Gov Unit 5

linkage institution

link people and the gov’t, keeping them informed, shaping public opinion and policy - ex. political parties, interest groups, media

23rd Amendment

D.C. gets 3 electors

24th Amendment

bans poll taxes

26th Amendment

voting age 18

white primary

party organizations defined membership as white men only, prevented others from nominating people - struck down by Smith v. Allwright

federal responsibilities on elections

sets dates for general elections, has jurisdiction on elections policies, administers and enforces campaign finance rules

state responsibilities on elections

draws congressional district lines, chooses format and qualification for ballots, sets time/location for elections

National Voter Registration Act

requires states to let people register at state-run agencies (BMV)

Help America Vote Act

electronic voting systems, accessible polls, double checking ballot, register with SS number or driver’s license, provide absentee ballots to military

Australian ballot

ballot printed/distributed at public expense, shows all qualifying candidates, only available at polls, completed in private

provisional ballot

set aside until voting confirmed

political efficacy

feels like vote makes no difference, caused by supporting losing candidates

voter apathy

lack of concern for politics, person usually already satisfied with gov’t

How much money can party orgs give and what else can they do?

$5000 per election, run ads

Hill Committees

members of Congress supporting campaigns, conduct polls, fundraise, make ads

1968 Democratic National Convention

division between young and old members, caused changes to nominating president

superdelegates

reduced percent of uncommitted delegates, required 2/3 of superdelegates to cast votes according to state

types of parties

ideological (ex. Libertarian), splinter, economic-protest, single-issue (ex. Green Party)

barriers to 3rd part success

single-member districts, money, ballot access, incorporation of 3rd party agendas, winner-take-all system

hyperpluralism

factions conflict and cause elitism

free-rider problem

people benefit from interest groups but don’t fund or lobby

501 (c)3 group

get tax deductions for charitable donations, cannot lobby or donate to campaigns - ex. churches, hospitals

501 (c)4 group

can lobby and campaign, cannot spend over half of expenditures on political issues

grassroots lobbying

influencing gov’t decision makers through indirect pressure (letters, emails, calls) from mobilized constituents

grasstops lobbying

using high profile people to pressure Congress members

types of interest groups

institutional (corporate and governmental), professional, ideological, member-based, public interest

intergovernmental group

made up of gov’t officials at all levels, depends on federal funds

professional association

labor group representing white collar workers - ex. American Bar Association

purposive incentives

solution to free-riders; philosophical satisfaction when people donate to a cause

solidary incentives

solution to free-riders, place for people to gather and discuss shared ideas

Honest Leadership and Open Government Act

banned lobbyists from giving gifts/flights to Congressmen, made to file expense reports biannually and report bundling (large sums for campaigns), criminal penalties for breaking rules

revolving door problem

taking a lobbying position in an industry they used to legislate for

12th amendment

separate ballots for President and V.P.

invisible primary

media and polls tell whether a candidate has a real chance

incumbent advantage phenomenon

establish resources of funding/staff, shown experience, can use position to get message out

closed primary

declare party affiliation before election

open primary

declare party on election day - about half of states

blanket primary

voters can split ticket

jungle primary

all candidates run for office in same primary rather than split between party

caucus

voters listen to speeches, discuss candidates, vote in one time frame; strict time and area, more public

front-loading

states schedule primaries/caucuses earlier to boost political clout and tourism

political action committee

formal groups founded around a similar interest, donate to incumbents - must have 50 members, register 6 months in advance, donate to at least 5 candidates

coattail effect

when president wins by large margin, congressional candidates of same party do well

Federal Election Campaign Act

more reporting requirements and limited expenditures of candidate’s funding, set a max on how much a candidate can donate to their own campaign, prevent individual donors from giving over 1k, PACs from 5k

Buckley v. Valeo

upheld limit of donations under FECA, Congress cannot limit candidate’s own donations or put a max on overall receipts or expenditure because it limits freedom of speech

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act/McCain-Feingold

no soft money donation, increased limit on hard money - 2k for individuals, 5k for PACs, 25k for national parties, aggregate limit on individual donations to multiple candidates in 2 years, PACs can’t pay for tv/radio electioneering within certain days

Citizens United v. FEC

does BCRA donation disclosure violate free speech? no, yes for Citizens United, Hillary The Movie; organizations can use funds at any time if it isn’t associated with a candidate, a candidate doesn’t owe a PAC back if they donate

Connected PAC

formed by corporations, labor unions, trade groups; only collect from members, donate directly

Nonconnected PAC

formed by no sponsoring organization; can collect from public, donate directly - ex. National Rifle Organization

Leadership PAC

type of non-connected - formed by current or former elected official; collect from public, donate directly

Super PAC

formed by anyone; can collect from anyone, cannot coordinate with candidates

free press

an uninhibited institution that places an additional check on gov’t to maintain honesty, ethics, transparency

narrowcasting

tv appealing to a specific audience with certain interest being broadcasted at different times on one channel

roles of media

scorekeeper, gatekeeper, watchdog

scorekeeper

keep track of who is leading and falling behind in campaigns, ignoring legislation

gatekeeper

determining what is newsworthy and what information the public recieves

watchdog

watching for corruption, scandal, or inefficiency in the gov’t, adversarial press

Federal Communications Commission

regulates electronic media; authority over content of radio, tv, wire, satellite broadcasts; tries to prevent monopolies