political science exam 2

primary election

an election in which party members vote to choose their preferred candidate who will represent the party in the general election helping narrow the field to one nominee per party

general election

the final election where voters choose among candidates from different parties or independents to fill public offices deciding who actually takes office

Presidential election years

years that occur every four years when voters select the President and Vice President of the United States alongside many congressional and state races

midterm election years

elections held halfway between presidential elections where all House seats and many Senate and state offices are contested often seen as a referendum on the sitting president

runoff elections

follow up elections held when no candidate receives a required majority ensuring that the ultimate winner has over 50 percent support from voters

ranked choice voting

a system where voters rank candidates by preference and votes are redistributed until one candidate earns a majority promoting majority consensus and reducing the need for runoffs

referendum

a direct vote by citizens to approve or reject specific laws or policies proposed by the government serving as a form of direct democracy

citizen ballot initiative

a process that allows citizens to propose legislation or constitutional amendments directly and vote on them bypassing the state legislature

convenience voting

various methods that make voting more accessible and flexible such as absentee early or mail in voting aimed at increasing turnout

absentee voting

a method allowing registered voters to mail in their ballots before Election Day usually for those who cannot vote in person due to travel or other reasons

no excuse absentee voting

a system that lets any voter request and cast an absentee ballot without having to give a specific reason making voting more accessible

all mail voting

an election system where every registered voter is mailed a ballot and voting primarily occurs through the mail rather than at polling places

early voting or advance in person voting

the opportunity for voters to cast ballots in person before Election Day to reduce wait times and increase participation

U.S. Constitution election regulation responsibility

primarily gives states the power to regulate and administer elections for federal offices within general federal guidelines

election law variation

election laws differ greatly across states because each state determines its own voting rules registration deadlines and procedures

Georgia election administration

in Georgia elections are run by individual county election boards rather than one centralized state agency

Georgia Senate election year

held in even numbered years with all members serving two year terms

Georgia House of Representatives election year

occurs in even numbered years aligning with the Georgia Senate cycle

U.S. House of Representatives election year

held every even numbered year when all 435 seats are contested

U.S. President election year

every even numbered year that falls on a four year cycle such as 2024 2028 or 2032

Major Georgia executive offices election year

positions like Governor and Lieutenant Governor are elected in even numbered midterm years

Atlanta Mayor election year

takes place in odd numbered years separate from statewide or federal elections

Atlanta City Council election year

occurs in odd numbered years alongside the mayoral race

Georgia referendums and initiatives

Georgia allows statewide referendums but not citizen initiated ballot measures meaning only the legislature can propose them

Georgia Constitution amendment ratification

constitutional amendments must be approved by a majority of voters during a general election for ratification

Georgia convenience voting ranking

ranked above average nationally for offering flexible voting options such as early voting and absentee ballots

Georgia no excuse absentee voting

yes any registered voter can request an absentee ballot without providing a reason making it more convenient

Georgia early voting length

lasts three weeks before Election Day and only a few states offer a longer period

voter turnout presidential vs midterm

voter participation is significantly higher in presidential election years due to increased media coverage and interest

voter turnout federal vs local

turnout is much higher for national level races compared to local elections which often have less visibility

African American voter turnout since 2008

has been roughly equal to or slightly higher than white voter turnout in presidential elections especially in 2008 and 2012

Hispanic voter turnout since 2008

typically lower than both white and African American voter turnout particularly during midterm elections

gender voter turnout

women consistently vote at higher rates than men across nearly all elections

income voter turnout

wealthier Americans are more likely to vote due to greater political engagement and fewer barriers to participation

age voter turnout

older Americans vote more frequently than younger ones often due to stronger political interest and habit

education voter turnout

individuals with higher education levels tend to vote more often as they are more informed and engaged

Epistocracy

a proposed government system where only politically knowledgeable citizens can vote aiming to improve decision quality

compulsory voting

a law requiring eligible citizens to vote often used in countries like Australia to boost participation

Jason Brennan argument

claims uninformed voters can harm democracy and that only informed citizens should vote to ensure rational decisions

pro voting argument

emphasizes that all citizens should vote regardless of knowledge because broad participation strengthens democracy

if you are not at the table you are on the menu

suggests that groups who do not participate politically risk having their interests ignored by policymakers

nonvoter influence evidence

research indicates that governments respond more to the preferences of regular voters than to nonvoters

rational choice model of voting

explains voting as a cost benefit calculation where people vote if perceived benefits outweigh costs

paradox of voting

suggests it is irrational to vote given low individual impact yet many still vote for civic pride or social duty

