Studied by 59 people
Limited Government
The government's powers are enumerated
Equality of Opportunity
All people are given a fair opportunity to move up the socioeconomic ladder
Free Enterprise
The markets determine the price of things rather than the government
The rule of law
No one is above the law
Civil Liberties
Enumerated rights
Federalism
How powers are shared between the national and state governments
Factors of socialization: Family
Done in an informal setting where children pick up on their parents beliefs over time even if they aren't overtly stated. Most young people vote based on parents' beliefs
Factors of socialization: Education
This helps promote national unity and promote individuals to support the political system. More educated individuals will have a higher chance of voting
Factors of socialization: Media
The selection of media sources will echo back and reinforce beliefs
Rational Choice
Rational-choice voters examine an issue or candidate to evaluate the promises and decide in a way that benefits the voter. They decide on the best choice for either themselves or a larger group.
Retrospective Voting
Retrospective voting is when voters look at the candidates’ track record. It is to find out what a person has done or hasn’t done to help decide who they will vote for.
Prospective Voting
Thinking about how something or someone will affect them in the future
Party Line Voting
Voting for the political party that they are loyal to
Gender Voting Trends
Unmarried women tend to vote democratic with a higher turnout. But married women and men tend to vote republican.
Age Voting Trends
18-30 year olds vote for democrats in lower numbers. Senior citizens vote repulican with higher numbers.
African American Voting Trends
Tend to vote democratic
Hispanic Voting Trends
Tend to vote democratic
Asian American Voting Trends
Tend to vote republican
Evangelicals Voting Trends
Tend to vote republican
Catholics Voting Trends
Tend to vote democratic
Jewish Voting Trends
Tend to vote democratic
Business Voting Trends
Tend to vote republican
Union Voting Trends
Tend to vote democratic
Conservative Voting Trends
Tend to vote republican
Liberal Voting Trends
Tend to vote democratic
Green Party Ideals
A left wing party supporting green politics, specifically environmentalism; nonviolence; social justice; participatory democracy, grassroots democracy; anti-war; anti-racism; libertarian socialism and eco-socialism
Libertarian Party Ideals
Promotes civil liberties, non-interventionism, and limiting the size and scope of government.
First past the post (winner take all) vs. proportional voting
First past the post is the person who wins most votes. Proportional voting is an electoral system in which voters cast their votes for political parties and the percentage of the vote that each party receives translates into the percentage of seats that the party receives in the legislature.
Barriers to 3rd party success
Most US elections are first past the post so only one person wins. And the two major parties incorporate the platforms of third parties into their own
Open ended vs. close ended poll questions
Open-ended questions are questions that allow someone to give a free-form answer. Closed-ended questions can be answered with “Yes” or “No,” or they have a limited set of possible answers
Tracking Polls
They follow a question over time to see how attitudes change
Straw Polls
Informal polls which don't offer valid data to the population as a whole
Exit Polls
Collects demographic data. Used to project winners and why they won
Margin of error
The level of confidence in the findings of a public opinion poll, +/-3%
Random Sample
Every individual has unknown and random chance of being selected.
Representative Sample
Draws from all groups in proportion to their representation in the population.
Pros of Polling
Gives access to political thoughts during non-elections and highlights points to focus on for candidates
Cons of Polling
Possible forced results, people without a full opinion usually guess which can make innacurate results, media/leader manipulation, sponsors, excluded groups, low info, and framing
Presidential Approval Rating
It is a survey to see if the president is doing a good job
Gatekeeper
What news makes and doesn't make it, signaling
Scorekeeper/Horse-race
Media reports polls of candidates, and reports on goals/messages from campaigns. Candidates can be seen on news programs almost 24/7
Watchdog
Reports on scandals, issues, and fact-check
Bully Pulpit
How the president is able to communicate with the people through the media
Press Secretary
grants to the press and television journalists access to any information about the president.
Forms of media
Television, Internet,...
Media Bias
the bias or perceived bias of journalists and news producers within the mass media in the selection of events and stories that are reported and how they are covered.
