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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.Â
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.Â
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.Â
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