AP Gov Unit 5

15th Amendment (1870)

citizens shall not be denied the right to vote on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude

19th Amendment (1920)

citizens shall not be denied the right to vote on account of sex

23rd Amendment (1961)

For presidential and vice presidential elections, Washington D.C, shall appoint a number of electors no more than the least populous state (3)

24th Amendment (1964)

citizens shall not be denied the right to vote by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax

26th Amendment (1971)

citizens 18 years of age or older shall not be denied the right to vote on account of age

Shelby County v. Holder (2013)

Struck down provision of Voting Rights Act of 1965 requiring states engaged in past discrimination to get federal preclearance before instituting changes in voting laws or practices; allowed restrictive state voter ID laws to go forward (Roberts Court)

Rational-Choice Voting

votes according to which choice most directly affects them or represents their values (i.e. a senior citizen voting for the candidate who promises to protect Social Security)

Retrospective Voting

looking back at the party's or the candidate's records (their accomplishments in office, how they voted, etc.)

Prospective Voting

forward looking; consider how a candidate or party might tackle issues that affect their lives; choosing the candidate who's vision for the future matches your own

Party-Line Voting

casting votes according to party identification

Influences on Voter Behavior

personality, integrity, or competence of a candidate, The candidate's character, The most important political issues of the day (i.e. the economy)

Causes for Low Participation in elections

Registration requirements, Weekday elections, No cost for not voting, Too many elections, Low political efficacy

Suggestions to Improve Turnout

Automatic registration, Same-day registration, Make voting compulsory, Holiday/weekend elections, Early voting, Absentee/mail-in ballots

National Voter Registration Act (Motor-Voter Law)

Passed by Congress in 1993, Goal = increase citizen participation and alleviate burden of having to make a special effort to register to vote, Requires state to offer voter registration at state-run agencies, like the DMV

Increased registration, but little impact on turnout

Help America Vote Act

Passed by Congress in 2002 (response to Bush-Gore election), Imposes requirements on states in order to create national standards for voting and elections management

Australian Ballot

printed and distributed at public expense, shows all qualifying candidates' names, available only at polling places, and completed in private (this is the type of ballot that we use)

Provisional Ballot

provided to a voter when discrepancies in voter registration happen, or when voters lose their early voter ballots; not counted until voter info has been confirmed.

Absentee Ballots

originally a mail-in ballot provided to voters who couldn't vote on election day (needed a good excuse); majority of states allow early voting for qualified voters (decreases lines on election day)

Voter ID Laws

35 states require voters to show ID at the voting booth. Forms of ID accepted vary (state or government issued ID, utility bill, paycheck stub, etc.)

ID laws controversial

factors influencing voter choice

Gender, Age, Race and Ethnicity, Religious affiliation

Political Parties

Organized groups of people with similar political ideologies goals who work to elect candidates to public office who will represent those ideologies and accomplish those goals

linkage institution

channels that connect people with the government and allow people to communicate their preferences to policymakers

Party Functions

Help decide which candidates run for office, Significant control over drawing of legislative districts, Mobilization, GOTV, Educating voters & policymakers, Establish a party platform, Recruit & nominate candidates, Support campaigns: fundraising, media strategy

Committee and party leadership systems in legislatures

National Convention

held every four years; nominate candidates for Pres/VP; draw up party platform

Chairperson

responsible for day-to-day activities of the party; chief strategist and spokesperson; the chair of the party that controls the White House is selected by the President and the chair of the other party is chosen by election among party members

Campaign Committees in Congress

non-lawmaking; purpose is to strategize how to win seats in House and Senate; recruit candidates and try to reelect incumbents

Democratic National Committee

Party Chair and Vice Chair from each state, Other state members based on population, Reps from Congress, state and local governments, Reps from other groups including the Young Democrats

Republican National Committee

State party chairs, National Committeeman and Committeewoman from each state

Committee System

The committee chairs are from the majority party & committee membership is divided up based on party

Congressional Leadership

Leadership roles are based on party, Majority party: Speaker of the House, Majority Leader, Minority party: Minority leader

Party Caucuses

Closed meetings of party members to set legislative agendas, select committee members & chairs, and choose leadership

Candidate-Centered Politics

politics that focus on the candidates, their particular issues, and character rather than party affiliation

National Conventions

A meeting held every four years by each of the major political parties to nominate a presidential candidate.

