For Finn AP GOV, UNit 5

What is the correlation between age and political participation?

Older individuals are more likely to vote and engage in political activities than younger individuals.

How does education level affect voting likelihood?

Higher levels of education are associated with a greater likelihood of voting.

What does the Fifteenth Amendment prohibit?

It prohibits the denial of the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

What is the grandfather clause?

A provision that allowed individuals to vote only if their grandfathers had the right to vote, effectively disenfranchising African Americans.

What are literacy tests?

Assessments used to determine voter eligibility, often applied unfairly to disenfranchise minorities.

What does the Nineteenth Amendment establish?

It grants women the right to vote.

What are the greatest predictors of nonvoting behavior?

Low income, lack of education, and young age.

What is the most common way Americans participate in politics?

Voting in elections.

What was a poll tax?

A tax required to vote, often used to disenfranchise African Americans and poor people.

What does the Twenty-fourth Amendment do?

It abolished poll taxes in federal elections.

What does the Twenty-sixth Amendment state?

It lowered the voting age to 18.

What is the main reason for lower voter turnout in the U.S. compared to other democracies?

The responsibility of voter registration is placed on individuals.

What is the best predictor of someone’s likelihood to vote?

Education level.

What was the white primary?

A practice in Southern states that excluded African Americans from voting in primary elections.

What is the Motor-Voter law?

A law that allows individuals to register to vote while applying for or renewing a driver’s license.

What factors have led to a rise in candidate-centered presidential elections?

Increased media focus on individuals, diminished party influence, and the rise of primaries.

How are winners determined in most Congressional elections?

Through plurality voting systems.

What are critical elections?

Pivotal elections that signal a party realignment, where new coalitions form and a significant shift in party loyalty occurs.

What are primary elections?

Elections to determine party nominees for the general election.

What defines an open primary?

Any registered voter can participate, regardless of party affiliation.

What defines a closed primary?

Only registered party members can vote in their party's primary.

What defines a blanket primary?

Voters can choose candidates from any party on the same ballot.

What is a midterm election?

Elections held midway through a president’s term.

What is a general election?

An election where voters select officeholders.

What is a caucus?

A meeting of party members to select candidates and propose policies.

What is ticket splitting?

Voting for candidates of different parties on the same ballot.

What is the winner-take-all principle?

A system where the candidate with the most votes wins all of the electoral votes or representation.

What can interest groups provide to Congress?

Expertise, information, campaign funding, and lobbying support.

What are the major benefits of joining an interest group?

Access to information, networking, collective action, and advocacy.

What is the similarity between interest groups and political parties?

Both aim to influence public policy.

What are major differences between interest groups and political parties?

Interest groups do not nominate candidates, while political parties focus on elections.

What are super-PACs?

Political action committees that can raise and spend unlimited funds independently of campaigns.

What are 501(c) groups?

Nonprofit organizations that can engage in political activities but cannot coordinate with candidates.

What are linkage institutions?

Structures connecting citizens to the government, such as political parties, interest groups, elections, and the media.

What are minor parties?

Political parties that operate outside the two major parties and contribute by raising issues ignored by major parties.

What are the voting rights protections in the Constitution and in legislation?

The Constitution includes the Fifteenth, Nineteenth, and Twenty-sixth Amendments, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

What roles do individual choice and state laws play in voter turnout?

Individual choice affects motivation, while state laws impact access, such as voter ID laws.

How does the media serve as a linkage institution?

The media informs the public, shapes public opinion, and provides a platform for political discourse.

What is the impact of diverse media choices on political behavior?

They lead to fragmented audiences and echo chambers, influencing political behavior and institutional responses.

What is horse race journalism?

Coverage that focuses on the competition and polling rather than substantive issues.

What is the free-rider problem?

A situation where individuals benefit from group efforts without contributing, addressed by selective benefits from groups.

What is pluralist theory?

The theory that power is distributed among diverse interest groups, ensuring representation of various interests.

What are some criticisms of pluralist theory?

It overlooks inequalities in resources and power, leading to dominance by elite groups.

What are ways interest groups impact elections?

They influence through endorsements, voter mobilization, campaign contributions, and advertising.