AP Gov Unit 4 & 5

15th Amendment

guaranteed that the right to vote could not be denied based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude

17th Amendment

provided for the direct election of U.S. senators by popular vote

19th Amendment

granted women the right to vote

24th Amendment

prohibited the imposition of poll taxes in federal elections

26th Amendment

lowered the voting age from 21 to 18

Rational-choice voting

when voters analyze each candidate and choose the one that aligns most with their own ideals

Retrospective voting

when voters base their decisions on the past performance of a candidate or party

Prospective voting

when voters make their decisions based on their expectations of how candidates will perform in the election

Party-line voting

voting based solely on party affiliation

Structural barriers to voting

includes voter ID laws, felony disenfranchisement, and polling location availability

Political efficacy

citizens' trust in their ability to influence government and political affairs

Candidate-centered campaigns

electoral campaigns focusing on individual candidates rather than political parties

Caucuses

local gatherings of party members to discuss and vote on candidates

Electoral College

system used to elect the President, where citizens vote for electors

Super PACs

political action committees that can raise unlimited funds for campaign advertising

Horserace journalism

election coverage that focuses on polling data and public perception rather than candidate policies

General election

nationwide voting event to select public officials

Winner take all

system where the candidate with the most votes in a state wins all electoral votes

Swing states

states where both major parties have similar support among voters

Interest groups

organizations that aim to influence legislation for the benefit of their members

BCRA

bipartisan campaign reform act, which regulates the financing of political campaigns

PACs

political committees organized to raise and spend money to elect candidates.

Factors Influencing Voter Choice

1. party affiliation

2. candidate’s image

3. issues and policies

4. demographic factors

Demographics of most likely voters

older age, women, educated, high income

Political Parties

organizations that seek to gain or retain control of the government through winning elections

Functions of political parties

recruiting candidates, educating electorate about campaign issues, helping candidates win elections, and simplifying choice for voters

Regional realignments

occur when voting patterns shift significantly in a demographic or geographic area, often leading to a change in party dominance

Campaign finance law

the body of laws and regulations that govern how money is raised and spent in political campaign and elections

Structural barriers for Third Parties

winner take all electoral system, single member districts, ballot access laws

Informal barriers for 3rd Parties

voter perception, lack of funding and media coverage

Rise of the primary system

citizens have more power to choose their party's candidates

Social media & voter management data

new ways of reaching out to voters, specifically through social media ads

Functions of Interest Groups

1. educate voters and officeholders (lobby, and provide expert information to lawmakers)

2. draft legislation

3. mobilize membership

4. lobby Congress/iron triangles

Interest Group Influence is Impacted by

1. inequality of political and economic resources

2. unequal access to decision-makers

3. free rider issue

Primary system:

method by which political parties select their candidates for general elections through statewide voting

Open Primary:

a primary election where voters can choose to vote in any party's primary, regardless of their own party affiliation

Closed Primary

a primary election where only registered members of a political party can vote in that party’s primary

Party conventions

large meetings held by political parties, usually at the national level, where delegates officially nominate their party’s candidate for president and set the party platform.

Incumbent advantages:

1. greater name recognition

2. easier access to campaign finance

3. established political networks

4. ability to use their position to gain media attention.

Purpose of the electoral college

its purpose is to balance the influence of smaller and larger states in the presidential election process

Congressional Elections

1. regular and staggered scheduling

2. district-based representation

3. influence of incumbency and campaign financing

Modern political campaigns

1. strong use of media

2. focus on fundraising

3. professional campaign staff

4. data driven strategies

Citizens united vs FEC

a case in which the Court held that corporate funding of independent political broadcasts in elections cannot be limited under the First Amendment

Changes in news media

the shift from traditional print, to radio, to televised news, blogs, and now social media

Gatekeeper

the media’s role in deciding which news stories are important enough to be covered and brought to public attention

Watchdog

the media’s function of monitoring government and public officials for corruption, mistakes, or wrongdoing and informing the public

increased media choices

the availability of a wide variety of news sources, from television to websites

Uncertainty over credibility of news sources

the difficulty in determining which news outlets are trustworthy, with the spread of misinformation and biased reporting

Consumer driven media outlets

a form of media where the audience plays a significant role in shaping content, influencing what is produced and how it is delivered

Ideologically oriented programming

news programs that cater to audiences with a particular ideological perspective