Views on policy

candidates from either party modify their views on policy in order to attract the demographic groups they believe that they need in order to win elections

Changes in Party Structure

Parties have had to adjust to developments that affect their structure and mission: Shifts in voter alignments that transfer power to the opposition party, Campaign finance laws have altered relationships among donors, parties, candidates and interest groups, Parties have to continually adapt to changing communication technology

Party Realignment

Dramatic, long-lasting shifts in party affiliation - many people change parties

Critical Elections

Usually accompany a party realignment. Elections that reveal sharp changes in party loyalties (usually a shift from one party to another)

Campaign Finance Law

Increase in private campaign contributions to candidates and PACs has allowed candidates to be more independent of the party. Candidates and politicians are now less reliant on the party for money and therefore more independent to do as they wish

Ideological parties

hold consistent beliefs across multiple issues (i.e. Libertarians and Socialists)

Splinter Parties

when large factions of members break off from a major party

Economic Protest Parties

late 19th Century, Populist Party formed to fight against railroads, big banks, and corporations

Single-Issue Partie

form around a single issue

Single-Member, Winner-Take-All, Districts

the candidate who wins the most votes (a plurality), wins; there is no reward for second or third place

Multi-Member Districts and Plurality Representation

in many European countries, voters cast ballots for the party they favor; offices are filled proportionally (for example: if a party wins 10% of the votes, it gets 10% of the seats) - this system encourages and rewards third parties

Money

major parties have organized operations to raise money; campaign finance law requires the nominee's party to win a certain percentage of the vote to qualify for govt funding - both make it difficult for third-party candidates

Incorporation of Third-Party Agendas

major parties incorporate the agendas of the third-parties in order to attract third-party voters

Ballot Requirements

high fees, petition signatures required to appear on ballots

Electoral College

winner-take-all system awards the state's electoral votes to the winner of the state's popular vote; third-party candidates rarely win the state's popular vote

Ralph Nader and the 2000 Election

Ralph Nader ran as the Green Party candidate in 2000. The Green Party is more liberal than the Democratic Party, so many observers believe that Nader took more votes away from Gore than Bush. When asked if only Gore and Bush were on the ballot, 47% of Nader voters said they'd vote for Gore, 21% for Bush and 32% wouldn't vote at all. Bush won Florida by 537 votes. Nader received 97,488 votes in Florida. If Gore won Florida he would have won the presidency

Interest Groups

An organization of people with similar policy goals who enter the political process to try and achieve those goals. Usually policy specialists (focus on particular issue, like education or gun rights); may support candidates, but do not run their own slate of candidates; appeal to a select group of voters

Political parties

policy generalists (have to cover multiple policy areas); run candidates for public office; have to appeal to all voters

Pluralism

groups complete and counterbalance one another in the political marketplace

Federalism

division of power between local, state, and national govts

Lobbying

applying pressure to influence government (at whichever level, state or national); one of the main functions of interest groups

Business

US Chambers of Commerce; US Women's Chamber of Commerce

Labor

AFL-CIO; National Domestic Workers Alliance; NEA

Professional

American Medical Association; American Bar Association

Agricultural

American Farm Bureau; Farmers Market Coalition

Environmental

ELF; Sierra Club; National Wildlife Federation

Consumer

Better Business Bureau; Consumer Union

Ideological

NOW; NRA; AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power

Public Interest

work on issues that impact the general public; rather than a small group of members; ACLU

Single-Issue

focus on advocacy around a single defining issue; National Right to Life; Planned Parenthood; Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Governmental

National League of Cities; National Governors Association

Free rider problem

people who benefit from a group's efforts without joining (and paying dues)This problem is faced by groups seeking a collective benefit for a large group- limits the group's potential because not all those benefiting help pay the bill

Revolving door

about half of those who served in Congress become lobbyists after leaving Congress

Progressive Era

time at the turn of the 20th century in which groups sought to reform America economically, socially, and politically

16th (1913)

empowered Congress to tax individual incomes, which enhanced the national treasury and encouraged groups to push for more services

17th (1913)

direct election of US Senators - now Senators had to consider the views of all voters, not just the elites

19th (1920)

gave women the right to vote - doubled the potential voting population; politicians now had to address issues of concern to women (urban decay, child labor, alcoholism, and other humanitarian concerns)

Congressional Elections

All House seats and one-third of Senate seats are up for election every two years

