Unit 4: Political Participation Review

Flashcards on political participation, socialization, public opinion, parties, interest groups, and the media.

What are the major political parties in the United States?

Democrats and Republicans

What is a liberal ideology?

Push for new reforms and change in order to promote social progress seeking a more just and equitable society with a larger role of government to pursue justice and equality for all, more regulation of business and social welfare programs, and less regulation of private social conduct

What is a conservative ideology?

Cherish established institutions and seek to preserve them for the good of society and stability with skepticism towards rapid change, smaller (Limited) role of government, personal opportunity/responsibility and free market competition, emphasis on maintaining traditional family/societal values on social issues

Example of a liberal government policy?

Believe in government action to achieve equal opportunity and equality for all. It is the duty of the government to alleviate social ills and to protect civil liberties and individual and human rights, Believe the role of the government should be to guarantee that no one is in need. Liberal policies generally emphasize the need for the government to solve problems.

Example of a conservative government policy?

Believe in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional American values and a strong national defense. Believe the role of government should be to provide people the freedom necessary to pursue their own goals. Conservative policies generally emphasize empowerment of the individual to solve problems.

What is the most significant agent of political socialization?

Family (traditionally the #1 agent of socialization)

What is an opinion poll?

Polls that gather information about individuals attitudes and views on various issues, providing insight into the political landscape and the public’s opinions on specific topics.

What is a benchmark poll?

Polls taken at the beginning of a candidate’s run and gives the campaign a benchmark against which they can compare future polls to see how the candidate is faring.

Tracking poll

Opinion poll is conducted regularly to measure public opinion on various issues over time. These polls have become a standard tool for shaping public opinion and influencing policy decisions in the United States.

Entrance/Exit poll

Conducted at voting sites and ask people how they voted (or are about to vote)

Margin of error

A statsistc expressing the ammount of random sampling error in a survery’s results. It indicates the range within which the true value for the population is likely to fall

Most common form of political participation

Voting

Examples of political participation

Writing an email to a state representative, attending a city council meeting, Donating

What is the purpose of Voter ID Laws?

Must present a valid form of ID, such as drivers license, passport, etc. Feels it takes a way from people who don't have an ID

15th amendment

Cannot deny voting rights based on race, color, or previous servitude

17th amendment

Establish direct election of U.S. Senators by the people

19th amendment

Women granted the right to vote

23rd amendment

Grants D.C. residents electoral votes for president

24th amendment

Bans poll taxes in federal elections

26th amendment

Lowers voting age from 21 to 18

Rational choice voting model

Person votes based on their individual self-interest, carefully studies the issue and platforms

Retrospective voting model

Person votes based on recent past track record of the politician in question

Prospect voting model

Person votes based on predictions of how a party or candidate will perform in the future

Party line voting model

Person votes candidates or parties based solely on their affiliation with a particular political party.

States efforts to increase voter turnout

Providing free IDs for voting purposes, Same day registration

Voter turnout rates by age groups

Ages 65 and older tend to have a higher voter turnout

Party platform

Inform voters what the party and candidates will do if they are elected and the direction they would like to take the country.

Critical/realigning election

An election in which there is a significant shift in the bases of electoral support from one political party to another.

Open primary

Anyone can vote in that party’s primary

Closed primary

Only registered members of a party can vote in that party’s primary

Primary election

State by state mini-elections to determine the party’s nominee for president, Narrowing down options

General election

Candidates are electing into offices

Electoral College System

Each state and D.C. is represented by a number of electors equal to the size of its congressional delegation. There are 538 electors in total. To win the Electoral College, a candidate must receive a majority—at least 270—electoral votes.

Hard money

Money can be donated directly to candidates in limited quantities

Soft money

Unrestricted in their fundraising and spending as long as they do not coordinate or donate directly to a candidate or their campaign.

Interest groups

A group of people who gather around a policy issue in order to persuade policy makers to pass legislation favorable to the group

Iron Triangle

The relationship between interest groups, bureaucracy, and congress.

Free rider problem

Occurs when individuals benefit from a public good or collective action without personally contributing to it, which can lead to underfunding or lack of participation

Lobbying

Holding meetings with or apply pressure to policy makers to try to influence them to pass legislation in their favor.

Gatekeeping

Media executives and news editors can decide which events to present and how to present them