STUDY GUIDE - PARTIES, POLITICS, ELECTIONS, AND OPINIONS

FIRST TWO POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE USA

Federalist and Anti-Federalist

MAJOR PARTIES IN THE USA TODAY

Republicans and Democrats

TYPES OF THIRD PARTIES IN THE USA

Issues, Beliefs, Candidate

REASONS FOR A DECLINE IN PARTY LOYALTY

PEOPLE MOVING

MORE INFORMED

SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS

NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS

VOTING QUALIFICATIONS

CITIZEN

18 YEARS OLD

RESIDENT WHERE VOTING

REGISTERED

WAYS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES ARE NOMINATED

CAUCUSES, PRIMARY ELECTION, NOMINATING CONVENTIONS

THREE TYPES OF SPECIAL ELECTIONS

RUNOFF

RECALL

REVOTE

CAN NOT BE ELECTION DAY

TYPES OF INTEREST GROUPS

UNIONS

CAUSE

ECONOMIC

CAN VOTE FOR ANY PARTY ELECTION

Open Primary

CAN ONLY VOTE FOR YOUR PARTY ELECTION

Closed Primary

TRIES TO GET SENATORS ELECTED

SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE

TRIES TO GET REPRESENTATIVES ELECTED

CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE

AT THE POLLS PROCESS

SIGN IN

VOTE

CHECKING

ABSENTEE BALLOTS CHECKED

VOTES COUNTED

TECHNIQUES USED BY INTEREST GROUPS

1. ENDORSEMENTS

2. STACKED CARDS

3. BANDWAGON

4. GLITTERING GENERALITY

5. SYMBOLS / TRANSFER

6. JUST PLAIN FOLKS

7. NAME-CALLING

MAJOR DISADVANTAGE OF THE TWO PARTY SYSTEM

MINORITY PARTIES /

GROUPS GET IGNORED OR SWALLOWED UP BY THE

DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS

THREE NOs FOUND IN THE ONE PARTY SYSTEM

NO VARIETY

NO CHOICES

NO OPPOSITION

THE THREE P EXAMPLES OF THIRD PARTIES

PROHIBITION

POPULIST

PROGRESSIVE

TWO REASONS WHY PEOPLE VOTE

CHOOSE GOVERNMENT

VOICE OPINION

NUMBER OF ELETORAL COLLEGE VOTES NEEDED TO BE PRESIDENT

270

PLATFORM

statements expressing a party’s principles, beliefs, and positions on election issues

PLANK

each individual part of a political party’s platform

PRECINCT

a geographic area that contains a specific number of voters

BALLOT

list of candidates you can vote for in an election

ABSENTEE BALLOT

allows a person to vote without going to the polls on Election Day

EXIT POLL

a survey taken at polling places to see how people vote

APATHY

lack of interest

SOFT MONEY

Unlimited amount of money for general purposes

MASS MEDIA

a mechanism of mass communication like the internet or newspapers

LOBBYIST

Representatives of interest groups who want to influence government officials

WHAT IS THE BASIC ORGANIZATION OF THE DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS?

Both generally have the same goals but have different ways on how they can achieve those goals.

HOW IS THE TOTAL OF 538 ELECTORAL VOTES DETERMINED?

The 538 Electoral total votes are determined by adding the three different parts. The HR gets 435 votes, the Senate gets 100 votes and there are 3 votes for D.C