Studied by 0 peoplethe voting rights act of 1965
this act made it easier for african americans to vote
the motor voter act
this act made it easier to register to vote by registering at the same time as registering for a drivers license
rational choice voting
voting based on what is in the citizens personal interest
retrospective voting
voting based on what a candidate did in the past
prospective voting
voting based on what a candidate plans on doing in the future
straight ticket voting
voting based purely on the candidates party. typically, this type of voter will vote for all members of a political party regardless of their standings on specific issues
voter turnout
number of registered voters who vote in an election
compulsory voting
a practice that legally requires citizens to register to vote in elections
political efficacy
the belief that your vote matters and can influence policy, or the belief that our actions have an influence over the government
presidential elections
elections for the president and vice president that occurs every 4 years
midterm elections
elections for congress. occurs during the middle of a presidents term
demographics
characteristics of a population or information used to study the population
political party
an organization of people with the same ideologues that influence public power through elected officials
linkage institutions
informal organizations that connect people to the government, can influence the political agenda (elections, political parties, interest groups, etc.)
campaign finance
funds raised to support various political positions (ex. candidates, political party, etc.) that are regulated/limited by laws
candidate centered campaigns
a type of campaign revolving around a candidate and their personality and political agenda rather than their party
critical election
a type of an election that leads to a major party realignment where supporters of one party may switch to another
direct primary
this type of primary is when voters choose a candidate to represent a party in the presidential election
political action committee
an organization representing an interest group or corporation that raises money in support of their interest. there are limits to how much this kind of organization can donate during an election
super pac
"independent expenditure-only committee", can raise unlimited funds for a candidate or party, cannot interact with those that funds are donated to
dealignment
when an individual loses interest to their political party and does not align with another party. becoming indepenedent
realignment
when an individual switches voter preferences from one political party to another
third party
a minor party, a party that is not one of the major two parties (republican/democrat). these types of parties rarely win elections
independent candidates
candidates for office with no formal affiliation with a party
free rider problem
when an individual uses a service/receives benefits from without making a personal contribution (money or time) or the individual assumes others will pay for that service
interest groups
formal or informal groups of people with the same interest, attempting to influence policy
iron triangle
the relationship between congressional committees, federal bureaucracy, and interest groups. mutually beneficial to maximize gain over similar issues
lobbying
a strategy in which organized interests seek to influence a politician on a specific issue
protest movement
a type of public demonstration that raises awareness and brings attention to a specific issue
social movement
a type of public demonstration that brings about influence or change in society (ex. civil rights movement)
single issue groups
a type of interest group devoted to a singular, specific issue
closed primary
a primary election limited to registered party voters
open primary
a primary election not limited to registered party voters
caucus
a meeting of members of a political party to choose nominees for political office
electoral college
electors chosen by each state formally vote in the presidential election where electors vote based on the result of their state elections
incumbent
an official who already holds office and has an advantage due to experience, staff, and media exposure
general election
a type of election used to decide which candidate will hold office, candidates compete against candidates from other parties
popular vote
the total or % of votes won by each candidate
primary election
a type of election used to determine which candidate a party will send to the general election, candidates compete against other candidates from their party
political consultants
advisors to candidates that help promote the election of a candidate
citizens united v. fec
this supreme court case ruled that political spending is a form of free speech and is therefore protected by the first amendment
mccain feigngold act
this act banned soft money and reduced attack ads with "stand by your ad" (adding, "i'm ____ and i approve of this message)
soft money
money spent on a campaign rather than directly donating to a candidate
horse race journalism
a type of journalism that focuses on reporting who is winning the polls or ahead in the election rather than actual policy agendas or candidate information
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