UNIT 3- AP GOV

15th Amendment

right to vote regardless of race

17th Amendment

direct election of U.S. Senators (rather than state legislatures picking the Senators)

19th Amendment

women’s suffrage/right to vote

24th Amendment

eliminated the poll tax

26th Amendment

right to vote at age 18 and older

agenda setting

determining which public-policy questions will be debated or considered

caucus

a meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates for public office and to decide the platform

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

A case challenging the Federal Election Commission's ruling that the documentary film entitled Hilary produced by a non profit corporation and funded by for-profit corporations constituted a violation of the ban on corporate contributions to federal campaigns. The Supreme Court ruled that corporate funding of independent political ads in candidate elections cannot be limited under the first amendment as long as they do not coordinate with campaigns. (Super PACs)

closed primary

a primary in which only registered members of a particular political party can vote

confirmation bias

the tendency of people to favor information that confirms or strengthens their beliefs or values and is difficult to dislodge once affirmed

Congressional District Method

a State's electoral votes can be split among two or more candidates, just as a state's congressional delegation can be split among multiple political parties

Nebraska and Maine are the only states using the District Method of distributing electoral votes

constituent

any of the voters who elect a person to represent them

consumer-driven media

media whose content is influenced by the actions and needs of consumers (ex. a TV station airing conservative stories because their viewers are conservative)

disinformation (fake news)

knowingly false information which is intended to mislead

divided government

governance divided between the parties, especially when one holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of Congress

electioneering

direct group involvement in the electoral process

groups can help fund campaigns, provide testimony, work for candidates, and form Political Action Committees

Electoral College

a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president (270 electors needed to win the presidency)

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

a six-member bipartisan agency created by the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974

the federal Election Commission administers and enforces campaign finance laws

gatekeeper

the media can influence what subjects become national political issues and for how long

general election

an election held (in November) to choose which candidate will hold office

gerrymandering

process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power

horserace journalism

media focuses on who's ahead and by how much instead of a debate on substantive issues

incumbency advantage

the electoral edge afforded to those already in office (name recognition, funding, voting record, etcetera)

incumbent

current holder of an office or position

investigative journalism

a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, such as serious crimes, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing

linkage institution

an institution that links the people to the government (mass media, political parties, interest groups)

mass media

television, radio, newspapers, magazines, the Internet, and other means of popular communication

midterm election

election held in the middle of a president's term for the full U.S. House of Representatives, 1/3 of the U.S. Senators, and state offices

National Popular Vote

abolishment of the Electoral College

each vote counts toward the candidate with the person with the most votes winning the election

National Voter Registration Act

1993, "Motor Voter Act," made it easier for all Americans to register to vote and to maintain their registration when getting/renewing their driver's license

open primary

a primary election in which voters may choose in which party to vote as they enter the polling place

partisan gridlock

the result of political parties refusing to compromise causing a stalemate in Congress

party-line voting

process in which voters select candidates by their party affiliation

policy agenda

the issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other people actively involved in politics at the time

Political Action Committee (PAC)

a committee set up by a corporation, labor union, or interest group that raises and spends campaign money from voluntary donations (limited by the FEC)

political efficacy

the belief that one's political participation really matters - that one's vote can actually make a difference

political participation

the many different ways that people take part in politics and government (vote, lobby, protest, petition, run for office, write, etc.)

rational-choice voting

assumes that political actors will make decisions based on their own benefit, carefully weighing all choices

reapportionment

the process of reassigning representation based on population, after every census

redistricting

the redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the census, to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population

retrospective voting

voting based on the past performance of a candidate ("What have you done for me?")

split-ticket voting

casting votes for candidates of one's own party and for candidates of opposing parties, e.g., voting for a Republican presidential candidate and a Democratic congressional candidate

straight-ticket voting

practice of voting for candidates of only one party in an election

Super Political Action Committee (Super PAC)

a type of independent political action committee which may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, and individuals but is not permitted to contribute to, or coordinate directly with, parties or candidates

two-party system

an electoral system with two dominant parties that compete in national elections

Voting Rights Act of 1965

eliminated the literacy test

amicus curiae brief

petition to the court intending to influence the court's decision by a party not involved in the case

direct lobbying

involves any attempt to influence legislation (new or existing) by a lobbyist communicating with a member of the legislative body or other government official who has a say in the legislation

electioneering

activities used to try to persuade people to vote for a particular political party

free-rider problem

the burden on a shared resource that is created by its use or overuse by people who aren't paying their fair share for it or aren't paying anything at all

interest group

any association of individuals or organizations, usually formally organized, that, on the basis of one or more shared concerns, attempts to influence public policy in its favor

litigation

the process of taking legal action (used effectively by interest groups like the NACCP and ACLU)

lobbying

seek to influence (a politician or public official) on an issue

political party

group of individuals with broad common interests who organize to nominate candidates for office, win elections, conduct government, and determine public policy