Midterm election

federal elections that take place halfway through a president's term

Coattail effect

the extent of presidential popularity; can have positive or negative on Congressional elections

Candidate's Campaign Committee

a team of professions that coordinate events, talk to the press, develop strategy, conduct voter outreach, create ads

Tillman Act of 1907

Banned corporate donations, so corporations had to establish separate PACs. Some corporate revenue may be used to set up the PAC, but then it must raise money on its own organizations must also est PACS to give money to candidates

Federal Election Campaign Act, 1974

Required all candidates for fed office to disclose how had contributed money to their campaigns, and how that money had been spent. Instituted limits on campaign contributions. Established the Federal Election Commission - enforces limits on campaign contributions; also a repository for campaign finance reports. Provided a means to collect taxpayer money to help finance campaigns - the money is collected via a voluntary check-off box

Buckley v. Valeo, 1976

SC struck down a provision of the Fed election Campaign Act that limited the amount individual could contribute to their own campaigns (no limit to how much you can contribute to your own campaign). Rationale: Big campaign contributions could corrupt politicians, one could hardly corrupt oneself

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain-Feingold), 2002

Banned soft-money contributions (money given to a political party that CAN NOT be used to support a specific candidate - unlimited and unregulated). Adjusted the donation limits set by the FECA upward and for inflation. "Stand by your Ad"provision - attempt to reduce attack ads. Banned corporations and unions from independent political spending within 60 days of a general election or 30 days of a primary election. Banned direct contributions from corporations to candidate campaigns or political parties. Banned corporations or unions from funding electioneering communications from their general treasuries and required the disclosure of donors to such communications

Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission (2010)

BCRA prevented corporations or nonprofit agencies from engaging in "electioneering communications" 60 days before the general election. In 2008, Citizens United produced Hillary: The Movie, but was prevented from airing it because of the BCRA. Citizens United argued that BRCA violated free speech. No and Yes for Citizens United, 5-4. Under the First Amendment, corporate/union/other organizations funding of independent political broadcasts from their general treasuries cannot be limited, provided that they do not coordinate with the campaigns

Connected PACs

PACs formed by corporations, labor unions, and trade groups; funded separately from the organization's treasury through donations from members. Can make limited donations directly to candidates

Nonconnected PACs

Have no sponsoring organization; often form around a single issue. Can solicit funds from the general public. Can make limited donations directly to candidates

Leadership PACs

A type of nonconnected PAC. Formed by any current or former elected official. Can collect from the general public. Can make limited donations directly to candidates

Super PACs

Appeared during the 2010 campaign. Independent expenditure only PACs. Collect contributions from multiple sources (corporations, unions, and individuals). May accept donations of any size, and can endorse candidates, but they CAN NOT contribute directly to a candidate or party

SpeechNow.org v. FEC, 2010

DC Court of Appeals ruled that PACs that did not contribute directly to a candidate or campaign, could accept unlimited contributions. Critics argue that this represents a threat to the spirit on campaign contributions designed to minimize corruption in politics

Free press

an uninhibited institution that places an additional check on govt to maintain honesty, ethics, and transparency

Scorekeeping

results from horse-race journalism; keeping score of how the candidates are doing in the polls or presidential approval ratings; tends to ignore policy

Gatekeeping

the news media set their own agenda by determining what is newsworthy, and therefore deciding what information the public will receive

Watchdog

scrutinize the government and politicians; root out corruption, scandal or inefficiency; relationship between govt and press more adversarial after Vietnam and Watergate

Agenda Setting

Media influences the list of issues to be addressed by the government

Political Reporting

objective, standard "just-the-facts" types of stories; front page stories and investigative journalism

Political Analysis

a form of journalistic expression that explores and provides opinions on a topic; valuable way to educate the public on legislation, court rulings, budget proposals, etc.

Political Commentary

provides opinion and interpretation rather than "just-the-facts" reporting. Newspaper editorials or op-eds

Increased media choices

We have more choices for news than ever before, but many are of dubious quality

Ideologically oriented programming

Many seek out sources that appeal to their personal beliefs

Consumer-driven media outlets

Goal of media organizations is to make money, so journalism standards have fallen as they compete for clicks, views, and ratings

Emerging technologies that reinforce existing beliefs

Leads to confirmation bias as people are told what they already agree with; Increases polarization and partisanship among citizens

Uncertainty over credibility of news sources and information

Some struggle to determine objectivity or credibility of a news source