AP GOV BUZZWORDS 5

Mr. Byall

Two party (bipartisan) system

Democrats, Republicans

A political system in which two major political parties dominate the government. One of the two parties typically holds a majority in the legislature and is referred to as the majority party, while the other is the minority party. This system often leads to a competition where candidates from the two major parties have a better chance of winning elections than third-party candidates.

Third Party (Minor Party)

A political party in a two-party system that is not one of the two major parties. Third parties often struggle to gain significant support and electoral victories due to various factors like ballot access laws, campaign finance regulations, and the winner-take-all electoral system, but they can influence elections by bringing new issues to the political agenda or by drawing votes away from major party candidates.

Independents

In a political system, independents are individuals who choose not to align with any specific political party. They can run for office without party affiliation, offering an alternative to the major parties. Their presence in government can be significant, especially in legislative bodies, where they might hold swing votes or introduce perspectives not tied to party platforms.

Platform

a political party's or candidate's declared policy positions, principles, and objectives on various issues. It outlines what they stand for and what they intend to do if elected to office.

Split-ticket voting

when a voter selects candidates from different political parties for various offices in the same election. For example, a voter might cast a ballot for a Republican presidential candidate and a Democratic senatorial candidate. This practice is distinct from straight-ticket voting, where a voter chooses all candidates from a single political party.

Party Coalition

when two or more political parties join forces to form a government. This happens when no single party wins enough seats in an election to govern alone.

Realignment

a significant and lasting shift in the political landscape, where the long-term allegiances of voters, the dominant political party, or the fundamental issues that define political competition change dramatically. 

Dealignment

a trend where voters weaken or completely abandon their loyalty to traditional political parties, without immediately adopting an allegiance to a new one.

Divided government

a situation in presidential systems, such as the United States, where control of the executive branch and the legislative branch is split between two different political parties. 

national convention

a formal gathering held by a major political party (such as the Democrats and Republicans) every four years during a U.S. presidential election cycle. Its primary functions are to officially nominate the party's presidential and vice-presidential candidates, adopt a national platform, and unify party members ahead of the general election

linkage institutions (political parties, interest groups, elections, media)

are essential structures within a society that connect citizens to the government and allow the public's concerns to become part of the political agenda. They are the channels through which people can express their preferences and influence policymakers

interest groups (lobbies) - (economic interests, public interests, government interests, free riders)

often referred to as lobbies, are private organizations whose members share common views and objectives. They work to influence government policy to benefit their specific causes or members. They act as linkage institutions by channeling citizen concerns into the political process.

PACs v. Super PACs

Political Action Committees (PACs), Super PACs, 501(c)(3) organizations, and 501(c)(4) organizations are all ways that groups can pool resources to influence politics and policy, but they operate under very different rules regarding fundraising, spending, and disclosure

• PACs are the standard mechanism for direct involvement in elections, with capped donations and coordination.

• Super PACs were created after the Citizens United v. FEC Supreme Court case, allowing unlimited fundraising and spending, provided they operate independently of campaigns.

Political ideology / Spectrum (radical, liberal, moderate, conservative, reactionary, libertarian)

• Left-wing ideologies generally support political change, social equality, and a larger role for government intervention in the economy.

• Right-wing ideologies generally support maintaining the existing social order, individual liberty, and a limited government role in the economy.

Radical - Far left

Liberal - Left / Center left

Moderate - Center

Conservative - Right / Center right

Reactionary - Far right

Generational Effects

(also known as cohort effects) describe how major historical events or social trends experienced during a generation's formative years (late adolescence and early adulthood) shape their political views for their entire lives.

501c3 and 501c4 organizations

• 501(c)(3)s are non-political charities that focus on education or public service and receive tax-deductible donations.

• 501(c)(4)s are "social welfare" groups that can lobby and participate in some political activity, but electioneering must not be their main purpose, and donations are not tax-deductible. 

Public Opinion (Saliency, Intensity, Stability)

• Saliency: Refers to the prominence or importance of a particular issue to the public or a specific group. Issues with high salience are more likely to influence voting behavior and receive government attention, as the public is more engaged and informed about them.

