AP Gov Unit 2

Political Parties

a group of citizens united by ideology and seeking control of government in order to advance their ideas and policies​

Party organization

Political organization that creates a party platform, recruits candidates, fundraises, makes a media strategy, educates & mobilizes voters to support a candidate. (DNC, RNC)

Party in government

All people from the party who have been elected ​- Responsible for proposing, debating, voting on, and signing legislation that meets the party's platform goals

Party in electorate

All the people who identify with the party - responsible for voter support and turnout. Can donate to candidate campaigns. ​

Closed primary

a primary election limited to registered members of a political party; for example, in a state with closed primaries, only registered Democrats can vote in the Democratic primary to choose candidates for local, state, and national office

Open primary

a primary election that is not limited to registered party members. For example, in a state with open primaries, independent voters or Republicans can vote in the Democratic primary to choose candidates for local, state, and national office

Incumbency Advantage

the tendency of incumbents (officials already holding a political office) to win reelection; incumbents have advantages in media exposure, fundraising, and staff

Caucus

" a meeting in a voting precinct at which party members choose nominees for political office after hours of speeches and debates; caucuses tend to promote the views of dedicated party members since participating requires a large time commitment"

Nominating convention

when you vote in a primary, you elect delegates (kinda like the electoral college!) who will vote for a primary candidate - this is the formal gathering to choose the candidate ​

Party platform

list of policy positions the party endorses and pledges its elected officials to enact ​

Party activists

the party faithful, rank-and-file members who carry out electioneering efforts ​

Soft money

Campaign finance law loophole allows parties to collect unlimited donations from donors ​

Political gridlock

when government comes to a stalemate because people (often parties) won't change their positions to compromise​ - Can also happen within the party - e.g. Manchin and Sinema

Hyperpartisanship

putting party above everything, even your morals or ideals

Party discipline

Getting everyone in your party to vote the same way on the issues ​

Salience

The degree to which the general public is aware of a policy issue. Policymakers are less likely to accommodate the demands of interest groups on issues with high salience, like gun rights or abortion rights, as they risk alienating voters.

Linkage Institutions

Groups that connect citizens to the government and facilitate turning popular concerns into issues on the government's policy agenda.

Benchmark Polls

type of poll used by campaigns before a candidate declares their candidacy

Tracking Poll

type of poll used over a time period to measure issues or support for a candidate

Push Polling

providing negative information about an opponent and then taking a poll

Entrance and Exit polls

type of poll outside of polling places on election day, provides a way to predict election results

Random sampling

sampling strategy where the public has the same chance of being selected

Social desireability bias

tendency of respondents to tell pollsters what they think the pollsters want to hear, rather than what they actually believe ​

Non-response bias

Tendency of individuals to refuse to participate in public opinion data gathering

Stratified sampling

Sampling strategy used to ensure that different demographics are represented, used to highligh differences among groups

Representative sampling

Sampling strategy used to accurately represent the characteristics of a larger population

Polarization

the divergence of political attitudes away from the centre, towards ideological extremes

Mass Media

diverse array of media technologies that reach a large audience via mass communication. Radio --> TV --> Social Media

Print Media

industry that is concerned with disseminating news journalism through newspaper and magazine.

Narrowcasting

the transmission of television programs, especially by cable, to a comparatively localized or specialist audience.

Gatekeepers

The media's role in setting the political agenda by drawing public and government attention to certain issues.

Commercial Bias

media tends to focus on what will increase revenue and a greater audience ​

Spin

taking a story and "spinning" it to reflect positively or negatively depending on your stance

Agenda Setting

The way the media influences what issues the public considers important enough to address through the government.

Framing

The way the media defines and portrays an issue, which affects public perception of that issue.

Pundits

Political commentators

Horse Race Journalism

Journalism that focuses on -who is winning or ahead in the polls rather than on candidates' policy agenda or debates.

Optics

the way a situation, person, or event is presented by the media and perceived by the public ​

Sound Bite

a brief, snappy excerpt from a speech that is easy to repeat on the news

Trial Balloon

Public relations technique where the press team purposefully leaks information to the media to observe how the public reacts

Political accountability

The idea that political leaders must answer to the public for their actions, media facilitates this ​

Citizen journalism

The collection, dissemination, and analysis of news and information by the general public, especially by means of the internet.

Pluralism

Occurs when interest groups are vying for power and influence in government

Iron Triangles

A longstanding, mutually-beneficial relationship between an interest group, congressional committee, and bureaucratic agency devoted to similar issues. For example, the American Association of Retired Persons, the Congressional Subcommittee on Aging, and the Social Security Administration all work closely on issues related to seniors.

Issue Networks

A group of individuals, public officials, and interest groups that form around a particular issue, usually a proposed public policy that they wish to support or defeat.

Hyperpluralism

when a large number of different groups or factions become so politically influential, the government is unable to function properly

Free Rider

A problem of group behavior that occurs when an individual can receive a public benefit without making a personal contribution of money or effort. For example, a person might listen to public radio but never contribute to the station, assuming that other donors will pay to keep it operating.

