Federal Government Exam 3

Public opinion

politically relevant attitudes held and openly expressed by people

Political socialization

the learning process through which beliefs and values that shape individual attitudes are formed and acquired

Political socialization is characterized by:

• The influence of early childhood learning

• Cumulative effect: early learning affects later learning

Agents of socialization

these are the set of social and political institutions that help shape the acquisition of political beliefs and values

Primary socialization agents

interact closely and regularly with the individual, usually early in life.

* Family

Secondary socialization agents

have a less intimate connection with the individual and are usually more important later in life.

* Coworkers

Frames of reference

provides an indication of how people think politically. Thoughts based on socialization

Three major frames of reference

party identification, ideology, and group orientation  

Party identification

An emotional attachment rather than a formal membership in a political party.

Selective perception

the process by which people selectively choose from incoming information that support what they already believe

Ideology

general belief about the role and purpose of government

Economic liberals

Those who believe government should do more to assist people who have difficulty meeting their economic needs on their own.

Economic conservatives

Those who believe government tries to do too many things that should be left to private interests and economic markets.

Social liberals

Those who believe it is not government’s role to buttress traditional values at the expense of unconventional or new values.

Social conservatives

Those who believe government power should be used to uphold traditional values.

Populist

an individual who is an economic liberal and a cultural conservative.

Libertarian

They believe government should refrain from undue intervention in the economic marketplace and in people’s private lives.

Group Orientation

Many Americans see politics through the lens of the group(s) they identify with

Economic class

has always been a weaker force in the United States than in Europe.

Region

defining issue of American politics.

Race and ethnicity

affect opinions on civil rights and civil liberties issues.

gender gap

refers to a distinctive pattern of voting behavior reflecting the differences in political views between women and men

Crosscutting groups

groups include individuals who belong to other groups, where they can encounter different opinions.

Public-opinion polls

the primary method for estimating public sentiment.

Sample

a small group selected by researchers to represent the entire population

Probability sampling

a technique used to select a representative sample in which every individual in the population has a known probability of being selected

sampling error

the error that results from using a sample to estimate the population.

a measure of how accurate that estimate is likely to be.

Limitations of polling

• Telephone polling

• Unfamiliar issues and “non-opinions”

• Sensitive issues and “socially acceptable” opinions

• Question wording

Political participation

refers to the electoral and non-electoral activities intended to influence public policy and leadership

15th Amendment

a state cannot abridge the right to vote “on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”

19th Amendment

granted equal rights to women.

Smith Vs. Allwright

The Court held that in primary elections, states could not restrict voters on account of race.

24th Amendment

outlawed the poll tax

Poll tax

a fee that an individual had to pay in order to register to vote.

26th Amendment

lowered the voting age to 18 years.

The Voting Rights Act

prohibited discrimination in voting and registration.

Shelby County v. Holder

Supreme Court invalidated the provision of the Voting Rights Act that included the formula for determining which states and counties were subject to federal oversight.

Voter turnout

the proportion of voting-age Americans who actually vote

Voting-age population

the total number of persons in the U.S. who are 18 or older

Voting eligible population

All U.S. citizens age 18 and over, who are not excluded from voter eligibility due to criminal status 

Determinants of Voting

• Education and income

• Age

• Civic attitudes (apathy; alienation; civic duty)

• Political interest

• Party identification

Lobbying

The process by which interest-group members and lobbyists attempt to influence public policy through contacts with public officials.

Political parties

linkage institutions serving to connect citizens with government

* Attempt to influence the government by getting their members elected to office

Internal mobilization 

occurs when political conflicts prompt officials within government to mobilize popular support.

External mobilization 

takes place when a group of politicians outside government organizes popular support to win governmental power.

The two party system

a political system in which two parties have an opportunity to compete for the control of the government

Electoral Alignments & Realignments

the transition points when a new party emerges to supplant a ruling party

* 5 realignments in US history

Federalists

supporters of the constitution during the debate over ratification.

