Unit 5: Political Participation

Political participation

Different ways individuals take action to shape laws/policies of a gov’t

Political Action Committes (PACs)

Donate limited amount of money to candidates campaign

Monitored by FEC

No limits on support just not directly linked to candidate = Independent Expenditures

Federal Election Campaign Act

Law to limit on PACs and individual donations to political candidates

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act / McCain-Feingold

Money donated to parties / closed soft money loophole

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)

Non profit org (citizens United) wanted to air anti-Hillary doc before Democratic Party primaries in 2008 → against BCRA

Limit on this goes against 1st amendment

Precedent → creation of PACs

Linkage institutions

Channels that connect ppl with government

Social movement

Join of ppl seeking social/political change with goal of placing issues on policy agenda

Suffrage (franchise)

Right to vote

5/17 amendments since B.O.R expanded franchise

15th amendment

Extend right to vote for all men, no matter race

17th amendment

Allowed direct election of senators

19th amendment

Extends right for women to vote

24th amendment

Prohibit congress + states imposing poll taxes as condition to vote in federal elections

Poll tax

Payment required by state or federal government before voting

26th amendment

18yrs and above to vote

Voter turnout

Number of eligible voters who participate in elections as a % of total # of eligible voters

Demographic characteristics - reasons to vote/not

Measurable characteristics of a population, such as Econ status, education, age, race/ethnicity, and gender

Socioeconomic status (SES) - likely to vote

Measure of a persons wealth, income, occupation, and educational attainment

Higher levels of SES = more to vote

Political efficacy

Persons belief that they can make effective political change

Lower = less ppl feel to make difference → no participation

Political mobilization

Efforts by political parties to make members vote

GOTV

“Get out the vote”

Ppl vote party they affiliate with the most

Registration requirements

Rules govern who can vote & how, when, and where

Prof of residency or state ID (except homeless, college student, minorities)

Absentee ballot

Voting completed and submitted by voter day before election without going to polls

Origin of voting requirements

Framers made block to make sure system is not too democratic

Americans vote for positions in local, state, and federal

Rational choice voting

Vite based on belief of their best interest

Retrospective voting

Vite based on assessment of incumbents past performance

Prospective voting

Vote for candidate that promises to enact policies favored to future voter

Party line voting

Vote for candidates that belong to their favored party

President requirements

Born US, 35yrs, reside in US for 14yrs

1. Nomination campaign

2. General campaign

Nomination process

Open = eligible voters participate no matter party

Closed = only registered with party can vote

Caucus = party members discuss candidate + issues to pick delegates

Electoral college

Vote for state electors

P needs 270 outs of 530 to win

Battleground state

State polls contest between parties in P election

Swing state

Sate with elections swing between both parties

Agenda setting

Media ability to highlight certain issues and bring them attention to the public

Media in policy is

News media

Social media

Mass media

Wire Service by Associated Press

Organization that gathers/reports new + sells to other outlets

Investigative Journalism

Approach of news gathering reporters use to dig stories, often for wrongdoing

Muckrakers

Dug up mud, expose wrongdoing, the government/public responded

Federal Communications (FCC)

Regulate communications via radio, cable, TV, etc

Media consolidation

Concentration of ownership of media into less ownership in corporations

Outlets use infotainment to reach audience

Increase views but decrease in trust in government

Telecommunication Act of 1996

Reduce regulation but increase competition

Less control over corporations

Horse race journalism

Focus on the drama on who’s winning

Watchdog journalism

Expose wrongdoing/corruption by policymakers & government

Social media divide politics

1. Help ppl connect to sources + be informed

2. Divide into partisan lines

3. Disproportionate to inform ppl

4. Increase of distrust in media

5. Help spread false news

Interest groups

People volunteering coming together with a goal to enact policies favored

Interest groups in democracy

Exercise right to create faction (James Madison Fed No 10)

Reduce factions by allowing competition

Collective action

Political action when person contributes time, money, and energy into a large group goal

Collective good (public good)

Public benefit poll enjoy/use even tho not part of helping to achieve it

Selective benefit

Only to those in group

Travel, high wages, etc

Categories of groups

Economic - speak on behalf of financial interest

Public - action behalf of collective interest

Single issue - focus one area of public policy (mostly moral issues)

Government - organization on behalf of local, state, or federal governments

Lobbying of interest groups

Interact with government officials to enact public policy agenda

Legislative = influencing legislation

Executive = how laws are implemented

Judicial = how laws are interpret

L provides knowledge/access to ppl in government

Revolving door

Movement of poll between positions of government and lobbying

Influence judiciary

File lawsuits

Not party to case, file amicus cruise briefs

Try persuade court to agree with argument in brief (influence Judical appointments)

Iron triangle

Beneficial action of bureaucracy, congress, and interest groups to achieve shared policy goals

Issue network

Web of influences between interest groups, policymakers, + political advocates

Grassroots lobbying

Interest groups members pressure their representative by email, socials, etc

Direct lobbying

Interest group lobbyist meet directly with policymakers

Influence elections

Creation of PACs

Form super PACs to run ads independent from ppl/campaigns