Government Test 2 Study

Definition of interest group

A collection of people who share a common interest or attitude and seek to influence government for specific ends

Definition of a social movement

a group of people moving towards the same goal

How are interest groups and social movements different

• interest groups are formally structured organizations trying to compete with one another to get the attention of a Congress person (inside the government)

• social movements are large, loosely organized networks that pursue systemic change and to change attitudes and institutions (outside the government)

What kind of tactics do social movements use?

Nonmilitant tactics

What are the different methods used by interest groups to influence public policy?

• persuasion

• litigation

• rule-making

• lobbying

• election activities

What is persuasion?

A method used by interest groups to influence public policy by:

• exploiting the mass communications media to influence the public to contact their Representatives to support the interest groups position on a issue or vote for a certain candidate

Examples of persuasion:

• television ads

• mass mailings

• sent filters to voters

• a-mail or “action alerts”

Who does persuasion try to influence?

the people

Who does litigation try to influence?

the Judges

What is litigation?

A method used by interest groups to influence public policy by:

• providing counsel and dollars to plaintiffs so they can go to court to change state or federal laws that injured them

What is rule-making?

A method used by interest groups to influence public policy by:

• working to influence federal agencies when they write federal regulations

• a rule is another word for regulation

Who does rule-making try to influence?

the Federal Agencies

Who does lobbying try to influence?

the Congress and President

What is lobbying?

A method used by interest groups to influence public policy by:

• interest groups sending individuals (lobbyists) to Washington to influence Congress and the executive branch to shape laws and how they are administered and enforced. They influence for profit.

What are the different types of lobbying?

• Direct lobbying

• Social lobbying

• Coalition or cooperative lobbying

• grassroots lobbying

Explain Direct lobbying:

• present their organization’s case directly (face-to-face) to members of Congress.

• involves personal discussions in their offices or over the phone

• monitoring hearings or testify before a Congressional committee, writing speeches or floor statements, and drafting legislation

Explain Social lobbying

• gains access to members of Congress in social setting such as breakfast, dinners, and receptions sponsored by interest groups

• more informal setting to gain trust and understanding of issues

• (gifts are banned)

What was banned in social lobbying in 1995?

giving gifts to members of Congress or staff

Explain Coalition or cooperative lobbying:

• power in numbers

• interest groups work together with lobby members, Congress and the Executive Branch

• the lobbyists jointly visit Members of Congress, host receptions, and write letters, hoping to convince the legislators to support their positions on the issue/legislation

Explain Grassroots lobbying:

• focus on the American public (Grassroots) instead of Washington

• they hope to mobilize the public to contact their Representatives in support of the interest group’s position on an issue

• like persuasion, they use petition drives, hold rallies, use radio, and TV ads

What is the definition of a Political Party

A group of citizens that, under a party banner, seek to get candidates elected to public office in order to make party positions on issues into law

Who was the founder of the modern-day political party?

Thomas Jefferson (co-founder James Madison)

What was the modern-day political party called?

the Democratic-Republicans aka the Jefferson Republicans

Who is the co-founder of the modern-day political party?

James Madison (founder Thomas Jefferson)

Who was the founder of the Federalist Party?

Alexander Hamilton

Who was the founder of the Grand Old Party?

Abraham Lincoln

What is the definition of Loyal Opposition?

(Loyal) they believe in the countries underlying laws and system of government, but (Opposition) they speak out against laws they don’t like suggest alternative policies, and debate fiercely in the legislature, and hope to win the election to take power some day (government-in-waiting)

Who is the leader of the Loyal Opposition?

Kevin McCarthy

What are the general functions of a Political Party?

• “unifying the voters”

• attract people of different backgrounds, ideologies, ethnic groups, rich, or poor under “one umbrella” in support of positions on issues.

• recruit candidates; provide candidates with training, money, and information on issues; write a party platform; register voters; educate the voters

  • these help make it easier for us as citizens to decide with candidates to support

• criticize the political party in the White House and provide alternative ideas for the public to support

  • “keep them honest” (don’t let the president abuse his power)

• Help make our government bridge the gap between our three separate branches of government

• write solutions to public problems noted in their party platforms into legislation, and candidates hope their bills will pass so their positions on issues become law

• provide government jobs to loyal supporters who have helped them during their campaign for public office

What are the responsibilities of a political party at the national level?

• raises money for national, state, and local candidates through fundraisers and membership sues

• organizes the presidential convention

• recruits and trains candidates

• provides expertise on issues and campaign strategy

• provides opposition research

What are the responsibilities of a political party at the state level?

• raises money for state candidates (governor, state senator, state legislator, ect…)

What are the responsibilities of a political party at the local (ward and precinct) level?