Voter turnout trends
Depends on electoral competitiveness, election type, voting laws, and demographics
Voter apathy
Not caring about the election or outcome
Voter efficacy
A belief that your vote matters
Voter ID Laws
The more laws/barriers decrease the voter turnout
Members of the House of Representatives
435
Members of the Senate
100
Initiative
a process that enables citizens to bypass their state legislature by placing proposed statutes and, in some states, constitutional amendments on the ballot.
Referendum
A state-level method of direct legislation that gives voters a chance to approve or disapprove proposed legislation or a proposed constitutional amendment
Recall
the power of the voters to remove elected officials before their terms expire
Cracking
Splitting the opposing party's voters into many different districts.
Packing
Packing as many voters as possible of an opposing party into one district.
Majority-minority Districts
a racial or ethnic minority makes up a large-enough share of the electorate to assure that the community has a reasonable chance to elect the candidate of their choice.
Baker v. Carr
federal courts could hear cases alleging that a state's drawing of electoral boundaries, i.e. redistricting, violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution.
Shaw v. Reno
any law that results in classification by race must have a compelling government interest, be narrowly tailored to meet that goal, and be the least restrictive means for achieving that interest.
Grassroots Lobbying
Average people in interest groups asking legislatures to do something with a law
National Rifles Association
An interest group protecting the Second Amendment, promoting public safety, training for marksmanship and gun safety, promoting competitive shooting and improving hunter safety.
Role of an interest group
Educate voters and office holders on an issue, engage in lobbying, draft legislation, and grassroots lobbying
Free-rider effect
An individual who does not to join a group representing his or her interests yet receives the benefit of the group's influence.
Jungle (blanket) Primary
A rare type of primary that allows voters to cast votes for multiple parties
Closed Presidential Primary
Only people who are registered members of a political party may vote the ballot of that political party.
Open Presidential Primary
It does not require voters to be affiliated with a political party in order to vote for partisan candidates
Frontloading
To hold primaries early in the year to capitalize on media attention
Iowa Caucus
The first event for the primaries in Iowa
NH Primary
The first primary election
Super Tuesday
This gives a good idea of who will win in the primary
Pledged Delegates
Have to vote for assigned candidate
Unpledged/Super Delegates
Can vote for whomever
Split ticket voting
A vote for candidates of different political parties on the same ballot, instead of for candidates of only one party
Swing states
Any state that could reasonably be won by either the Democratic or Republican candidate
Electoral College tie or no decision
Goes to the House of Representatives where each state gets 1 vote
War Chest
Funding obtained from donors well in advance of a campaign, usually accumulated by an incumbent for either re-election or to contest a more advanced office, or provided by a wealthy candidate to their own campaign
Incumbency Advantages
The president can use tools from the presidency to support a second term
23rd Amendment
Washington-DC gets 3 electoral votes
15th Amendment
African-american men have a right to vote
19th Amendment
It is illegal to deny the right to vote based on sex
24th Amendment
Prohibits any poll tax in elections for officials
26th Amednment
Lowered the federal voting age from 21 to 18
FEC
The Federal Election Commission enforces federal campaign finance laws, including monitoring donation prohibitions, and limits and oversees public funding for presidential campaigns.
McCain Feingold Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
upheld federal limits on campaign contributions and ruled that spending money to influence elections is a form of constitutionally protected free speech, and that limiting donations does not infringe this right.
Hard Money
Campaign money raised for a specific candidate in federal elections and spent according to federal laws and restrictions.
Soft Money
Campaign money raised apart from federal regulation and can be given directly to one candidate
Citizens United vs. FEC
The First Amendment prohibits limits on corporate funding of independent broadcasts in candidate elections
Political Action Committee (PAC)
A private group that raises and distributes funds for use in election campaign. Allowed to give a limited amount of money directly to a candidate
Super Policital Action Commitee
Allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money from corporations, unions, individuals and associations
501 (C) (4)
An organization must not be organized for profit and must be operated exclusively to promote social welfare
Dark Money
Political money where the donor of the money does not have to be disclosed
