POL 106 Final

Public Opinion

the collective attitudes and beliefs of individuals on one or more issues

Public Opinion Polls

scientific efforts to estimate what an entire group thinks about an issue by asking a smaller sample of the group for its opinion

Political Socialization

the process by which we learn our political orientations and allegiances

Patriotism

a strong emotional attachment to one's political community

Spiral of Silence

the process by which a majority opinion becomes exaggerated because minorities do not feel comfortable speaking out in opposition

Gender gap

the tendency of men and women to differ in their political views on some issues

Marriage Gap

the tendency of married and unmarried people to differ in their political views on some issues

Political Generations

groups of citizens whose political views have been shaped by the common events of their youth

Partisan Sorting

the process through which citizens align themselves ideologically with one of the two parties, leaving fewer citizens remaining in the center and increasing party polarization

Sample

the portion of the population that is selected to participate in a poll

Sample Bias

the effect of having a sample that does not represent all segments of the population

Straw Polls

polls that attempt to determine who is ahead in a political race

Sampling Error

a number that indicated within what range the results of a poll are accurate

Random Samples

samples chose in such a way that any member of the population being polled has an equal chance of being selected

Nonresponse Bias

a skewing of data that occurs when there is a difference in opinion between those who choose to participate and those who do not

Weighting

adjustments to surveys during analysis so that selected demographic groups reflect their values in the population, usually as measured by the census

Benchmark Poll

an initial poll on a candidate and issues on which campaign strategy is based and against which later polls are compared

Tracking Polls

an ongoing series of surveys that follow changes in public opinion over time

Exit Polls

election-related questions of voters right after they vote

Push Polls

polls that ask for reactions to hypothetical, often false, information in order to manipulate public opinion

Rational Ignorance

the state of being uninformed about politics because of the cost in time and energy

On-Line processing

the ability to recieve and evaluate information as events happen, allowing us to remember our evaluation even if we have forgotten the specific events that caused it

Two-Step flow of info

the process by which citizens take their political cues from more well-informed opinion leaders

Opinion Leaders

people who know more about certain topics than we do and whose advice we trust, seek out, and follow

Political Party

a group of citizens united by ideology and seeking control of government in order to promote their ideas and policies

Political Gridlock

the stalemate that occurs when political rivals, especially parties, refuse to budge from their positions to achieve a compromise in the public interest

Partisanship

loyalty to a political cause or party

Party Organization

the official structure that conducts the political business of parties

Party-in-Government

party members who have been elected to serve in government

Party-in-the-electorate

ordinary citizens who identify with the party

Party Identification

voter affiliation with a political party

Party base

members of a political party who consistently vote for that party's candidates

responsible party model

party government when four conditions are met: clear choice of ideologies, candidates pledged to implement ideas, party held accountable by voters, and party control over members

Negative Partisanship

loyalty to a party driven by hatred of the other party

hyperpartisanship

a commitment to party so strong that is can transcend other commitments

Party Platform

a list of policy positions a party endorses and pledges its elected officials to enact

Party Activists

the "party faithful"; the rank-and-file members who carry out the party's electioneering efforts

Party Machines

mass-based party systems in which parties provided services and resources to voters in exchange for votes

Party Bosses

party leaders, usually in an urban district, who exercised tight control over electioneering and patronage

Patronage

system in which successful party candidates reward supporters with jobs or favors

Party Primary

an election in which party candidates are nominated by registered party members rather than party bosses

Party Eras

extended periods of relative political stability in which one party tends to control both the presidency and Congress

Critical Election

an election signaling a significant change in popular allegiance from one party to another

Realignment

substantial and long-term shift in party allegiance by individuals and groups, usually resulting in a change in policy direction

Dealignment

a trend among voters to identify themselves as independents rather than as members of a major party

electioneering

the process of getting a person elected to office

Closed Primary

a primary election in which only registered party members may vote

Open Primary

a primary election in which eligible voters do not need to be registered party members

Nominating Convention

the formal party gathering to choose candidates

Soft Money

unregulated campaign contributions by individuals, groups, or parties that promote general election activities but do not directly support individual candidates

Governing

activites directed toward controlling the distribution of political resources by providing executive and legislative leadership, enacting agendas, mobilizing support, and building coalitions

Party Discipline

the ability of party leaders to bring party members in the legislature into line with the party program

