ACC Government class 2305 Exam 2

Mass media

The means employed in mass communication, often divided into print media and broadcast media

Newsworthiness

The degree to which a news story is important enough to be covered in the mass media

Federal Communications Commission FCC

An independent federal agency that regulates interstate and international communication by radio, television, telephone, telegraph, cable, and satellite

Equal opportunities rule

The FCC requires any broadcast station that gives or sells time to a candidate for public office to make an equal amount of time available under the same conditions to all other candidates for that office

Reasonable access rule

An FCC rule that requires broadcast stations to make their facilities available for the expression of conflicting views or issues by all responsible elements in the community

Watchdog journalism

Journalism that scrutinizes public and business institutions and publicizes perceived misconduct

Public Opinion

How people think or feel about particular things

Political socialization

Complex process by which people get their sense of political identity, beliefs, and values (family, school, media, religion, national events-all help to socialize)

Socioeconomic status

A person's position in society as determined by income, wealth, occupation, education, place of residence, and other factors

Self-interest principle

the implication that people choose what benefits them personally

Political participation

All the activities used by citizens to influence the selection of political leaders or the policies they pursue

Conventional participation

relatively routine political behavior that uses institutional channels and is acceptable to the dominant culture

Unconventional participation

Relatively uncommon political behavior that challenges or defies established institutions and dominant norms.

Terrorism

Acts of violence designed to promote a specific ideology or agenda by creating panic among an enemy population

Direct action

Unconventional participation that involves assembling crowds to confront businesses and local governments to demand a hearing

Supportive behavior

action that expresses allegiance to government and country

Influencing behavior

behavior that seeks to modify or reverse government policy to serve political interests

Class-action suit

a case brought by someone to help him or her and all others who are similarly situated

Voter turnout

The number of eligible voters who actually vote in an election.

Suffrage

THE RIGHT TO VOTE

Direct primary

A primary where voters directly select the candidates who will run for office

Recall

A procedure for submitting to popular vote the removal of officials from office before the end of their term.

Referendum

An election on a policy issue

Initiative

A procedure by which voters can propose a law or a constitutional amendment.

Standard socioeconomic model

a relationship between socioeconomic status and conventional political involvement: people with higher status and more education are more likely to participate than those with lower status

Political party

An organization that sponsors candidates for political offive under the organization's name

Nomination

Designation as an official candidate of a political party.

Political system

A set of interrelated institutions that link people with government

Critical election

An election that produces a sharp change in the existing pattern of party loyalties among groups of voters

Electoral realignment

The change in voting patterns that occurs after a critical election

Electoral dealignment

a lessening of the importance of party loyalties in voting decisions

Two-party system

A political system dominated by two major parties

Majority representation

the system by which one office, contested by two or more candidates, is won by the single candidate who collects the most votes

Proportional representation

An election system in which each party running receives the proportion of legislative seats corresponding to its proportion of the vote.

Party identification

A voter's sense of psychological attachment to a party

Party platform

A political party's statement of its goals and policies for the next four years

National convention

A national meeting of delegates elected in primaries, caucuses, or state conventions who assemble once every four years to nominate candidates for president and vice president, ratify the party platform, elect officers, and adopt rules.

National committee

Delegates who run party affairs between national conventions

Party conferences

a meeting to select party leaders and decide committee assignments, held at the beginning of a session of Congress by Republicans or Democrats in each chamber

Congressional campaign committee

an organization maintained by a political party to raise funds to support its own candidates in congressional elections

Party machine

a centralized party organization that dominates local politics by controlling elections

Responsible party government

a set of principles formalizing the ideal role of parties in a majoritarian democracy

Interest group

An organization of people sharing a common interest or goal that seeks to influence the making of public policy

Lobbyists

people who represent interest groups

Agenda building

the process by which new issues are brought into the political limelight

Program monitoring

keeping track of government programs; usually done by interest groups.

Free-rider problem

The problem faced by unions and other groups when people do not join because they can benefit from the group's activities without officially joining.

Trade associations

organizations offering technical and general assistance to entrepreneurs in a specific profession or industry

Political action committee

committee formed by a special-interest group to raise money for their favorite political candidates

Direct lobbying

Attempts to influence a legislator's vote through personal contact with the legislator

Grassroots lobbying

Efforts by groups and associations to influence elected officials indirectly, by arousing their constituents.

Information campaigns

An organized effort to gain public backing by bringing a group's views to public attention.

Coalition building

The banding together of several interest groups for the purpose of lobbying.

Citizen group

Lobbying organization built around policy concerns unrelated to members' vocational interests.