AP Gov Unit 5 Vocab

Political Efficacy

feeling like your vote matters, your voice is represented, and like you can make a difference

Rational-choice Model

People vote in their best interests, supporting the candidate whose platform will give them the most favorable outcomes

15th Amendment

Citizens shall not be denied the right to vote by the states or the United States on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude

19th Amendment

Citizens shall not be denied the right to vote by the states or the United States on account of their sex

26th Amendment

Citizens eighteen years of age or older shall not be denied the right to vote by the states or the United States on account of age

Voting Rights Act of 1965

abolished literacy tests and other voter restrictions and authorized federal intervention against voter discrimination (signed into law by Lyndon B. Johnson)

Mid-term election (off-year election)

a Congressional election that takes place halfway through the president’s term in office

Interest Group

An organization of people sharing a common interest or goal that seeks to influence public policy

Iron triangle

A close relationship between an agency, a congressional committee, an interest group

Issue Networks

A network of people in Washington, DC–based interest groups, on congressional staffs, in universities and think tanks, and in the mass media, who regularly discuss and advocate public policies

Third-party (minor party)

a political party that is neither Democrat nor Republican

Plurality Voting

The winner is the person who gets the most votes, even if they do not receive a majority; used in almost all American elections

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain-Feingold Act)

Passed in 2002, regulates the financing of political campaigns (eliminated the use of soft money in funding political campaigns for a specific candidate), amended the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971

Incumbency Advantage

The tendency of incumbents to do better than otherwise similar challengers, especially in congressional elections

Primary Election (open or closed)

An election held to determine the nominee from a particular party (Open- voters of any affiliation may vote, Closed- only voters registered to a party may vote in that party’s primaries)

Political Action Committee

A committee set up by a corporation, labor union, or interest group that raise and spend campaign money from voluntary donations

Sound Bite

a radio/video clip of someone speaking

Horse-Race Journalism (AKA scorekeeper journalism)

News coverage that focuses on who is ahead rather than on the issues/ the media treat the campaign as if it were a sporting event, generating excitement by focusing on who is ahead, who is making a comeback, and so on

Narrowcasting

a radio or tv transmission aimed at a narrowly defined area or audience (such as paying subscribers)

Social Media

forms of electronic communication through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content

Hard Money

direct contributions to a candidate’s political campaign

Soft Money

Funds obtained by political parties that are spent on party activities, such as get-out-the-vote drives, but not on behalf of a specific candidate