ap gov unit 5 vocab quiz

twenty-sixth amendment

1971- citizens 18 years old or older will not be denied the right to vote by the states or the US on account of age.

twenty-fourth amendment

1964- citizens will not be denied the right to vote by the states or the US by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.

voter turnout

the number of voters who actually cast votes as a percentage of the voting-age population (everyone 18 or older)

political efficacy

sense that their vote makes a difference

rational choice voting

a voter who has examined an issue or candidate, evaluated campaign promises or platform points, and consciously decided to vote in the way that seems to most benefit the voter is following this model

retrospective voting

citizens who apply this model look backward to consider candidates’ track records

prospective voting

citizens anticipate the future

party-line voting

citizens who affiliate with a political party or hold a strong party loyalty will likely vote with that party at most opportunities

linkage institutions

channels that connect people with the government

political party

an organization that seeks political power by electing people to office so that its positions and philosophy become public policy

split ticket voting

voting for candidates of different parties on the same ballot

party platform

a written list of beliefs and political goals where a party expresses its primary ideology

primary election

voters decide which of the candidates within a party will represent the party in the general election

open primary

a primary election where any registered voter can vote in any party's primary

closed primary

only voters registered for the party which is holding the primary may vote

proportional representation

multiple parties compete for office, and voters cast ballots for the party they favor. after the election, those offices are filled proportionally

single member districts

an electoral district where voters choose only one representative or official to represent them, instead of multiple representatives

ideological groups

interest groups formed around a political ideology

public interest groups

geared to improve life or government for the masses

single issue groups

focused on just one topic

professional associations

typically represent white-collar professions

lobbying

applying pressure to influence government

iron triangle

the bonds among an agency, a congressional committee, and an interest group

issue network

experts and stakeholders collaborate to create specific policy on one issue

grassroots lobbying

when an interest group tries to inform, persuade, and mobilize large numbers of people

political action committee

(PACs)- formal groups formed around a similar interest- donate heavily to incumbents

winner-take-all system

the candidate who wins the plurality of the popular vote (the most, even if not the majority) in given state will ultimately receive all of that state’s electoral votes.

swing state

victories swing from one party to another in different elections

super PACs

a PAC that is allowed to give an unlimited amount of money to a candidate or political party

citizens united v. fec

the Supreme Court ruled that the limit on how much a donor can contribute over a two-year election cycle was unconstitutional, allowed unlimited spending- debates over free speech and competitive and fair elections have increased since

free press

an uninhibited institution that places an additional check on

government to maintain honesty, ethics, and transparency- first amendment

horse race journalism

news coverage where elections are reported as if the most important aspect is which candidate is in the lead

gatekeeper

news media outlets setting their own news agenda by determining what is newsworthy and therefore deciding what information the public will receive