Chapter 13: Political Participation

Linkage Institution

channels that provide a way for individuals to communicate their preferences to policymakers, including elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media

Social movement

people who come together for a common purpose or goal of making social and political change and placing issues on the policy agenda

Suffrage/franchise

the right to vote

26th Amendment

allows those under 18 years old to vote

24th Amendment

prohibits Congress from imposing poll taxes as a condition for voting in federal elections.

Poll tax

a payment required by a state government before a citizen is allowed to vote

Rational choice voting

voting based on what a citizen perceives to be in their best interests

Retrospective voting

deciding whether a candidate should be reelected based 0on their recent past performance

Prospective voting

voting based on predictions of how a party or candidate will perform in the future

Straight ticket voting

voting for all the candidates on the ballot from party

Registration requirements

Rules requiring eligible voters to register on an official list prior to voting

• ways to get on the list vary state to state. Requirements might include how early you need to register before voting, where you get registered (e.g. DMV)

• often need ID and proof of residency

Absentee or mail-in ballot

voting completed and submitted by a voter by the day of the election without the voter going to the polls

Voter turnout

The number of eligible voters who participate in an election as a percentage of total eligible voters

Demographic characterisitics

measurable characteristics of a population, such as economic status, education, age, race, or ethnicity

Political efficacy

an individual’s belief that their participation in the political process will make a difference

Political mobilization

efforts by political parties to encourage their members to vote

Electoral college

a constitutionally required process for selecting the president through slates of electors chosen in each state

Winner-take-all-system

a system of elections in which the candidate who wins the plurality of the votes within a state receives all of that state’s votes in the electoral college

Battleground/swing states

a state where the polls show a close contest between the Republican and Democratic candidate in a presidential election

Political action committee (PAC)

an organization that raises money to elect and defeat candidates and may donate money directly to a candidate’s campaign, subject to limits

Super PAC

an organization that may spend an unlimited amount of money on a political campaign, as long as the spending is not coordinated with a campaign

Citizens United v. Federal Election Committee (2010)

Facts: Citizens United wanted to show Hillary: The Movie, a highly critical portrayal of Hillary Clinton, on a video-on-demand cable television service in the 30 days prior to a primary election

Issue: Does BCRA’s (Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act) prohibition on independent ads aired 30 days before a primary election or 60 days before a general election violate the free speech cause of the 1st Amendment?

Decision and holding: Citizens United won. BCRA’s prohibition of independent ads within certain time frames violates the free speech clause of the 1st Amendment.

Reasoning: Corporations and labor unions have free speech rights under the 1st Amendment, and BCRA’s limits on independent campaign spending are unconstitutional.