ap gov unit 5

Electorate

All citizens who are eligible to vote

Most common form of political participation

voting

which type of election are people more likely to vote in

presidential

Franchise

the right to vote

15 amendment

grants african american men to vote

17th amendment

direct election of senators

19th amendment

grants women the right to vote

23rd amendment

grants washington DC citizens right to vote

24th amendment

eliminated poll taxes

26th amendment

lowers voting age from 21 to 18

1957 civil rights act

addressed voting registration and created US office of civil rights

1964 civil rights act

prevents discrimination based off of race, color, religion, or sex

1965 voting rights act

allowed fed gov’t to oversee elections in the south, eliminated many voting barriers

rational choice voting model

examines platforms and candidates to make sure their vote goes to someone who benefits them

retrospective voting model

voters look back at a candidates track record to determine who to vote for, incumbents usually win

prospective voting model

voters try and predict the future to se how policies may affect them or the country

party line model

voting w the party you feel most loyal to

pocket book model

voting based on the economy

Voter turnout

amount of people who show up to vote, highest in late 1800s

state elections

states make their own voter registration laws as long as they fit the requirements + restrictions of the fed gov’t

local elections

counties cities and towns are divided into wards, which are then divided into precincts

national voter registration act (motor voter act)

requires states to offer a chance to register to vote @ state run agencies. You can also register by mail, online, or in person

2000 election

Bush v Gore, Very controversial, gore wanted a recount, response was- Help america vote act

Help america vote act

required states to update voting methods, make polling places more accessible to disabled, soldiers overseas must have access to vote, must provide DL or last 4# of SSN @ poll place

ID

most states require ID to vote, felons cant vote, ID laws becoming more common

australian ballot

Used in US, provides names of all eligible cands., only available @ polling place, completed in private

provisional ballot

Used when identity cannot be verified

Absentee ballot

used when one cannot vote in person, mailed in, more common after C19.

Voter ID laws

35 states require voter ID, R favors, D opposes

Act of voting

Avg. person waits in line for 14 mins, but can take longer in places w less volunteers.

Voter trust

Voter turnout lower in times of gov’t distrust

Voter apathy

not voting bc you think your vote does not matter

political efficacy

feeling that your vote makes an impact

gender gap

women- want less punishment, death penalty, favor gov’t spending. typically vote D. Men- harsh pun., fiscally cons., vote R

Age

old ppl vote more

race

AA + Black voters r typically L, Asians are typically R but that is shifting

religion

evangelicals= R, catholics= switch between both parties, Jewish= D

Linkage channels

help connect ppl to gov’t (pol. parties, interest groups, media). Pol. Parties influence voters, fundraise, eng. community, choose cands.

Nat. Convention

where party nominee is announced + chosen, finalize platform

Cand. recruitment

parties want cands who are well funded, scandal free, energetic, and have a following

Campaigning

V important, raising and spending $ for cand., TV ads = most $$$

FEC

exec agency that monitors and controls campaign finance laws, control how much a donor can give to a candidate,

OG 2 ideologies

Feds and Anti Feds ( large national gov’t vs large state gov’t)

Superdelegates

high ranking delegates that are not tied to a states primaries, typically high ranking officials

party realignment

change in elec. forces due to a change in party identification, happen after critical elections, have been 5 of these

what were the 5 realignments

1) democratic republicans to democrats, 2) republican party, 3) big business, 4) Great depression, 5) After the 60s

Party dealignment

ppl are becoming less aligned w/ a party + becoming independant voters, make decisions based on cand.

3rd parties

competitive but minor parties, many barriers against them

ideological 3rd party

form as a way to get voices heard abt issues not included in the major parties

splinter 3rd party

a large fraction of members from a major party break off

economic protest 3rd party

protest any scrutiny in economy

single issue 3rd party

fight for 1 issue, typ. absorbed into a major party

3rd party barriers

less recognition, less media coverage, ballot access is difficult, less following, less resources, many agendas get incorp. into major party

winner takes all voting

whoever wins the majority of the pop. vote in states get all of that states EC votes. Major barrier for 3rd parties, increases value of BG states

Pluralism

There are many ppl in the US w/ diff opinions + ideologies in gov’t that work together to run it

Lobbying

applying press. to influence gov’t, many interest groups pay lobbyists due to their connections + ability to influence politicians

how do interest groups get their point across

directly talking to politicians and using media to influence ( direct lobbying)

grassroots lobbying

interest groups try to inform, persuade, and mobilize lots of ppl

state gov structure

V similarto fed gov, bicameral legis., state courts, state agencies, another access point for IG

negatives of interest groups

can lead to upper class bias due to cost, projmote interest of the mems more than gen. interest. could lead to political corruption

free rider problem

when ppl benefit from IG’s without paying

Iron triangle

interactions between bureaucracy, congress, and IG’s. Bureaucrats benefit by cooperating with congress mems. who fund + provide oversight. Congress benefits by listening to what ppl want from IG’s while recieving more campaign donations and voters, IG’s benefit by having their interests accounted for

Non profit IG’s

fall into 2 groups based on tax classification- 501©(3) and 501(c)(4)

501c3

churches, some hospitals. recieve tax donations for charity, can influence govt, cannot lobby gov officials + donate to campaign

501c4

some welfare groups, can lobby + capaign but cant spend over 50% of expenditures on pol. issues

Endorsements

public expression of support, IG provide this

growth of IG

grow w/ population. EX- farmland to cities, war veteran return, fight for injustice

progressive era

1180-1920s, cities bad, more immigration, inc. wage gap. 4 amends passed- 16, 17, 18, 19

60-70s

civil rights movement, env. movement, consumer movement

interngovernmental lobby group

gov officials and political offices lobby congress for funds

professional associates

white collar workers concerned w business law

Purposive IG incentive

philosophical satisfaction

Solidary incentive

allows mems. to gather occasionally

material incentive

travel discounts, magazine subscriptions, free items

honest leadership and open gov act

bans gifts to congress from lobgbyists. lobbyists must provide quarterly spending reports

primaries

must win these to receive party nomination

invisible primary

cands. monitor pub opinion to judge fundraisng ability

closed primary

only party mems can vote

open primary

anyone can vote for either party

blanket primary

vote for both parties, top 2 cands. win

incumbvent advantage penomenon

incumbents can use all resources from the presidency to support their 2nd term. reelection rate~80%

caucus

party mems meet + have discussion and debate about cands.

electors

ppl that vote in EC, cant be in congress

midterm elections

cong. elecs. occur in the middle of pres. term

coattail effect

when a pres is liked, members from their party fare well in elections

PACs

donate money and run ads on cands. behalf. fund 40% of incumbents, and 9% of challengers

campaign steps

biography, issues, attack. Incumbs. dont debate

fed elections campaign act

tightened reporting requirements, limited cand spending. 1974 amend sets amounts ppl can donate

hard money

donated to candidate, traced and regulated

soft money

donated to party or group, not tracked

BCRA(2002)

banned soft money, inc. limits on hard money and spending

Citizens united v FEC

overturned BCRA. said it violated 1st amend freedom of speech. Reinstated soft money

connected pac

PAC sponsored by another organization

nonconnected PAC

not sponsored, form around single issue

leadership PAC

NCPAC, started by former elected official

superPAC

can spend unlimited as long as they dont formally coordinate w/ cands

press

additional check on gov, linkage institution

investigative reporting

attempts to expose gov corruption, started in progressive era, nicknamed muckrakers.

gatekeeper media role

medioaq can decide what is newsworthy regardless of provable importance