ap gov: unit 5 - political participation

civil rights act of 1964

prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in areas such as public accommodations, public education, employment, and federally funded programs

electorate

all the people in a country or area who are entitled to vote in an election

fifteenth amendment

prohibits states and the federal government from denying a citizen the right to vote based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude"

franchise

synonymous with suffrage, referring to the right to vote in political elections

grandfather clause

a voter qualification provision in Southern states between 1895 and 1910 that exempted individuals from new, restrictive voting requirements, such as literacy tests or poll taxes, if they had ancestors who could vote prior to 1866 or 1867

literacy test

a requirement for voters to demonstrate their ability to read and write, often by interpreting passages from the Constitution or state laws

nineteenth amendment

prohibits the denial or abridgement of a U.S. citizen's right to vote based on sex

party identification

an individual's psychological attachment or sense of loyalty to a political party

party-line voting model

describes the behavior of a voter who consistently supports candidates from a single political party for all offices

poll tax

a fee required to vote that was used to disenfranchise poor and minority voters

preclearance

provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that required certain jurisdictions with a history of racial discrimination in voting to obtain federal approval before changing any voting laws or procedures

prospective voting model

voters make their decisions based on a candidate's or party's pledges and predicted future performance rather than their past actions

rational-choice voting model

voters make decisions based on what they believe will be in their own individual best interest

retrospective voting model

citizens make their electoral decisions based on the past performance of an incumbent candidate or the political party in power

seventeenth amendment

establishes the direct election of U.S. Senators by popular vote, replacing the previous system where state legislatures chose senators

suffrage

the right to vote in political elections

twenty-fourth amendment

prohibits the federal and state governments from denying or abridging the right to vote for U.S. citizens in federal elections due to their failure to pay a poll tax or other tax

twenty-sixth amendment

prohibits the federal and state governments from denying or abridging the right to vote to any citizen who is 18 years of age or older based on their age

twenty-third amendment

a formal change to the Constitution that grants citizens residing in the District of Columbia (Washington D.C.) the right to vote in presidential elections by assigning them electors to the Electoral College, as if the District were a state

voting rights act of 1965

a landmark federal legislation that prohibits racial discrimination in voting, aiming to enforce the voting rights guaranteed by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments

white primary

a discriminatory practice in the Southern United States during the Jim Crow era in which African Americans were systematically denied the right to vote in Democratic Party primary elections

absentee ballot

a document that allows a citizen to vote without being physically present at their designated polling place on Election Day

australian ballot

an official, government-printed ballot that lists all candidates for all offices and is cast in secret

gender gap

measurable difference in political attitudes, voting behavior, and policy preferences between men and women

help america vote act 2002

bipartisan federal law designed to address the voting system irregularities exposed during the 2000 presidential election

midterm election

a general election held every two years, in the middle of a president's four-year term

national voter registration act 1993 (motor-voter law)

requires states to offer voter registration opportunities through three main channels to make the process more accessible

political efficacy

an individual's belief that their political participation matters and that they can influence political processes and outcomes

polling place

the physical location where citizens registered to vote in a specific precinct go to cast their ballots on Election Day

precincts

a small, specific geographical area that is used to organize voters

provisional ballot

a temporary or backup ballot cast by a voter whose eligibility is in question on Election Day

voter apathy

the lack of interest, concern, or enthusiasm among the citizenry with regard to participating in elections and other political processes

voter registration

the process by which eligible citizens must formally enroll with a local, county, or state elections office before being permitted to cast a ballot

voter turnout

the percentage of eligible citizens who cast a ballot in an election

voting-age population

all United States residents who are at least 18 years old

voting blocs

voting-eligible population

the group of U.S. citizens aged 18 and older who meet all the specific legal requirements to vote

wards

a geographic district within a city or town, used for local government administration and representation, particularly in elections for city councils

democratic national committee (DNC)

the formal governing body of the Democratic Party that manages its affairs between national conventions

democratic party

one of the two major political parties in the United States, representing a generally left-of-center or liberal platform

linkage institutions

a structure within a society that connects citizens to the government and allows for communication between the two

national chairperson

the chief strategist and spokesperson of a national political party

national convention

a quadrennial meeting of delegates from a political party to perform several official functions

platform

a formal document created by a political party that details its goals and positions on key issues

republican national committee (RNC)

the official governing body for the Republican Party that coordinates party activities, develops the party platform, and supports Republican candidates at the national level

republican party

one of the two major U.S. political parties, primarily associated with a conservative ideological platform

robocalls

automated phone calls that deliver a recorded message on behalf of a political campaign, party, or other organization

social media

digital platforms that enable users to create and share content, which functions as a modern linkage institution connecting citizens to their government

war chest

the large amount of money that an incumbent politician or political party has saved up for use in a future election

critical elections

an election that leads to a major, long-term shift in the balance of power between the political parties

democratic-republicans

one of the first political parties in the United States, formed primarily by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in opposition to the policies of the Federalist Party led by Alexander Hamilton. 