D term formula variable

represents the direct personal satisfaction or sense of duty from voting which can offset the costs of participation

rational vs resource model difference

rational model focuses on motivation and utility resource model highlights access to time money and civic skills

compulsory voting effect

strongly increases turnout rates often pushing participation above 90 percent in countries that enforce it

same day registration effect

boosts turnout by allowing citizens to register and vote on the same day reducing procedural barriers

civil disobedience

intentional and peaceful violation of laws to protest perceived injustice such as sit ins or marches

strike

organized work stoppage used by employees to pressure employers or governments for change

boycott

organized refusal to buy goods or services to protest a company or policy aiming to drive social or political change

civil disobedience examples

actions like Rosa Parks’ bus protest or MLK led marches in Birmingham

strike vs boycott difference

strikes withdraw labor while boycotts withdraw consumer spending

MLK riot is the language of the unheard

King meant that riots reveal deep systemic failures and unaddressed grievances not a healthy democracy

public opinion

the collective attitudes beliefs and preferences of citizens on political and social issues

population

the entire group whose opinions are of interest in a survey or poll

sample

a smaller group selected from the population to represent the whole in a poll

social desirability bias

when respondents answer in ways they think are socially acceptable rather than truthful

ordering effects

when the order of questions influences how people respond changing survey outcomes

double barreled questions

poorly worded questions asking about two issues at once making answers unclear

leading questions

questions framed to guide respondents toward a particular answer

representative sample

a sample that accurately mirrors the demographic and political traits of the population

demographically representative sample

a sample designed to match key population characteristics like race age and income

nonresponse bias

bias that occurs when some types of people are less likely to respond to surveys than others

margin of error

the expected range of inaccuracy in poll results usually between two and four percent

sample vs population difference

the population is everyone of interest while a sample is a small group representing them

typical sample size

most modern polls use about 1000 to 1500 respondents to achieve reliable results

nonresponse bias effect

if certain groups are underrepresented poll results can misrepresent public opinion

sample size and margin of error

larger samples lower the margin of error making results more precise

why not large samples

beyond a point larger samples are too costly and only slightly improve accuracy

bandwagon effect

when people support candidates or ideas that appear popular simply because others do

poll aggregators

organizations or websites that combine multiple polls to provide average results or trends

delegate model of representation

elected officials act strictly according to their constituents’ preferences

trustee model of representation

officials make decisions using their own judgment for what benefits the public most

political predispositions

enduring beliefs and values that shape how individuals view politics

political socialization

the lifelong process of developing political beliefs through family education and experiences

agents of political socialization

influences like family schools media and peers that shape political views

funnel of causality

model showing how background factors like family and education shape political choices over time

rational ignorance

the idea that people remain uninformed about politics because learning more has little personal payoff

heuristics

mental shortcuts that help people make political judgments with limited information

political predispositions vs socialization

socialization forms predispositions which then guide political opinions

most influential agent of socialization

family is typically the strongest influence on children’s early political beliefs

rational ignorance reason

most Americans have little incentive to learn deeply about politics since one vote rarely changes outcomes

heuristics effect

allow less informed people to still make reasonable political choices using cues like party or endorsements

economy influence on opinion

good economic conditions raise approval of government while recessions lower trust and satisfaction

media

all forms of communication that distribute news and information to the public

information revolution

the digital era’s transformation of information access through the internet and new technologies

traditional media

older outlets like newspapers TV and radio that deliver news in a one way format

social media

online platforms enabling users to share and discuss information instantly with others

unmediated communication

direct interaction between public figures and citizens without journalists filtering the message

freedom of the press

the constitutional right to publish information and opinions without government interference

watchdog role of the press

the media’s responsibility to monitor government and expose wrongdoing

marketplace of ideas

the democratic concept that open debate allows truth to emerge from competing viewpoints

upside of unmediated communication

provides leaders a direct link to audiences without media distortion

downside of unmediated communication

increases spread of misinformation and weakens accountability

freedom of press protections

secured by the First Amendment federally and Article I Section I of the Georgia Constitution

origin of press

derived from Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press which revolutionized information sharing

two vital media functions

informing citizens and serving as a watchdog over power

third democratic function of social media

promotes public participation and mobilization for civic causes

informational model of journalism

focuses on delivering objective fact based reporting