AP Government & Politics - Unit 5 Vocabulary

Linkage institutions

Connect citizens to government through various means.

Voting behavior

Patterns and trends in how different demographics vote.

Political efficacy

Belief in one's influence on political processes.

Political apathy

Lack of interest or concern in politics.

15th Amendment

Prohibits voting discrimination based on race.

17th Amendment

Established direct election of U.S. Senators.

19th Amendment

Granted women the right to vote.

23rd Amendment

Gave Washington D.C. electoral votes.

24th Amendment

Prohibits poll taxes in federal elections.

26th Amendment

Lowered voting age to 18 years.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Prohibited racial discrimination in voting.

Rational-choice voting

Voting based on personal benefit analysis.

Retrospective voting

Voting based on past performance of candidates.

Prospective voting

Voting based on future promises of candidates.

Party line voting

Voting for candidates of one political party.

National Voter Registration Act

Simplifies voter registration process in states.

Polling place

Location where voters cast their ballots.

Initiatives

Proposals placed on ballot by citizens.

Referendum

Direct vote on specific legislative proposals.

Recall

Process to remove an elected official from office.

Caucuses vs. Primary

Methods for selecting party nominees for elections.

Open primary

Any registered voter can participate in any party's primary.

Closed primary

Only registered party members can vote in their party's primary.

Absentee ballot

Vote cast by mail or in advance of election.

Political Action Committees (PACs)

Organizations that raise money for political campaigns.

Popular vote

Total votes cast by citizens in an election.

Electoral vote

Votes cast by electors in the Electoral College.

Swing states

States where both parties have similar levels of support.

Electoral College

System for electing the U.S. President via electors.

Winner-take-all system

Candidate receiving majority wins all electoral votes.

Federal Election Campaign Act

Regulates campaign finance for federal elections.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act

Limits soft money contributions to political parties.

Hard money

Regulated contributions directly to candidates.

Soft money

Unregulated contributions to political parties.

Incumbent advantage

Incumbents often have better chances of re-election.

Citizens United vs. FEC

Supreme Court case on campaign finance and free speech.

Interest groups

Organizations that advocate for specific policy goals.

Free riders

Individuals benefiting from interest groups without contributing.

Lobbying

Influencing government decisions through advocacy.

Iron triangles

Stable relationships among interest groups, Congress, and agencies.