Unit 5 Mods 1 & 2 Test Review

Summarize Federalist Paper #10 and the issues of Factions

• Madison believed that a direct democracy would lead to the creation of factions, but an indirect democracy would protect against them

• It would be detrimental to control the causes of factions, instead you need to control the effects

• A strong central government protects liberty by protecting this

What is a political party?

An organized effort by office holders, candidates, activists, and voters to pursue their common interests by gaining and exercising power through the electoral process

What is the main difference between political parties and interest groups?

Political parties run and fund candidates, while interest groups only fund them.

How do party platforms impact voters?

Party platforms are broad policy stances that give cues to voters.

What is the main goal of a political party?

Run candidates and win elections so that they can exercise power in the policy making process.

Why do parties change over time?

Parties might modify policies and messaging to appeal to various demographic coalitions.

How do the changes, or realignment, of political parties occur?

Realignment might occur due to shifts in the voting populations, forming schisms (differences) between groups

What is Candidate-Centered Politics?

When people vote for a candidate rather than the party the candidate is a member of.

What is Dealignment?

• People moving away from parties

Why does the United States have a two-party system?

This can be attributed to the Winner-Take-All system of American elections.

• The winner is elections is simply the candidate that receives the largest amount of votes in each district/state

Why do third parties usually form?

• Third parties usually form because members of the voting block within a certain party are unhappy with the direction of the party

Why are third parties important in the political process?

1. They can pull support away from the major parties

2. They can introduce new ideas, possible policy that forces the major parties to re-evaluate their own ideals and policies

What are some barriers preventing a minor party from winning a major election?

• Major parties can take new ideas and implement them into their own party platform

• There can only be one winner (winner-take-all system)

• It is hard for them to raise money and garner media attention

What is an interest group?

An interest group is an organization of people who enter the political process to try to achieve their shared goals.

What are the four activities of interest groups? Explain each one.

• Electioneering Activities

  • Providing money for campaigns

  • Candidate recruitment / endorsements\

• Litigation

  • Using the courts to achieve goals

  • Lawsuits

  • Amicus Curiae Briefs

    • Class Action Lawsuits

      • A single suit with multiple, similar plaintiffs. Ex: Brown v. Board of Ed

• Grassroots Mobilization

  • Inspiring and organizing members to become active through emails, fundraisers, or more radical methods such as protests

• Lobbying

  • Attempting to influence government policies

What are professional associations?

Organizations that seek to further a certain profession.

• Ex. American Medical Association

What are intergovernmental interest groups?

Interest groups rooted in federalism that contain representatives from various levels of government who work together to influence policy.

What are political action committees? What do they have in common with political parties and interest groups?

• They are the political arms of interest groups

• They represent political points of view of various people who want to influence policy making

Compare and contrast interest groups and political parties.

• Parties influence government primarily through the electoral process

• Interest groups support, but don’t run, candidates

• Parties generate and support a broad spectrum of policies

• Interest groups support one or a few related policies