Faction

a group of citizens united by some common passion or interest and opposed to the rights of other citizens or to the interests of the whole community

Interest Group

an organization of individuals who share a common political goal and unite for the purpose of influencing government decisions

Political Action Committees

the fundraising arms of interest groups

Super PACs

special PACs that can spend unlimited amounts of money on a candidate's behalf but are not allowed to coordinate their efforts with those of the candidate's campaign

Collective Action Problem

the difficulty in getting people to work together to achieve a common goal when the solution is costly and no one individual has an incentive to use resources to make it happen

collective good

a good or service that, by its very nature, cannot be denied to anyone who wants to consume it

Free Riders

people who refuse to spend time, money, or effort on the collective solution because they can reap the benefits whether they join or not

Selective Incentives

benefits that are available only to group members as an inducement to get them to join

Material Benefits

selective incentives in the form of tangible rewards

Solidary Benefits

selective incentives related to the interaction and bonding among group members

Expressive Benefits

selective incentives that derive from the opportunity to express values and beliefs and to be committed to a greater cause

Lobbying

interest group activities aimed at persuading policymakers to support the group's positions

Economic Interest Groups

groups that organize to influence government policy for the economic benefit of their members

equal opportunity interest groups

groups that organize to promote the civil and economic rights of underrepresented or disadvantaged groups

public interest group

groups that organize to influence government to produce collective goods or services that benefit the general public

Government Interest Groups

groups that organize to represent foreign or domestic governments, and to lobby Congress and the president on their behalf

Direct Lobbying

direct interaction with public officials for the purpose of influencing policy decisions

Indirect Lobbying

attempts to influence government policymakers by encouraging the general public to put pressure on them

Revolving Door

the tendency of public officials, journalists, and lobbyists to move between public and private sector (media, lobbying) jobs

Issue Advocacy Ads

advertisements that support issues or candidates without telling constituents how to vote

Social Protest

public activities designed to bring attention to political causes, usually generated by those without access to conventional means of expressing their views

Grassroots Lobbying

indirect lobbying efforts that spring from widespread public concern

Astroturf lobbying

indirect lobbying efforts that manipulate or create public sentiment, "astroturf" being artificial grassroots

Electoral College

an intermediary body that elects the president

Political Efficacy

citizens' feelings of effectiveness in political affairs

Regulating the electorate

the process of setting rules that define who can vote and how difficult or easy it will be to cast a ballot in an election

Motor Voter Act

legislation allowing citizens to register to vote at the same time they apply for a driver's license or other state benefit

Voting Rights Act of 1965

national civil rights legislation aimed at eliminating racial discrimination in the electoral process

Voter Mobilization

a party's efforts to inform potential voters about issues and candidates and to persuade them to vote

Social Connectedness

citizens' involvement in groups and their relationships to their communities and families

Prospective Voting

basing voting decisions on well-informed opinions and consideration of the future consequences of a given vote

Retrospective Voting

basing voting decisions on reactions to past performance; approving the status quo or a desire for change

Invisible Primary

early attempts to raise money, line up campaign consultants, generate media attention, and get commitments for support even before candidates announce they are running

Exploratory Committee

a committee formed to determine the viability of one's candidacy for office; activities may include polling, travel, and other communications relevant to the purpose

Caucus

local gathering of party members to choose convention delegates

presidential primary

an election by which voters choose convention delegates committed to voting for a certain candidate

Front-Loading

the process of scheduling presidential primaries early in the primary season

Front-Runner

the leading candidate and expected winner of a nomination or an election

Momentum

the widely held public perception that a candidate is gaining electoral strength

Oppo Research

investigation of an opponent's background for the purpose of exploiting weaknesses or undermining credibility

Valence Issues

issues on which most voters and candidates share the same position

Position Issues

issues on which the parties differ in their perspectives and proposed solutions

Wedge Issue

a controversial issue that one party uses to split the voters in the other party

Issue Ownership

the tendency of one party to be seen as more competent in a specific policy area

negative advertising

campaign advertising that emphasized the negative characteristics of opponents rather than one's own strengths

Government Matching Funds

money given by the federal government to qualified presidential candidates in the primary and general election campaigns

hard money

campaign funds donated directly to candidates; amounts are limited by federal election laws

issue advocacy ads

advertisements paid for by soft money, and thus not regulated, that promote certain issue positions but do not endorse specific candidates