AP GOV unit 5

political participation

The many different ways that people take part in politics and government

Suffrage

the right to vote

political efficacy

The belief that one's political participation makes a difference.

rational-choice voting

assumes that political actors will make decisions based on their own benefit, carefully weighing all choices

retrospective voting

voting for a candidate because you like his or her past actions in office

prospective voting

voting based on the imagined future performance of a candidate

party-line voting

process in which voters select candidates by their party affiliation

voter turnout

The number of eligible voters who actually vote in an election.

structural barriers to voting

Barriers that prevent people from voting, registration, ballot complexity, two-party system, and elections are all considered institutional barriers - they all make voting difficult and can hinder some from voting

Grandfather Clause

A clause in registration laws allowing people who do not meet registration requirements to vote if they or their ancestors had voted before 1867.

literacy test

A test given to persons to prove they can read and write before being allowed to register to vote

poll tax

A requirement that citizens pay a tax in order to register to vote

white primary

primary election in which Southern states allowed only whites to vote.

voter registration laws

a system adopted by the states that requires voters to register well in advanced of Election Day. A few states permit Election Day registration.

midterm congressional elections

congressional elections held midway between successive presidential elections

presidential election

Elections held in years when the president is on the ballot.

referendum

a legislative act is referred for final approval to a popular vote by the electorate

Recall

procedure whereby voters can remove an elected official from office

Initiative

A procedure by which voters can propose a law or a constitutional amendment.

Precinct

A voting district

civic engagement

individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern

ideological orientation

Ideologies help people make political choices and guide their political actions

contemporary political issue

political issue occurring at the same time.

religious affiliation

The identification with a particular religion

Political Parties

groups that help elect people and shape policies

interest group

An organization of people sharing a common interest or goal that seeks to influence the making of public policy

linkage institutions

the political channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the policy agenda

electorate

the citizens eligible to vote

voter mobilization

a party's efforts to inform potential voters about issues and candidates and to persuade them to vote

invisible primary

The period before any votes are cast when candidates compete to win early support from the elite of the party and to create a positive first impression of their leadership skills.

Iowa Caucus

first state to hold a caucus or primary

New Hampshire Primary

First Presidential primary and its winner becomes the media's major attention

Swing States

In a presidential race, highly competitive states in which both major party candidates stand a good chance of winning the state's electoral votes.

majority

The candidate or party that wins more than half the votes cast in an election.

front-loading

The recent tendency of states to hold primaries early in the calendar in order to capitalize on media attention.

retail politics

an approach to campaigning based on direct contact with voters

party platform

A political party's statement of its goals and policies for the next four years. The platform is drafted prior to the party convention by a committee whose members are chosen in rough proportion to each candidate's strength. It is the best formal statement of a party's beliefs.

party chairperson

the chairman of the national committee of the political party who usually acts as the head of the party's permanent organization and has general direction of party strategy especially during election campaigns.

delegate

A person appointed or elected to represent others

Superdelegates

National party leaders who automatically get a delegate slot at the Democratic national party convention.

coattail effect

The boost that candidates may get in an election because of the popularity of candidates above them on the ballot, especially the president.

candidate recruitment

parties often ask viable candidates to run and target seats they see as winnable

campaign management

guide users through marketing campaigns by performing such tasks as campaign definition, planning, scheduling, segmentation, and success analysis

media strategy

the process of analyzing and choosing media for an advertising and promotions campaign

critical election

An election when significant groups of voters change their traditional patterns of party loyalty.

Realignment

substantial group of voters switches party allegiance, producing a long-term change in the political landscape.

Dealignment

A decline in party loyalties that reduces long-term party commitment.