• Intensity: Measures how strongly individuals hold a specific opinion. High-intensity opinions often indicate a greater likelihood of political participation (e.g., voting, protesting) and can push policymakers to prioritize or act on certain issues.

• Stability: Refers to the constancy of public opinion over time. Some opinions are highly stable, remaining consistent for long periods, while others can be volatile and change quickly in response to new information, media coverage, or focusing events (sudden, widely known incidents). 

General public v. Issue Public

they represent different segments of the population with distinct levels of interest, knowledge, and engagement regarding political issues

general - all ordinary people in society

issue - focused to a small group surrounding an issue

Political Socialization

the lifelong process through which individuals acquire their political beliefs, attitudes, values, and behaviors. It explains how people form their opinions about government, political parties, and civic duties. 

Random Sampling (sampling error)

a fundamental technique in public opinion research where every individual in a target population has an equal chance of being selected for a survey or a poll. The goal is to obtain a representative subset of the population, thereby minimizing bias and allowing researchers to make valid inferences about the larger group

Sampling error is the natural and expected discrepancy between the results obtained from a random sample and the actual values (parameters) of the entire population.

Sampling Techniques

They are broadly divided into two major categories: probability sampling (random selection) and non-probability sampling (non-random, deliberate selection)

Simple Random

Systematic

Stratified

Cluster

Exit polls

a survey of voters as they leave polling places on Election Day, asking who they voted for and why (issues, demographics) to predict outcomes, understand voter behavior (like turnout, motivations, demographics), and analyze election trends,

Entrance Polls

a survey conducted with voters before they cast their ballots on Election Day or at a caucus. 

Benchmark polls

(or baseline poll) is the initial survey conducted by a political campaign to gather foundational data on a candidate's support, public opinion on key issues, and voter demographics at the very beginning of a race. 

tracking poll

a type of opinion poll that repeatedly surveys the same group of people over time to measure shifts in public opinion or support for a candidate or issue, helping campaigns understand if their message is gaining or losing traction during a campaign

Focus groups

a small, carefully selected group of individuals who are brought together by a political campaign or polling organization to engage in a guided discussion about a candidate, specific policy issues, or political messages. 

Bias news media

the tendency of news outlets to report with a slant, favoring one political view, ideology, or agenda over objectivity, influencing public perception through story selection, framing, and loaded language, often creating echo chambers

Selective Attention

the tendency for individuals to pay attention only to those news stories or parts of stories that align with their existing political beliefs and values, while ignoring information that challenges or contradicts those beliefs. 

agenda setting/gatekeeping

the media's role in filtering which stories reach the public,

the resulting power to influence which issues the public and policymakers consider important

new media

refers to sources of information that utilize digital platforms and internet-based technologies to deliver content, in contrast to traditional "old" media outlets like newspapers, magazines, radio, and broadcast television. 

ex: websites, social media, blogs

horse race journalism

refers to media coverage of elections that emphasizes the competition, strategies, and "who's ahead/behind" aspects (like poll numbers) rather than substantive policy debates or the actual issues at stake

Public Agenda

refers to the set of issues and topics that the general public and the political community perceive as meriting public attention and governmental action. 

Bolter parties,

These are third parties that "bolt" or break away from one of the two major parties (Democrats or Republicans) because their members feel the major party is not responding to their demands or has strayed from their core principles.

Example: The Reform Party, started by Ross Perot in the 1990s, broke from the mainstream to focus on issues like the federal budget and campaign finance reform

doctrinal parties,

These parties represent a comprehensive ideology that is considered too radical or outside the mainstream of American politics by the major parties. They value their principles and consistent platform above winning elections.

• Examples: The Socialist, Communist, and Libertarian parties are examples of doctrinal parties.

single-issue parties

These parties are formed to promote one specific public policy matter or cause and concentrate their efforts solely on that issue. They tend to dislike compromise and have very passionate members.

Example: The Prohibition Party