Lobbying

Seeking to influence a public official on an issue; an interest group with a particular agenda may be known as its "lobby," for example "the tobacco lobby."

Intergovernmental interest groups

SIGs created due to federalism that allows state and local governments to receive federal funding ​- Examples are the National Governors Association or the US Conference of Mayors​

Professional associations

SIGs that typically represent white-collar professions​. E.g. AMA (American Medical Association) and ABA (American Bar Association)​- Most have defined membership and fees, and offer incentives to encourage people to join ​

Corporate interest groups

SIGs that represent businesses and large corporations

Single issue groups

A SIG devoted to one particular issue rather than a larger category of interests; for example, EMILY's List supports pro-choice female candidates, and the National Rifle Association (NRA) opposes gun regulations.

Ideological groups

SIGs formed around a particular political ideology ​ ex - ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union), NOW (National Organization for Women), NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) ​

Revolving door

While officials in the executive branch, Congress and senior congressional staffers spin in and out of the private and public sectors, so too does privilege, power, access and, of course, money.

Electorate

the body of persons entitled to vote in an election

Suffrage

The right to vote

15th Amendment

Extended suffrage to African American men.

19th Amendment

Extended suffrage to women.

26th Amendment

Extended suffrage to people aged 18-20 years old by lowering the voting age from 21 to 18.

17th Amendment

Established the popular election of US senators.

23rd Amendment

permitted citizens of Washington, D.C., the right to choose electors in presidential elections.

24th Amendment

Declared poll taxes void in federal elections.

Civil Rights Act (1957)

Legislation that established the US Office of civil rights to address discrimination in voter registrations​

Civil Rights Act (1964)

Legislation that required equal application of voter registration rules​

Voting Rights Act (1965)

Legislation designed to help end formal and informal barriers to African American suffrage.

National Voter Registration Act (1993)

Also called the "Motor Voter Act." Makes it easier for voters to register to vote by requiring states to allow citizens to register when applying for or renewing their driver's license.

Voter Apathy

Voters feel like their vote doesn't count, they have no interest, motivation, or desire to participate in the process​

Voter Alienation

Voters feel like they should vote but do not, because they feel underrepresented and think their vote is insignificant - they don't see themselves in those running for office ​

Absentee Ballots

a ballot completed and typically mailed in advance of an election by a voter who is unable to be present at the polls.

Mail In Voting

The system that WA state has - where ballots can be dropped in a local drop box prior to the election

Early Voting

many states allow people to vote in person days in advance of the election and offer varying hours to accommodate work schedules

Ballot Fatigue

When the electorate gets worn out, feeling like there are too many elections, too much information, not enough time​

Voting Models

Different ways to predict voter behavior at the polls

Voting Heuristics

Mental shortcuts for voters - most commonly, "which candidate would I rather have a beer with?"

Rational Choice Voting

Voting based on what is perceived to be in the citizen's individual interest.

Party Line Voting

Supporting a party by voting for candidates from one political party for all public offices at the same level of government.

Retrospective Voting

Occurs when a voter looks back at the candidate's track record, including their previous role in government or another role. "Am I better off than I was four years ago?"

Prospective Voting

Voting based on predictions of how a party or candidate will perform in the future.

Political Efficacy

A citizen's belief that their vote matters and can influence government policies.

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

"Created in 1974 with the mission to protect the integrity of the federal campaign finance process by providing transparency and fairly enforcing and administering federal campaign finance laws.

Hard Money

Money spent by candidate committees​ - regulated by FEC

Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA)

legislation adopted in the United States in 1971 to regulate the raising and spending of money in U.S. federal elections. It imposed restrictions on the amounts of monetary or other contributions that could lawfully be made to federal candidates and parties, and it mandated disclosure of contributions and expenditures in campaigns for federal office.

Political Action Committees (PACs)

An organization, usually representing an interest group or corporation, that raises money with the goal of supporting or defeating candidates, parties, or legislation. There are limits to the amount of money a PAC can donate to a candidate or party in each election.

Stand by Your Ad provision

A provision of the Bipartisan Campaign Act of 2002 which requires ads used to support or oppose a candidate to include this line: "I'm [candidate's name] and I approve this message."

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)

Also known as the McCain-Feingold Act. Banned soft money and reduced attack ads.

Dark Money

funds from groups that do not disclose their donors. Loophole after the citizens united case.

Super PACs

Also called an "independent expenditure-only committee," a super PAC may raise unlimited funds in support of a candidate or party as long as they do not coordinate in any way with the candidate or party.

Soft Money

Money spent in support of a candidate without directly donating to their campaign, such as paying for ads or campaign events, or giving to the candidate's party.

Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission

A Supreme Court case which ruled that political spending by corporations, associations, and labor unions is a form of protected speech under the First Amendment.