• getting their supporters in their neighborhoods to the polls to vote for party candidates

• grassroots party supporters put signs in yards, pass out campaign literature, and monitor elections

What are the responsibilities of a political party at the county level?

• recruits candidates to run for local office (Major, city council, sheriff, ect…)

What is the definition of political ideology?

• Our ideas or beliefs about the proper role of government and the use of political power

• how we view the role of government

What is the definition of Conservationism?

a political and social philosophy that prefers to keep things the way they are or changing them very slowly with tradition, stability, and established institutions are its core

What is the definition of liberalism?

Liberalism is a political and moral idea that puts individual freedom, equality, and human rights at the center of how a society should work.

What is a partisan?

someone who prefers one party over another

What is an independent voter?

someone who doesn’t have a party preference

What is the difference between a partisan and an independent voter?

Partisans have a party preference and independent voters do not

What are some influences on our voting? And how individuals become politically socialized?

• family

• gender

• race

• age

• income

• political party (party affiliation)

• political ideology

• education (school)

• religion

• other factors

How many voters are independent?

roughly 1/3 of all voters

Why does family influence voting?

your family have the greatest influence on your party affiliation (Republican or Democrat)

Why does gender influence voting?

generally one gender votes more Democrat while the other generally voted Republican

What are some voting trends?

more women are voting Democrat while more men are voting Republican

Which two elections are an exception to the male voting trend?

• 2006 midterm election

• 2008 presidential election

Why is race a voting influence?

African Americans are the Democratic Party’s strongest supporters among all races

Why does age influence voting?

young voters have the lowest turnout among all voters, elderly have the highest voter turn out

Why does income influence voting?

the less income you make, the less likely you are to participate in the political process

Why does political party influence voting?

It shows that most people vote the way that their political party does. (Republican or Democrat)

Why does political ideology influence voters?

because it is how people view the role of government (conservative, liberal, moderate)

Why does education influence voting?

because it’s the most important influence on voting regardless of race or ethnic background

Why does religion influence voting?

the Jewish community is the strongest and most consistent supporter of the Democratic party among all religions

what are other factors that can influence voting?

• absence of competition

• the issues

• whether candidates are taking positions on issues important to us as voters

Why do voters need to register prior to an election?

• to make sure that citizens are eligible to vote

• to prevent multiple voting (“voting early and often”)

How does the need for voter registration affect voter turnout?

it causes voter turnout to become lower

What is the importance of presidential primaries and caucus meetings?

to act as a “vehicle” by which delegates are actually chosen to go to the National Presidential Convention

What is the definition of a presidential primary? Who leads it?

• An election where voters will decide on how many delegates are given to each candidate

• secret election based (nobody knows who you vote)

• lead by state and local election officials

What is the definition of a caucus? Who leads it?

• A meeting where political party leaders and registered voters can go and decide on how many delegates are given to each candidate

• more anonymous: debate, then raise hands to vote

• lead by political parties

What is the importance of the Iowa caucus?

it is the first caucus state

What is the importance of the New Hampshire Primary?

it is the first primary

What is a direct primary?

when voters decide who a political party chooses as their candidate for the election (no further meeting after this)

How are presidential primaries and caucus meeting similar?

they both are an election/meeting where the amount of delegates are chosen for each candidate

What is the purpose of the electoral college?

• to elect President and Vice President while also balancing power between large and small states

• “winner takes all system” (winner of the state’s popular vote gets all the states electoral votes)

• represents state votes

What does “winner takes all” mean?

• winner of the state’s popular vote gets all the states electoral votes

How does the electoral college work?

• each state is assigned a certain amount of electoral votes based on its number of senators (two per state, two votes) and representatives (reps. depending on the population, so votes depend on the population) (total 538)

• 3 electors for washing DC (23th amendment)

• a candidate needs to have 270 of the 538 to win

what is the district of Colombia?

Washington DC

Who can be an elector? Who can’t?

• can:

  • party members

  • loyal supporters

  • everyday citizens

(basically anyone, but parties and states add their own eligibility rules)

• can’t

  • Congressman

  • Senator

  • Representative

  • Federal government official

  • disqualified individuals

What happens if the Presidential candidates did not receive a majority of Electoral College votes? 

The House meets to decide who will be President from the top three presidential candidates, with each state delegation having one vote (district of Colombia/Washington DC does not get a vote since it is not a state)

What happens if the Vice-Presidential candidates did not receive a majority of Electoral College votes? 

