AP GOV 13,14,15

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