AP gov unit 3

franchise (suffrage)

the right to vote in political elections

26th amendment

lowered the national voting age from 21 to 18

24th amendment

banned poll tax, prevented discrimination based on income

voter turnout

the percentage of eligible voters that actually voted

political efficacy

a citizen’s trust in their ability to understand and influence government, affects likelihood to engage in political actions such as voting

political mobilization

process of organizing, motivating, and engaging people or groups to take action toward specific political goals

rational choice voting

voters make decisions based on a calculated analysis of which candidate or party will best support their interests

policy voting

voting for a person based on whether or not they share your views

referendum

a general vote by the electorate (eligible voting population) on a single political question that has been referred to them for a direct decision

retrospective voting

voting based on past performance, keeping politicians if what they did was good, and vice versa

prospective voting

voting based on how voter believes candidate will perform in the future, relies heavily on candidate’s statements, in speeches, campaign ads, and campaign literature

party line voting

voters consistently support candidates or policies based on their political party affiliation

voter registration

the requirement that a person otherwise eligible to vote must register/enroll with election officials in order to become eligible

bipartisan campaign reform act (BCRA, 2002)

major federal legislation regulating campaign finance, primarily aimed to ban unregulated soft money to national parties and limit corporate/union funded electioneering communications (political ads) near elections

federal election campaign act (1971, 1974)

regulated political campaign financing, aimed to ensure transparency and fairness by setting limits on campaign contributions and requiring disclosure of campaign expenditures

buckley v valeo

established “money as speech” doctrine under 1st amendment, upheld federal limits on individual contributions to campaigns but struck down restrictions on independent expenditures and candidate spending from personal resources

federal election commission (fec)

independent, bipartisan regulatory agency created by congress in 1975 to administer and enforce the federal election campaign act, oversees campaign finance laws for u.s house, senate, and presidential elections

electoral college

used to indirectly elect the U.S president and vice president, 270 votes required to win

hard money

regulated, direct, limited campaign contributions given directly to a candidate

soft money

unlimited, unregulated money given to political parties/interest groups for party building activities rather than direct support

political action committee

interest groups that raise/spend money to influence elections, formed by corporations, unions, or interest groups with strict limits on donations to candidates ($5k/election)

battleground states

states where 2 major political parties have similar amounts of support, often determining winner of electoral college, often receive disproportionate campaign attention and resources

super pacs

entities that raise unlimited funds from individuals, unions, and corporations to spend on campaigns advocacy, but can’t donate directly to or coordinate with candidates

citizens united v fec

ruled that corporations and unions and associations counted as individuals under 1st amendment, freedom of speech (spending) applies, and prohibited government restrictions on independent political expenditures by them (unlimited soft money)

party identification

a citizen’s personal attachment or loyalty to a specific political party, serves as primary voting cue, largely formed through socialization, strongly influences political ideology

straight ticket voting

selects candidates from same political party for all offices on ballot

split ticket voting

voter spreads votes across multiple parties during an election

national conventions

every 4 years, held by major political parties during presidential election, formally nominates candidates, finalizes party platform, promotes party unity

critical elections

pivotal moments in American political history when significant shifts occur in the electoral alignment of voters, leading to shifting policy direction and a new party taking control (ex: 1932 new deal coalition)

national committee (democratic and Republican)

organizes national convention, fundraises for and promotes party

divided government

one political party controls the executive branch, while another party controls one/both chambers of congress

issue ads

communications focusing on broad political or social issues rather than explicitly endorsing or opposing a specific candidate

third parties

any party other than 2 dominant, often focuses on specific issues/ideologies, act as “conscience of the nation” by raising new ideas, and often see their platforms adopted by major parties

single member districts

one legislative rep elected per district to serve, winner takes all

proportional representation

political parties gain legislative reps in proportion to the percent of popular vote they receive, if party wins 30% of vote, the get 30% of seats

winner take all system

candidate who receives plurality in a state/district wins all that area’s electoral votes/representation

party realignment

lasting shift in voter allegiance and party coalitions, groups of voters switch parties, fundamentally changing the political balance of power often triggered by national crises or major, critical elections, shifts party platforms and alters dominant party’s control

party dealignment

voters abandon previous party affiliations without adopting new ones, resulting in a rise in independent voters and a weakening of the two party system

party platform

formal set of principles, goals, and policy positions adopted by a political party during their national convention, roadmap for party’s agenda and ideology, outlines specific policies they want to enact

