Linkage Institutions: Political Parties, Elections, and Mass Media

Flashcards covering key concepts related to political systems, institutions, and voter behavior in the United States.

Linkage Institutions

Channels or access points through which issues and people's policy preferences get onto the government’s policy agenda.

Political Parties

Organized efforts to pursue common interests by gaining power and exercising power through the electoral process.

Conventional Participation

Traditional methods of political participation such as voting, joining a political party, campaigning, and donating money to candidates.

Unconventional Participation

Non-traditional forms of political participation such as protesting, civil disobedience, or violence.

Winner-Take-All Electoral System

An electoral system where the candidate with the most votes wins, and there are no rewards for second place.

Proportional Representation

An electoral system where parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes they receive.

Third Parties

Political parties that are not one of the two dominant parties in a two-party system.

Superdelegates

Party leaders and elected officials who can support any candidate at the party's convention, regardless of primary results.

Electoral College

A body of electors established by the U.S. Constitution that formally elects the President and Vice President of the United States.

GOTV (Get Out The Vote)

Campaign strategies to increase voter participation on Election Day.

Interest Groups

Organizations of people with similar policy goals that seek to influence government decisions.

Political Action Committees (PACs)

Organizations that raise and spend money to elect or defeat political candidates.

Voter ID Laws

Laws requiring voters to present specific forms of identification at the polls.

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

A landmark Supreme Court case that ruled that limitations on independent political spending by corporations and unions violate the first amendment.

Rational Choice Voting

Voting based on individuals' interests or preferences.

Retrospective Voting

Voting based on an evaluation of a candidate's recent past performance.

Prospective Voting

Voting based on predictions about how a candidate will perform in the future.

Agenda Setting

The media's ability to influence which issues and topics are considered important.

Muckrakers

Investigative journalists who expose corruption and societal issues in politics.