apusgov unit 2 new updated vocab!!

political parties

groups of people with similar interests who work together to create and implement policies

party platform

the position on critical issues often presented in documents

political machines

organizations that secured votes for the party's candidate or supported the party in other ways

personal politics

focused on building direct relationships with voters rather than on promoting specific issues

third parties

political parties formed as alternatives to the democratic and republican parties

two party system

even with other options on the ballot, most voters pick between two dominant parties

plurality voting

the election rule by which the candidate with the most votes wins, regardless of vote share

first past the post

An electoral system in which individual candidates compete in single member districts; voters choose between candidates and the candidate with the largest share of the vote wins the seat... is a plurality voting method

majoritarian voting

a candidate wins only if they enjoy the support of a majority of voters

proportional representation

legislative seats are allocated to competing parties based on total share of votes they receive in the election.

party realignment

a shifting of party allegiances within the electorate

linkage institution

elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media that connect individuals with government.

social movement

people coming together to make social and political change with the goal of placing issues on the policy agenda.

suffrage

the right to vote

15th amendment

prohibits states from discriminating against prospective voters on the basis of race.

19th amendment

gave women the right to vote

26th amendment

lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.

poll tax

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

socioeconomic status

status in society based on level of education, income, and occupational prestige

open primary

all eligible voters may vote in a party's primary election, regardless of their party affiliation.

closed primary

only voters registered with a political party can participate.

semi-closed primary

voters registered with the party and independent voters can participate

registration requirements

setting rules for who can vote, how many ballots may be cast, and where a person may go to vote.

absentee ballots

a mail-in ballot that voters can use to vote instead of going to a polling place

rational choice voting

voting for the candidate that supports the policies that are important to you.

retrospective voting

basing your vote on how the candidate has voted on certain policies in the past.

prospective voting

casting a ballot based on promises made by the candidate

party-line voting

voting for all members of a political party

electoral college

a set of electors who are selected to elect a candidate to particular offices.

winner-take all system

the person with the most votes wins

battleground states

states that have split support for Democratic and Republican candidates in recent presidential election cycles.

interest group

a group of people that seek to influence public policy on the basis of a particular common interest or concern.

economic interest group

advocate on the behalf of the financial interests of their members.

public interest group

act on behalf of the collective interests of a wide range of individuals.

Single-issue group

focus on one specific area of public policy.

government interest groups

act on behalf of the state, regional, local, or foreign governments.

collective action

individuals coming together to contribute their energy, time, or money to a large group pool.

free rider

people who benefit from the actions of an interest group without joining.

lobbying

interacting with government officials to advance a group's goals.

legislative lobbying

seeks to influence how legislation is written in congress

Direct or inside lobbying

contacting members of congress or their staff directly to advocate for their group's position.

Grassroots lobbying

mobilizing members to pressure elected representatives through phone calls, emails, and social media.

judicial lobbying

centers on how laws are interpreted by the courts

executive lobbying

focuses on the executive branch agencies that carry out and enforce laws.

amicus curiae

a brief submitted by a "friend of the court"

hard money

campaign contributions donated directly to candidates

Political Action Committee (PAC)

committees set up by corporations, labor unions, or interest groups that raise and spend campaign money from voluntary donations.

Soft money

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

Bipartisan campaign reform act

aimed to ban soft money, put limits on "party building activities" for national level of political parties, limits donations, and "stand by your ad" (an ad has to say the candidate approved it).

Super PACS

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.

501c4 groups

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

Agenda setting

the process of forming the list of issues to be addressed by government

horse race journalism

Election coverage by the mass media that focuses on which candidate is ahead rather than on national issues.

consumer driven media outlets

media whose content is influenced by the actions and needs of consumers