The Senate will vote, each Senator getting one vote, and the Vice-President is decided with a simple majority

Who wrote Federalist #68

Alexander Hamilton (publius)

What is Federalist #68 about

defends and explains the creation of the electoral college for choosing the U.S. President and Vice-President

In Federalist #68, who would elect the President?

temporary body of electors chosen by the people

In Federalist #68, why did the framers want a temporary body of men to vote for their choice for President and not a preexisting body like the U.S. Congress?

• prevent corruption

• foreign influence

• internal political plotting.

prevents votes from being tampered with beforehand

In Federalist #68, what are the “most deadly adversaries of Republican government"?

• cabal

• intrigue

• corruption

In Federalist #68, how are “Electors” to be chosen?  How many would serve from each state

• chosen directly by the people of each state

• The number of electors should be the same as the number of senators and representatives of each state

In Federalist #68, why did the framers decide to have a Vice President?  

• to ensure a continuous line of presidential succession

• providing a neutral tie-breaker for the U.S. Senate.

What is a PAC? Do they disclose to the FEC?

• tax-exempt organization

• pools financial contributions from members and donates those funds to support or oppose political candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation.

• must disclose to the FEC

• It asked labor union members to voluntary contribute money to it. The director then contributed those dollars to a political candidate or political party.

How much money can individuals contribute to an election

• $2,000 per primary election

• $2,000 per general election

• $4,000 max per election cycle

How much money can a PAC contribute in an election?

• $5,000 per primary election

• $5,000 per general election

• $10,000 max per election cycle

What is the definition of independent expenditure

• if a supporter of a candidate makes an ad for advocating the candidate without any coordination with the candidate.

• DOES use “vote for or against” language

• DOES have to disclose to FEC

  • example is Mr. Jones spends $1 million (unlimited amount of money) on campaign advertisements for Ms. Smith, BUT he can’t coordinate this with Ms. Smith. She can’t edit or tell him where to advertise. Mr. Jones must also disclose to the FEC

What is the definition of issue advocacy?

• an ad that just focuses on a particular issue, like the environment or education

• DOES NOT use “vote for or against” language

• DOES NOT have to disclose to FEC

  • considered an “election ad”

What is hard money?

contributions that are limited and must be disclosed

What are details about Super PACs (527s)?

• Super PACs (527s) deal ONLY with soft money

  • they get money from billionaires (unlimited money) to use independent expenditure (“vote for or against” ads) to help a specific candidate without coordinating with the candidate.

  • the candidate CAN NOT tell the group how to spend the money

do super PACs (527) need to disclose to FEC? The people who give them money?

• Super PAC (527): yes

• People who give them money: no (Super PAC (527) puts the persons name on the reports)

Do PACs disclose to the FEC? Candidates they support?

• PACs: yes

• Candidates: yes

What is soft money?

money that is donated to the political parties or committees for general use rather than to support a specific candidate. these donations are unlimited and exempt from federal limits (like hard money)

What are details about PACs

• PACs deal ONLY with hard money

  • they give money (up to $5,000) directly to the candidates so they can use it to help promote themselves (“vote for or against language”)

  • the candidate CAN choose exactly how the money is spend (because its given to them directly)

What amendment helps protect interest groups and movements?

the 1st amendment

What is the purpose of amcus curiae briefs? what does the name mean?

• written to try and influence the Justices int he U.S. Supreme Court

• “friend of the court”

How do interest groups help to elect or defeat candidates running for federal office?

• television ads

• mass mailings

• internet

These groups want to persuade people that their stance on an issue is correct, so they will help or defeat candidates in the process

Brown v Board of education is an example of what?

litigation

what exploit the mass communications media?

interest groups

The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 repealed what?

the 1946 Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act

The Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 does what?

requires foreign lobbyists to register with the department of justice

What did the McCain-Feingold Bill (Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act) do?

• increased the amount of money individuals count contribute to $2,000 (was $1,000)

• banned soft money

• redefined “issue advocacy” and set restrictions for timing

• prohibited electioneering type ads (“vote for or against”) 30 says prior to a primary and 60 days before the general election

What is a party platform?

a platform that discussed what a political party supports and talks about their goals, principles, and official positions on domestic and foreign issues

What are two examples of third parties?

• Green party (Ralph Nader)

• Reform Party

What are precincts and wards

• precinct are made up of several city blocks or neighborhoods

• wards are made up is a number of precincts in a city

History of the Republican Party:

• elephant symbol (controlled when calm, but unmanageable when frightened)

• “Grand Old party” (GOP)/ 2nd republican party

• Thomas Nast originally represented this party

• came from the ashes of the Whig Party

History of the Democratic Party:

• donkey symbol (Andrew Jackson was called a jackass for his stubbornly held political views)(Nast made it their symbol)

• roots were in the the party of Thomas Jefferson (Jefferson Republicans)