democrats

a major political party with a generally liberal ideology that supports a more powerful government to regulate business and ensure welfare and equality

divided government

a political condition in which one or more houses of the legislature are controlled by the political party that is in opposition to the executive branch

grand old party

a nickname for the Republican Party

jacksonian democracy

the political movement during the 1820s and 1830s that advocated for greater power and participation for the "common man" in American government

jeffersonians

the political philosophy and principles of the Democratic-Republican Party, founded by Thomas Jefferson in the 1790s

mcgovern-fraser commission

created to reform the Democratic Party's presidential nomination process after the turbulent 1968 Democratic National Convention. It led to significant changes that increased transparency and promoted broader representation in the selection of delegates. 

new deal coalition

the diverse group of voters and interest groups that supported the Democratic Party and President Franklin D. Roosevelt's policies during the 1930s

party dealignment

a large portion of the electorate moves away from its previous partisan loyalties without developing a new one to replace it

party realignment

a dramatic, long-lasting shift in the balance of power between the two major political parties

superdelegates

an unelected, automatic delegate to the Democratic National Convention who is not bound by the results of state primaries and caucuses

whig party

a major political party in the mid-19th century that formed primarily in opposition to President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic Party

ballot access

the rules and procedures that govern how a candidate, political party, or ballot measure can get its name printed on the official ballot

economic-protest parties

a third party that emerges during times of economic recession or hardship

ideological parties

minor political parties organized around a specific, comprehensive set of political and social beliefs

single-issue parties

a third party that campaigns and organizes around one primary policy matter

single-member districts

an electoral system in which a single representative is elected to a legislative body from a defined geographic area

splinter parties

a type of minor political party that forms when members of an existing major party break away to establish a new one

swing states

a state where the Democratic and Republican candidates have similar levels of support among voters

third parties (minor parties)

political parties other than the two dominant ones, the Democratic and Republican Parties

two-party system

a political system where two major political parties dominate the electoral landscape

winner-take-all voting

an electoral rule where the candidate who wins the most votes in a state or district wins all of the representatives or electors for that area

501(c)(3)

a tax-exempt status granted by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to non-profit organizations that are charitable, religious, educational, or serve other specified public purposes

501(c)(4)

a tax-exempt "social welfare" organization that can engage in political activity, including campaign advocacy, as long as politics are not its "primary purpose"

direct lobbying

attempts by interest groups to influence policymakers through direct, personal communication with government officials

endorsement

a public statement of support for a candidate given by a person or organization with influence or authority

free-rider

an individual who benefits from a public good or service without contributing to its provision, such as by not joining an interest group or paying dues

grassroots lobbying

an indirect lobbying technique where interest groups try to influence public policy by mobilizing ordinary citizens to take action

grasstops

a top-down advocacy strategy that targets and mobilizes influential individuals to persuade policymakers

iron triangles

the mutually beneficial relationship between three key players in a specific policy area: a bureaucratic agency, a congressional committee, and an interest group

issue networks

a loose and fluid web of relationships among various individuals and interest groups who come together to influence policy on a specific issue

lobbying

the organized activity of interest groups to influence the decisions, policies, and actions of government officials

lobbyist

a professional advocate who is paid by an interest group or organization to communicate directly with government officials to influence legislative or administrative action

pluralism

the theory that power is distributed among many different interest groups that compete for influence over government policy

bundling

the practice of combining many individual campaign contributions into one single, large donation

ideological groups

organizations that advocate for specific political, social, or moral beliefs and values

intergovernmental lobby

the lobbying efforts of state and local governments and their associations to influence the federal government

material incentives

tangible, economic benefits offered to motivate people to join and participate in an interest group

nineteenth amendment

prohibits the United States or any state from denying or restricting the right to vote based on sex, effectively granting American women the right to vote

professional associations

a type of interest group formed by individuals in a specific field, such as medicine or law, to promote their shared interests

public interest groups

an organization that advocates for issues that benefit the general public or a broad segment of society, rather than focusing solely on the private or economic interests of its members

purposive incentives

a motivation for joining an interest group based on a person's belief in the cause or moral purpose of the group

revolving door

the practice of individuals moving between government positions and jobs within the private sector

seventeenth amendment

provides for the direct, popular election of U.S. senators by the people of each state

single-issue groups

an interest group that focuses its efforts and resources on a single, narrowly defined policy area

sixteenth amendment

gives Congress the power to levy a federal income tax on individuals and corporations without having to apportion it based on each state's population

solidary incentives

the non-material, social benefits that motivate people to join and remain active in an interest group

think tanks

independent, non-profit organizations composed of policy experts who research a wide range of issues and provide data, analysis, and recommendations to influence public policy

trade associations

a type of interest group that represents businesses within a specific industry

upper-class bias

the phenomenon where the political process disproportionately favors the interests and participation of the wealthiest members of society