Unit 3 governemnt

Public opinion

shared views on a common topic for a specific group of people

Public policy

actions and choices of government in response to issues

Political socialization

process where people acquire their own political beliefs

Public agenda

set of issues widely said as important by people

Mass media

means of communication that provide information to wide audience

Propaganda

statements meant to influence public opinion or promote a cause or viewpoint

Poll

a survey of people scientifically selected to provide opinions about something

Sample

group of people who take part in a poll

Random sample

sample taken randomly out of everybody that applies

Sampling error

margin of error for a poll

Bias

error which leads the poll to lean to one side more than the other

Objectivity

freedom from bias and outside factors

Exit poll

surveys randomly selected people as they leave after they turned in their ballot

Aggregation

a group, body, or mass composed of many distinct parts of individuals

Special interest group

an association of people that hold similar thoughts

Political Action Committee (PAC)

organization created to raise and contribute money for campaigns of political candidates

Trade association

represents certain industries or parts of industries

Labor unions

groups of workers that do the same job or work in related industries

Endorse

publicly declare support

Lobbying

contacting a public official to support the group's interests

Grassroots

lowest level of organization or society

Political party

an organization that tries to elect its members to public office

Political spectrum

continuum of political beliefs from conservative to liberal

Nomination process

naming of candidates for elective offices

Electorate

body of people entitled to vote

Ideologies

the integrated assertions, theories, and aims that make up a social or political program

One party system

single party controls government

Two party system

two major parties compete to control the government

Multiparty system

multiple parties compete for control of government

Third party (minor party)

a political party in a two party system that is not one of the 2 main parties

Independent candidate

candidate not associated with any party

Independent voter

not bound by a political party

Precinct

smallest unit for administrating elections and local voting

Ward

voting district made up of several precincts

Soft money

money given to a party not a specific candidate

Hard money

money donated to an individual campaign

Write-in candidate

how a candidate can run for election without the petition process, usually an independent or person challenging the petitioned in candidate

Caucus

meeting of party members who select their candidate

Direct primary

party's candidate for office is chosen directly by voters

Closed primary

only voters registered in a party can vote who the candidate is

Open primary

any registered voter may vote for who the candidate is

Plurality

candidate has more voters than any other potential candidate

Absentee ballot

ballot submitted on or before election day by a voter who cannot be present on election day

Apathy

lack of interest or engagement in the political process

Incumbent

current holder of a political office

Factors affecting poll accuracy

The randomness, bias, and response.

Interest groups

An association of people that hold similar views and represent those views to influence public policy and the public agenda.

Types of interest groups

Agricultural, business, labor, cause-based, societal, professional, and endorsing candidates.

Cause-based groups

Groups that promote a cause instead of the interests of a segment of society, such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

How interest groups work

They work towards goals by showing support for their cause, raising funds, encouraging participation, and supplying information.

Methods used by interest groups

Lobbying, informing public opinion, and filing lawsuits.

Public good served by interest groups

Pros: support and give minority groups a voice. Cons: can impact even with a small group and may not focus on broader social needs.

Interest groups and public opinion

Public interest groups work to influence public opinion by promoting causes to sway people's opinions.

Political parties

Organizations that try to elect their members to public office so that their views can become public policy.

Beliefs of liberals

Support government action to change social, political, or economic policies that are believed to be unfair.

Beliefs of conservatives

Support limited government, lower taxes, and traditional social values.

Beliefs of moderates

Represent a happy medium between liberal and conservative views.

Barriers to 3rd parties

Lack of support or funding.

Impact of 3rd parties on US elections

They are effective at letting government know what people care for or provide an alternative for voters dissatisfied with main candidates.

Benefits of the US 2 party system

Filters out extreme ideas, provides stability, represents a wide range of people, and allows voters to rely on party 'brands'.

Weaknesses of the US 2 party system

Lack of discipline and unity, potential skewing of views by interest group donations, and focus on political gain.

Organization of political parties

Political parties are organized to gain support and uphold promises to help the community.

Democratic Party

More liberal.

Republican Party

More conservative.

Libertarian Party

Advocates for a weaker government.

Green Party

Focuses on ecological wisdom, social justice, and grassroots democracy.

Groups likely to vote Democratic

Minorities, northern residents, teachers, and people of color.

Groups likely to vote Republican

White, men, older individuals, and southern residents.

Similarity and difference between political parties and interest groups

Both aim to influence public policy, but political parties seek to elect members while interest groups focus on specific issues.

Open primaries

Elections where any registered voter can vote for either party's primary election.

Closed primaries

Elections where only people registered as party members can vote.

Caucuses

Meetings of party members to decide who wants to run for office.

Campaign organization

A campaign is organized by a lot of people with different roles.

Campaign financing

Financed through support by individuals, special interest groups, political parties, and public funds.

Candidate selection

Candidates are chosen through primaries or caucuses.

Factors influencing voting behavior

Party identification, issues, candidate's background, voters' background.

Importance of primary elections

Helps parties choose their candidates when multiple people want to run for the position.

Campaign strategy in primaries vs. general election

Candidates campaign differently to gain momentum in early primaries.

National nominating convention

Main task is to choose the party's candidates for president and vice president.

General election vs. special election

General elections are standard elections, while special elections are held to fill unexpected vacancies.

Buckley v. Valeo ruling

Supreme Court ruled that mandatory limits on campaign expenditure were unconstitutional.

Platform

Parties' stands on important issues and their general principles.

Focus group

A smaller gathering of people to give insight on certain issues, representing a larger group.

Swing states

States that can influence the outcome of an election and do not have a consistent party preference.

Stump speech

A speech a candidate makes repeatedly as they travel.

Negative campaigning

Purposefully spreading negative information to change public opinion.

Sound bite

A clip taken from a video of someone's campaign.

Demographic

The people someone is trying to influence.

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

Oversees all campaigns and enforces election laws.

Party-building activities

Spending unlimited sums of money on activities that do not support specific candidates.

Issue ads

Ads focused on specific issues such as taxes, gun control, or abortion.

Leadership PACs

Political action committees headed by the candidate.

527 group/Super PAC

Non-profit organization that can raise unlimited funds for political activities.

Stand by your AD disclaimer

Statement indicating that you got paid to create the ad.

Poll workers and watchers

Individuals who assist in the administration of elections.

Redistricting

The process of redrawing electoral district boundaries.

Gerrymandering

Manipulating district boundaries to favor one party over another.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act

Legislation aimed at regulating campaign financing.

Federal Election Campaign Act

Law that regulates campaign financing and spending.

Voting Rights Act

Legislation aimed at eliminating various forms of voting discrimination.