Third Party Candidate

someone who represents a political party that is neither Democrat nor Republican

independent candidate

a candidate who is not associated with any political party

Spoiler Role

minor party candidates can pull decisive votes away from one of the major parties' candidates, especially if the minor party candidate is from a splinter party

Faithless Elector

Elector who does not vote for the candidate they promised to vote for. These have never determined outcome of presidential election but is a major problem with electoral college system

proportional voting system

A system in which each party receives a percentage of seats in a representation assembly that is roughly comparable to its percentage of the popular vote.

single-member district

An electoral district in which voters choose one representative or official.

winner-take-all system

an election system in which the candidate with the most votes wins

Drafting legislation

Interest groups draft legislation and attempt to convince members of Congress to introduce it on their behaves

free rider problem

For a group, the problem of people not joining because they can benefit from the group's activities without joining.

political actor

any person or group engaged in political behavior

single-issue groups

Groups that have a narrow interest, tend to dislike compromise, and often draw membership from people new to politics.

public interest group

an organization that seeks a collective good that will not selectively and materially benefit group members

Lobbying

Engaging in activities aimed at influencing public officials, especially legislators, and the policies they enact.

grassroots lobbying

indirect lobbying efforts that spring from widespread public concern

amicus curiae brief

a brief submitted by a "friend of the court"

revolving door

Employment cycle in which individuals who work for governmental agencies that regulate interests eventually end up working for interest groups or businesses with the same policy concern.

closed primary

A primary in which only registered members of a particular political party can vote

Caucuses

meetings where political parties chose their candidates

party convention

A meeting of party delegates to vote on matters of policy and in some cases to select party candidates for public office.

national popular vote

a new plan where states would award their electoral votes to the candidate who gets the most popular votes nationwide

professional campaign consultants

Contemporary local, state, and national campaigns increasingly rely on

election cycle

The two-year period between general elections.

Case Law

the rules of law announced in court decisions

war chest

funds collected by a candidate to spend on a political campaign

soft money

Campaign contributions unregulated by federal or state law, usually given to parties and party committees to help fund general party activities.

hard money

Political contributions given to a party, candidate, or interest group that are limited in amount and fully disclosed.

Dark Money

political money where the donors of the money do not have to be disclosed

attack ads

Campaign advertising that criticizes a candidate's opponent-typically by making potentially damaging claims about the opponents background or record- rather than focusing on positive reasons to vote for the candidate

issue ads

ads that focus on issues and do not explicitly encourage citizens to vote for a certain candidate

independent expenditures

Expenses on behalf of a political message that are made by groups that are uncoordinated with any candidate's campaign.

"Stand by Your Ad" Provision

Political Action Committee (PAC)

A committee set up by a corporation, labor union, or interest group that raises and spends campaign money from voluntary donations

Super Political Action Committee

a type of independent political action committee which may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, and individuals but is not permitted to contribute to or coordinate directly with parties or candidates.

527 groups

Independent groups that seek to influence the political process but are not subject to contribution restrictions because they do not directly advocate the election of a particular candidate.

501(c)(3) organization

A tax code classification that applies to most interest groups; this designation makes donations to the group tax-deductible but limits the group's political activities.

501 (c) 4 groups

A social welfare organization that can devote no more than 50 percent of its funds to politics. Sometimes referred to as "dark money" groups because they do not have to disclose their donors.

horserace journalism

the claim that the media is more interested in covering a campaign like a horserace focusing more on who is ahead rather than in-depth coverage of issues.

Gatekeeper

A team member who keeps abreast of current developments and provides the team with relevant information.

Scorekeeper

The role played by the national media in keeping track of and helping make political reputations.

watchdog

The role played by the national media in investigating political personalities and exposing scandals.

Media Bias

Bias or slant in the selection of which news to report and how the news is reported.

sound bite

a radio or video clip of someone speaking

adversarial press

the tendency of the national media to be suspicious of officials and eager to reveal unflattering stories about them

incumbency advantage

the electoral edge afforded to those already in office

open primaries

Elections to select party nominees in which voters can decide on Election Day whether they want to participate in the Democratic or Republican contests.

amendment 19

Women's suffrage

Amendment 15

You cannot prevent a person from voting because of race, color, or creed.

amendment 17

Popular election of U.S. Senators.

Amendment 24 (1964)

Abolition of poll taxes

Amendment 26 (1971)

Lower voting age to eighteen.

Citizens United v. FEC

Turned BCRA around. Money is an expression, free speech. (2010)

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act

Largely banned party soft money, restored a long-standing prohibition on corporations and labor unions for using general treasury funds for electoral purposes, and narrowed the definition of issue advocacy.