ap gov unit 3

5.0(1)
learnLearn
examPractice Test
spaced repetitionSpaced Repetition
heart puzzleMatch
flashcardsFlashcards
Card Sorting

1/58

flashcard set

Earn XP

Description and Tags

Study Analytics
Name
Mastery
Learn
Test
Matching
Spaced

No study sessions yet.

59 Terms

1
New cards
common elements of American political culture
liberty, equality, democracy, civic duty, individual responsibility
2
New cards
core values of American government
Individualism, equality of, opportunity, free enterprise, rule of law, limited government
3
New cards
agents of socialization
family (most important), school , peers , mass media
4
New cards
political ideology
a set of specific ideas, attitudes, and beliefs; provides a coherent plan for social, political, or economic action
5
New cards
conservatism
- favor more limited (or local) government - pro-business (less government regulation of markets) - lower taxes/ less government spending on social programs - individual achievement, meritocracy - favor more regulation of private social conduct (anti-abortion, anti-same sex marriage/LGBTQ+ rights, favor religious activity - favor gun rights and strong national defense
6
New cards
liberlism
- favor an expansive and active federal government to address social and economic problems (gov programs to combat poverty, medicare, headstart, regulation of economy - less regulation of private social conduct, more government support for social justice - less spending on military/defense and pro-gun control
7
New cards
libertarianism
- favor minimal government with low/no taxes or regulation - place a very high value on individual rights and freedom (liberal on social issues: gun rights, legalize marijuana, abortion rights) -favor small military for self-defense only
8
New cards
public opinion
what the public thinks about an issue, candidate, public official, ect
9
New cards
how to measure public opinion
public opinion polls --interviews or surveys with samples of citizens that are used to estimate the feelings and beliefs of the entire population
10
New cards
random digit dialing
generating public polls through dialing random phone numbers
11
New cards
types of public opinion polls
straw polls,tracking polls,entrance polls,exit polls,internet polls,push polls,benchmark polls
12
New cards
issues with polling
biased questions,sampling errors,bandwagon effect,underdog effect
13
New cards
what makes a poll scientific
random selection,representative sample,sampling error,weighting,sample size,questions written in neutral language
14
New cards
politcal efficacy
-extent to which citizens feel they understand and can influence government -the belief that political participation matters and can make a difference
15
New cards
Types of political participation
voting,working in campaigns,contacting public officials,participating in community affairs,donating money to candidates,attending or belonging to a,political organization,political protest
16
New cards
rational-choice voting
voting based on what is perceived to be in the citizen's individual interest
17
New cards
retrospective voting
voting based on the recent passed
18
New cards
prospective voting
voting based on predictions of the future
19
New cards
party line voting
voting based on belonging to a party
20
New cards
amendments expanding voter rights
15th,17th,19th,23rd,24th,26th
21
New cards
Candidate Centered Campaigns
campaigns that focus on the candidates, their particular issues, and character
22
New cards
consequences of candidate centered campaigns
- parties have less control - more emphasis on the candidate than issues, ideology, or party - parasitic relationship between candidates and the media
23
New cards
rules of federal elections
- each state has its own election laws and ballots - regularly scheduled elections - fixed, staggered, and sometimes limited terms - winner takes all - use of electoral college
24
New cards
fixed terms
House: 2 Senate: 6 President: 4
25
New cards
staggered terms
every member of HOR up every 2 years; only 1/3 of senate up for re-election at a time
26
New cards
term limits
president limited to 2 terms or 10 years (22 amendment)
27
New cards
electoral college
collective name for 538 electors who chose the president and vice-president; must get 270 votes to win
28
New cards
presidential selection process
1. caucuses and primaries 2. nominating conventions 3. general election 4. electoral college
29
New cards
Caucus
A meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates for public office and to decide the platform.
30
New cards
presidential primary elections
special elections in which voters select candidates to be the party's nominee for president in the general election
31
New cards
front-loading primaries
states vie (compete) for earlier primaries to claim greater influence in nomination process,
32
New cards
closed primaries
voters may vote in a party's primary only if they are registered members of said party
33
New cards
pledged delegates
* chosen at state and local level,
* must vote for candidate who won the popular vote
34
New cards
superdelegates
\-members of the democratic party who serve as unpledged delegates at the party convention,

free to vote for any candidate
35
New cards
linkage institution
channels that allow individuals to communicate their preferences to policy makers ex: parties, interest groups
36
New cards
functions of political parties
- mobilizing support and gathering power - force for stability - unity, linkage, accountability -electioneering function - policy formation and promotion - controlling the agenda of government
37
New cards
why do we have a two party system
-federalist v. antifederalist - electoral college - federal and state laws
38
New cards
dealignment
reduction in self-identification of major political parties
39
New cards
third party
any political party organized in at least some states, other than the two current leading parties aka minor parties
40
New cards
why do third parties form
- ideological parties - splinter parties - single-issue
41
New cards
importance of third parties
* a third party may replace a major one
* influence (major parties often take on the ideas of third parties)
* spoilers (preventing major party candidate from winning)
42
New cards
barriers to third-party success
- winner takes all - money - major parties adopting ideologies (democrats with climate change) - media - election rules
43
New cards
Interest Groups vs. Political Parties
interest groups do not produce candidates to run for office but instead try to influence policy
44
New cards
interest groups
organizations of people sharing a common interest or goal that seek to influence government policy
45
New cards
corporation interest groups
google, tyson, verizon, ect
46
New cards
economic interest groups/ trade associations
chamber of commerce, american realtor association
47
New cards
public interest groups
ACLU, common cause
48
New cards
single issue interest groups
NRA, PETA
49
New cards
interest group activities
- educate voters and office holders - mobilize membership to apply pressure through grassroots organizing, protests/ demonstration
50
New cards
lobbyist
a person, often a professional, attempting to influence government decisions on behalf of a special interest group
51
New cards
interest group influence can be impacted by-
inequality of political and economic resources - unequal access to decision makers - free-rider problem
52
New cards
hard money
campaign contributions regulated and limited by the federal. government that are given directly to a candidate
53
New cards
soft money
unlimited and unregulated campaign contributions to federal candidates and the national parties. supposedly for generic "party building" activities (get-out-the-vote drives, bumper stickers, yard signs, ect)
54
New cards
Political Action Committee (PAC)
officially registered fund-raising organization that represents interest groups in the political process
55
New cards
super PACs
these PACs may raise and spend unlimited sums of money in order to advocate for or against political candidates
56
New cards
Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA)
increased disclosure of contributions for federal campaigns and 1974 amendments placed legal limits on the campaign contributions
57
New cards
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
banned national parties and officeholders from raising and spending "soft money" and prohibited corporations and unions from funding "electioneering communications" within 30 days before a primary or 60 days before a general election
58
New cards
Buckley v. Valeo (1976)
candidates spending money to finance their own campaigns is a form of constitutionally protected free speech through the 1st Amendment
59
New cards
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)
ruled spending is protected speech under the 1st amendment and the government cannot prohibit spending by corporations and labor unions to support or denounce individual candidates in elections