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political participation
The different ways in which individuals take action to shape the laws and policy of a government
Political action committee
An organization that raises money to elect and defeat candidates and may donate money directly to a candidates campaign subject to limits
Linkage institution
Channels that connect individuals with government, including elections, political parties, interest group, and the media
Social movements
The joining of individual seeking social or political change with the goal of placing issues on the policy agenda
Franchise or suffrage
The right to vote
26th amendment
Allows those eighteen years old and older to vote
24th amendment
Prohibits Congress and states from imposing poll taxes as a condition for voting in federal elections
Poll tax
A payment required by a state or federal government before a citizen is allowed to vote
Voter turnout
The number of eligible voters who participate in an election as a percentage of the total number of illegible voters
Demographic characteristics
Measurable characteristics of a population such as economic status, education, age, race, or ethnicity and gender
Socioeconomic status
A measure of an individuals, wealth, income occupation, and Educational attainment
Political efficacy
A persons belief that he or she can make affective political change
Political mobilization
Efforts by political parties to encourage their members to vote
Registration requirements
The set of rules that govern who can vote and how when and where they vote
Absentee ballot
Voting completed and submitted by a voter before the day of an election without going to The polls
Rational choice voting
Voting based on what a citizen believes is in his or her best interest
Retrospective voting
Voting based on an assessment of an incumbent past performance
Prospective voting
Casting a ballot for a candidate who promises to enact policies favored by the voter in the future
Electoral college
A constitutionally required process for selecting the president through slates of electors chosen in each state who are pledged to vote for a nominee in the presidential election
Winner take all system
A system of elections in which the candidate who wins the pity of votes within a state, receives all of that states votes in the electoral college
Battleground State
A state where the polls show a close contest between the Republican and Democratic candidate in a presidential election
Swing state
A state where levels of support for the parties are similar and election swing back-and-forth between Democratic and Republicans
Super pac
An organization that may spend an unlimited amount of money on a political campaign as long as the spending is not coordinated with a campaign
Political identification
The degree to which a voter is connected to an influenced by a particular political party
Straight ticket voting
Voting for all of the candidates on the ballot from one political party
Political party
An organized group of party leaders, office holders and voters that work together to elect candidates to political office
Split ticket boating
Voting for candidates from different parties in the same election
Party platform
A set of positions and policy objectives that members of a political party agreed to
Recruitment
The process through which political parties identify potential candidates
Party coalition
Groups of voters who support a political party overtime
Realignment
When the groups of people who support a political party shifter allegiance to a different political party
Critical election
A major national election that signals a change in the balance of power between the two parties
Party era
A time When one party wins most national elections
Era of divided government
A trend since 1969 in which one party controls one or both houses of Congress and the president is from the opposing party
Nomination
The formal process through which parties choose their candidates for political office
Delegates
A person who acts as the voters representative at a convention to select the parties presidential nominee
Primary election
An election in which a states voters choose delicates who support a candidate for nomination
Open primary
A primary election in which all illegible voters may vote, regardless of their partisan affiliation
Closed primary
A primary election In which only registered voters from a political party may vote
Caucus
A process through which estates eligible voters meet to select, delegates to represent their preferences in the nomination process
Superdelegate
Usually a party leader or activist who is not pledged to a candidate based on the outcome of the states primary or caucus
Front loading
A decision Buy a state to push its primary or caucus to a date as early in the season as possible to become more influential in the nomination process
National convention
A meeting where delicates officially selected parties nominee for the presidency
Candidate centered campaign
A trend in which candidates develop their own strategies and raise money with less influence from the party elite
Two party system
A system in which two political parties dominate politics winning, almost all elections
Proportional representation system
An election system for all legislature In which citizens vote for parties rather than individuals and parties are represented in the legislator according to the percentage of the vote they receive
Single-member plurality system
An election system for choosing members of the legislator, where the winner is the candidate who receives the most votes, even if the candidate does not receive a majority of the votes
Third-party
A minor political party in competition with the two major parties
Interest groups
Voluntary associations of people who come together with the goal of getting the policies that they favor enacted
Social movements
Diffuse groups that educate the public and put pressure on policy makers in an effort to bring about societal change
Civil Society
Groups outside the government that advocate for policy
Pluralist theory
A theory that political power is distributed among many competing groups, which means that no single group can grow to powerful
Elitist theory
A theory that the wealthy elite class has a disproportionate amount of economic and political power
Policy agenda
The set of issues to which government officials voters and the Public are paying attention
Collective action
Political action that occurs when individuals contribute their energy time or money to a larger group goal
Collective good
Also called a public good a public benefit that individuals can enjoy or profit from even if they do not help achieve it
Free riders
Individuals who enjoy collective goods and benefit from the actions of an interest group without joining
selective benefits
Benefits available only to those who join the group
Economic interest groups
Groups advocating on behalf of the financial interest of their members
Public interest groups
Groups that act on behalf of the collective interest of a broad group of individuals
Single issue groups
Associations focusing on one specific area of public policy, often a moral issue about which they are unwilling to compromise
Government interest groups
Organizations acting on behalf of local state or foreign governments
Lobbying
Interacting with government officials in order to advance a groups, public policy goals
revolving door
The movement of individuals between positions in government and lobbying positions
Amicus curiae brief
A brief filed by someone who is not a party to a case in attempt to persuade the court to agree with the agreement set forth in the brief
Iron triangle
The coordinated and mutually beneficial activities of the bureaucracy, Congress and interest groups to achieve share policy goals
Issue network
The web of influence between interest groups policy makers, and policy advocates
Grassroots lobbying
Mobilizing interest group members to pressure the representatives by contacting them directly through phone calls, emails and social media
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