• favored tariffs

• establishment of the national bank

• ties with england

Jeffersonians

promoted agrarian interests, free trade, and ties with France

The Second party system

• 1830-1860

• expansion of the right to vote

Democrats

free trade and policies making it easy to borrow money

whigs

strong among merchant groups in the Northeast

The third party system

• 1860-1896

• defeat of the confederacy in 1865

• the reconstruction

republicans

north party with support from business and middle class

Democrats

the party of the South

The Fourth Party System

• 1896-1932

• Emergence of strong protest parties such as the Populist Party

• Populist-Democratic alliance

• The presidency of William McKinley ushered in a 36-year Republican domin

The Fifth Party System

• 1932-1968

• The Great Depression

• FDR’s New Deal

• The New Deal Coalition

• Civil rights and the Vietnam War

The Contemporary Party System

1968 to present

Divided government

occurs when one party controls the White House and the other party controls one or both chambers of Congress

Single-member districts

an electoral method whereby only one candidate is elected from each district

Multiple-member districts

a method whereby multiple candidates are elected from each districts

winner-take-all

electoral system in which the candidate who gets the most votes (the plurality) in an election district is elected to office from that district.

proportional representation

A form of representation in which seats in the legislature are allocated proportionally according to each political party’s share of the popular vote.

National convention

takes place every four years; party’s candidates for president and vice president are nominated

Party platform

contains the party’s philosophy and positions on the main issues

National Committee

a committee that helps raise funds for presidential elections and organizes the party's national convention

Primaries

Special elections in which voters select candidates to be the party's nominee for president in the general election.

Closed primaries

A primary in which only registered members of a particular political party can vote.

Open primaries

a primary election in which any registered voter can vote in any party's primary.

General election

an election where all the party winners of the primary election run against each other

Prospective voting

voting based on the future behavior or performance of a candidate

Retrospective voting

voting based on the past performance of a candidate

midterm elections

congressional elections that occur midway between presidential elections

Straight-ticket voting

A ballot on which all votes have been cast for candidates of the same party

split-ticket voting

A vote for candidates of different political parties on the same ballot, instead of for candidates of only one party.

Political action committees

private groups that raise funds for campaigns

527 committees

nonprofit independent groups that raise and spend money to elect or defeat candidates

Soft money

money used for voter registration and get-out-the-vote activities

Independent expenditures

money spent by certain committees formed by individuals or organizations on behalf of a candidate without coordinating with the candidate’s campaign organization

Citizens United Vs. FEC

the First Amendment prohibits limits on corporate funding of independent broadcasts in candidate elections.

FEC

an independent regulatory agency whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections

issue advocacy 

ads that expressed a view about a political issue and mentioned a candidate

express advocacy

ads that specifically appealed to voters to vote for or against a certain candidate

Interest Group

a group of people that organizes to be heard by and influence government programs and policies.

Business and Agricultural Groups

• Have a direct economic interest in government action

• National Petroleum Refiners’ Association

Labor Groups

• Lobby on behalf of organized labor

• AFL-CIO; United Mine Workers

Professional Association

• Lobby on behalf of professionals

• Help shape legislative policy, especially at the state and federal legislatures

• Texas Medical Association; American Bar Association

Public Interest Groups

• Lobby for public concerns not addressed by traditional lobbies

• Consumer and environmental protection groups

• Sierra Club

Ideological Groups

• Support a philosophical perspective

• Christian Coalition

Public Sector Groups

• Represent public sector entities such as cities and universities

• The League of Cities

Leadership

the decision-making structure of an interest group

The financial structure

member dues, contributions, sales of services.

Agency

carries out the interest group’s task.

Inside lobbying

the interest group’s efforts to develop and maintain close contacts with policymakers

Outside lobbying

a lobbying strategy in which an interest group seeks to shape the political environment by using public pressure as a means of influencing officials.

Iron triangle

a stable alliance involving a legislators, executive agencies, and an interest group to promote policies beneficial to a particular interest

Issue network

a less-stable and open network of public officials and lobbyists who come together in response to a proposed policy affecting each of them.

Super PACs

An independent political action committee which may raise unlimited sums of money but is not permitted to contribute to or coordinate directly with parties or candidates.

501c4

nonprofit groups that also engage in issue advocacy.

Free-rider problem

people benefit from a collective good without paying a share of the cost to produce that good.