AP Gov Unit 5 Vocab

26th Amendment

Lowered voting age to 18

24th Amendment

Eliminated poll taxes, a structural barrier to voting.

14th Amendment

Due Process Clause and Equal Protection Clause as applied to the states; granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the US, including formerly enslaved people.

19th Amendment

Granted women the right to vote.

17th Amendment

Changed the practice for electing Senators from a vote by state legislatures to a direct vote by the people.

15th Amendment

Granted African American men the right to vote.

Horserace Journalism

Based more on popularity and factors other than qualifications and platforms of candidates through the media’s use of polling results to convey popular levels of trust and confidence in government which can affect elections.

Watchog Function of Media

The idea that the media acts as a servant of the people by keeping an eye on politicians, making sure they are not corrupt or negligible in office.

Gatekeeper Function of Media

The media can influence what subjects become national political issues and for how long

Structural Barriers to Voting

Such as Voter ID laws, variation in funding for polling places and workers, variations in types of voting allowed, polling hours, availability of absentee ballots, voting by mail, and early voting opportunities, ability to register in-person and/or online.

Social Media

Interactive technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual networks and communities.

Traditional Media

Include print media, radio, television, cable/satellite, and billboards.

Media Bias

Bias of journalists or producers in the selection and coverage of events and stories.

Investigative Journalism

A form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a topic of interest, particularly with the government; watchdog role of the media.

Consumer-driven Media Outlet

Media whose content is influenced by the actions and needs of consumers.

Agenda Setting

Takes place when traditional news media, new communication technologies, and advances in social media influence how citizens routinely acquire political information, including news events, investigative journalism, election coverage, and political commentary.

Linkage Institution

Channels that allow individuals to communicate their preferences to policymakers, some of which are political parties, interest groups, elections, and media. 

Rational Choice Theory

Refers to individuals who base their decisions on what is perceived to be in their best interest.

Retrospective Voting

Refers to individuals who decide whether the party or candidate in power should be reelected based on the recent past.

Prospective Voting

Refers to individuals who vote based on predictions of how a party or candidate will perform in the future.

Party Coalitions

A group of individuals with a common interest on which every political party depends.

Party-line Voting

To vote in a manner that is consistent with the official policy or opinion of one's political party.

Political Efficacy

The belief that an individual’s participation in the political process will make a difference; used to predict the likelihood of whether an individual will vote.

Midterm Election

The congressional elections that occur in even-numbered years between presidential elections, in the middle of each presidential term.

Political Party

Functions and impact of these on the electorate and government are represented by mobilization and education of voters, party platforms, candidate recruitment, campaign management (including fundraising and media strategy), committee and party leadership systems in legislature; structure of parties has been influenced by critical elections, campaign finance law, and changed in communication and data management technology. Use communication technology and voter data management to disseminate, control, and clarify political messages and enhance outreach and mobilization efforts.

Political Party

A team of people seeking to control the governing apparatus by gaining office in a duly constituted election.

Candidate-centered Campaign

Where the public focus is on the characteristics of the candidate and not on the party.

Critical Elections

Set of sharp changes in party ideology, issues, party leadership, regional and demographic bases of power in political parties, and political system rule and structures.

Critical Elections

An electoral earthquake where new issues emerge, new coalitions replace old ones, and the majority party is often displaced by the minority party

Winner-Take-All Election

Serve as a structural barrier to third-party and independent candidate success; this type of voting advantages the two-party system in the US.

Winner-Take-All Election

An electoral system in which the candidate with the most votes is elected or, in the case of the U.S. Electoral College, gains all the votes of a state or district’s electors

Proportional System

A type of electoral system in which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionally in a legislative body.

Party Convention

A political convention where delegates of a political party come from across the nation to nominate their party candidates and decide on a party platform.

Split-ticket Voting

Refers to individuals who vote for all of the candidates from one political party on a ballot.

Voter Turnout

Differences in state-controlled elections (the hours polls are open, Voter ID laws, variations in types of voting allowed, such as voting by mail, absentee voting, and early voting), variations in voter registration laws and procedures (registering in-person, inline, and automatically), and in election type (more turnout for presidential election than midterm elections).

Voter Turnout

The number of registered voters who vote in an election.

Voter Choice

Factors influencing this include party identification and ideological orientation, candidate characteristics, contemporary political issues, religious beliefs or affiliation, age, gender, race and ethnicity, and other demographic characteristics.

Party-Line Voting

Supporting a party by voting for candidates from one political party for all public offices at the same level of government.

Party Platform

Formal set of principal goals of a political party to appeal to the public/electorate.

Electorate

The people eligible to vote in an election

Ideological/social Movement

A political party or organization focused on a particular political ideology or social movement agenda.

Political Ideology

A set of political ideas and beliefs on how society should function in achieving and prioritizing methods; influenced by generational and life cycle effects, political events, and political socialization.

Globalization

Process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide; US political culture has been influenced by values of other countries.

US Political Culture

The country’s democratic ideals, principles, and core values.

Incumbency Advantage

Benefits current officeholders possess over challengers

Closed Primaries

Voting process to elect candidates where only voters registered in a given party can vote in their party’s primary election.

Open Primaries

Voting process to elect candidates by allowing voters of any party affiliation to vote in one party’s primary election.

General Election

A regular election where all registered voters may vote for candidates for political office.

Popular Vote

An election where the candidate with a majority or plurality of all votes in the nation.

Presidential Election

Characteristics are incumbency advantage phenomenon, open and closed primaries, caucuses, party conventions, general elections, and electoral college.

Presidential Election

Elections that take place every four years, in which voters elect the president and the vice-president.

Caucuses

Closed meetings of party members to select candidates or decide policy.

Congressional Election

Process and outcomes in these elections are affected by incumbency advantage phenomenon, open and closed primaries, caucuses, and general elections. 

Modern Campaign

Benefits and drawbacks of these are represented by dependence on professional consultants, rising campaign costs and intensive fundraising efforts, duration of election cycles, and impact of and reliance on social media for campaign communication and fundraising. 

Third Party

Incorporation of agendas into platforms of major political parties serves as a barrier to independent candidate success.

Third Party

Electoral contenders other than the two major parties. They are not unusual, but rarely win elections.

Electoral College

States can choose how they allocate their electors; most states use a winner-takes-all system

Electoral College

The group of electors chosen by each state to formally vote for the next U.S. president based on the result of voting in the state