nomination process

populace votes in primaries/caucuses for delegates, delegates vote for candidate at national convention

open primary

voters don’t have to affiliate with a political party in advance in order to vote in primary

closed primary

voters have to affiliate with the political party of the primary

caucus

party run meeting where registered members gather to openly discuss/debate/vote on preferred presidential candidates to allocate delegates, unlike primaries, caucuses require in person attendance, involve public voting, and show higher voter engagement

general election

voters select representatives in government, after primary/caucus and candidates have been announced (pres, senate, house)

net neutrality

internet service providers must treat all data on the internet equally without blocking, throttling, or creating fast lanes for specific content based on payment

iron triangle

stable, mutually beneficial 3 way relationship between congressional committees, bureaucratic agencies, and interest groups, they collaborate to create policy that serves shared interests, often dominating specific policy areas at expense of broader public interest

potential group

individuals that have a common interest but aren’t in an interest group

actual group

members of a potential group who formally join, pay dues, and actively participate in an interest group

amicus curiae briefs

legal briefs submitted by individuals/interest groups who are not direct parties to a case, but hold a strong interest in its outcome, aim to influence supreme court decisions by providing additional arguments/info

class action lawsuits

one or more individuals sue on behalf of a larger group who have suffered similar injuries or damages from the same defendant

collective good

a benefit, resource,, or service that can’t be withheld from anyone, meaning all members of a society can enjoy it, regardless of if they contributed to getting it (public parks, highways, national defense, clean air)

electioneering

efforts by political groups or individuals to persuade voters to support or oppose specific candidates, political parties, or ballots

free rider problem

difficulty interest groups face when potential members choose not to join or contribute to a group because they can still enjoy collective benefits without paying dues or putting in effort

interest groups

organized, private associations that share common goods and aim to influence public policy and decision making without directly winning elections

lobbying

act of attempting to influence government officials, particularly legislators, to support specific policies or actions favored by interest groups through written/oral communication

olson’s law of large groups

the larger the group, the farther it will fall short of providing an optimal amount of a collective good (larger groups struggle to organize because individuals have incentives to free ride)

right to work law

makes it illegal to require employees to join a union or pay dues to a union as a condition of employment

selective benefits

goods, services, or incentives that interest groups provide exclusively to dues paying members to encourage membership

single issue groups

interest groups that focus on a specific, narrow policy area

public interest groups

these seek to influence public policy to promote collective goods or causes that benefit the general public, rather than just their members

economic interest groups

advocates for financial interests, policies, and regulations that directly benefit their members

government interest groups

organized associations of individuals or organizations sharing common policy goals, seeks to influence legislation, regulations, and court decisions

civil disobedience

the active, nonviolent, and public refusal to obey laws deemed as unjust, with the intent to bring attention to or change government policy

news media

newspapers, TV, radio, shapes public opinion, sets political agenda, acts as a watchdog

social media

digital platforms allowing politicians to communicate directly with citizens in real time, by passing traditional media filters

mass media

tv, radio, newspaper, magazines, the internet, and other communication methods that reach large, widespread audience simultaneously

media consolidation

trend of fewer individuals/corporations controlling increasing shares of mass media, results in large conglomerates, reduces media diversity, prioritizes profit over perspective

broadcast media

tv, radio, cable that transmits audio/video content to general public

narrowcast media

aimes at specific, niche audiences rather than general public, featuring tailored, ideological content, contributing to polarization

investigative journalism

reporting used to unearth scandals, scans, schemes, often revealing hidden misconduct in government and business

bandwagon effect

voters, influenced by media coverage or public opinion polls, shift support to candidates who is perceived to be in the lead

horse race jounalism

election coverage that focuses on polling data, public perception, and who is winning rather than candidate policy. platforms, or substantive issues

confirmation bias

tendency to seek/interpret/recall info that confirms pre existing beliefs while ignoring/discounting contradictory evidence

partisan bias

systemic prejudice/favoritism towards political party, where individuals/media outlets/political processes favor one party’s platform, candidates, and ideology over others

federal communications commission

oversees interstate and international communication by radio, tv, wire, satellite, and cable to ensure media decency andmanage communication tech standards

freedom of information act

allows individuals t request access to records from federal agencies, promoting government transparency and accountability

baker v carr

set the precedent that legislative apportionment was a judicial question and not just a political question, and malapportionment violates the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment

shaw v reno

gerrymandering solely based on race, even if its purpose is to help minority voters gain seats, is unconstitutional and violates the equal protection act of the 14th amendment