campaigns

dark money

501 C; political money sent from organizations not allowed to disclose their donors

citizens united v fec (2010)

freedom of speech prohibits government from restricting independent expenditures

bcra (2002)

banned soft money & increased hard money limits to offset the ban

buckley v valeo (1976)

mandatory spending limits violate freedom of speech. money spent on political campaigns is a form of protected speech so some spending limits for candidates on their campaign are cut

527 nonprofit

federal organizations created to influence or attempt to influence the selection, nomination, election, or appointment of candidates

independent expenditures

political campaign spending that is not coordinated with a candidate's campaign, meaning the spending is done independently by pacs

bundling

a legal fundraising practice where a person, known as a "bundler," gathers multiple individual campaign contributions and delivers them together to a political candidate

single party plurality district

an electoral district where voters choose one representative from a list of candidates, and the candidate who receives the most votes, even if not a majority, wins the election

swing states

competitive for votes

conservative

ideology that promotes limited government and supports traditional values

random sample

necessary for a public poll to be valid

multi-party system

voters have distinct, meaningful choices (more, smaller parties)

splinter party

temporary split in a major party

electoral college

not used for congress; used in presidential election, winner-take-all

republican primaries vs democratic primaries

republicans' winner-take-all makes their candidate elections faster than democratic candidate elections

modern american parties are

highly decentralized and fragmented

voting in presidential elections

most common political participation in the usa

national rifle association

an example of an interest group that supports a single, specific cause

gatekeeper

The media can influence what subjects become national political issues and for how long

watchdog

The role played by the national media in investigating political personalities and exposing scandals

voter turnout in the united states

the lowest of any industrialized nation

james madison

believed that a large republic would best control the effects of factions by diluting any one group's influence/power

democrats

lost the solid south through political realignment in the 1960s

vietnam war and watergate scandal

ended the cozy peaceful relationship between the press and politicians in the 20th century

african americans

identifiable democratic party voters

amicus curiae brief

filed by an individual or organization to present arguments in addition to those presented by the immediate parties to a case (way for interest groups to lobby courts)

objective news

factual accounts of events and people

commentary

opinions of experts or people with political goals

fox news

targets conservatives as their niche audience

president nominating a supreme court justice

nonexample of a linkage institution influencing the policy process

winner take all

limits the power of minor party voters

proportional

seats won relative to vote share