AP Gov Unit 5 Vocab

14th amendment

defines national citizenship and places strict constitutional limits on state governments (Citizenship Clause, Due Process Clause, Equal Protection Clause)

17th amendment

established the direct popular election of U.S. Senators by the voters of each state, replacing the original constitutional system where state legislatures chose senators

24th amendment

prohibits the use of poll taxes or any other taxes as a requirement to vote in federal elections (such as for the President, Vice President, or members of Congress)

15th amendment

prohibits the federal and state governments from denying or abridging a citizen's right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude

19th amendment

prohibits the federal government and state governments from denying or abridging a citizen's right to vote on the basis of sex

26th amendment

prohibits the federal and state governments from denying or abridging the right of U.S. citizens aged 18 or older to vote on account of age

rational choice voting

voting based on what is in the citizen's best intent

prospective voting

voting based on what a candidate or party promises to do in the future

retrospective voting

voting based on whether a party candidate in power should be reelected based on the past

straight ticket voting

choosing all candidates from one party on a ballot

structural barriers

legal, institutional, and procedural rules built into the design of the election system that make it harder for certain people to vote or make it nearly impossible for third-party and independent candidates to win elections

midterm election

a type of election where the people can elect their representatives and other subnational officeholders

party identification

a citizen's psychological attachment or self-proclaimed preference for a specific political party

political efficacy

a citizen's belief that their political participation matters, that they can understand politics, and that the government will respond to their input

presidential election

a quadrennial (four-year) national election cycle in which citizens vote for the president and vice president of the United States, operating through a structured multi-stage process governed by the Constitution and state laws

linkage institutions

a channel or structure that connects individual citizens to government officials and policymakers

interest groups

an organized association of individuals or organizations that shares common goals and tries to influence public policy, shape legislation, and connect citizens to political institutions without running candidates for office under its own label

political parties

an organized group of people who share common political beliefs and join together with the primary goal of winning elections, operating government institutions, and influencing public policy

party platforms

a political party's formal, written statement of its core principles, goals, and policy priorities for the upcoming term

candidate-centered campaigns

where the candidate, not the party, is the product being sold

critical elections

a substancial amount of voters switch party allegiance, producing a long term change in the political landscape

proportional (representation) system

an electoral system in which political parties win legislative seats in direct proportion to the percentage of the popular vote they receive

winner-take-all voting districts

an electoral structure where the single candidate or party that receives the most votes (either a plurality or a majority) wins 100% of the representation or electoral votes for that district or state, while losing candidates receive nothing

lobbying

direct communication by interest groups or paid professionals with government officials (such as members of Congress, staff, bureaucrats, and executive branch officials) to influence legislation, regulations, funding, or policy outcomes

party coalitions

the diverse groups, demographic segments, and specific economic or social interests that join together to support a political party

free riders

an individual who benefits from an interest group's work or collective goods (such as clean air, higher wages, or a policy change) without officially joining, paying dues, or contributing time and effort to the group

single-issue groups

an interest group that focuses its efforts and resources on one specific policy area rather than a broad range of issues

voting constituencies

people who live in an elected official's district or jurisdiction and whom that official represents

political realignments

a major, lasting shift in the coalition of groups supporting each political party, which fundamentally restructures the American political landscape

incumbency advantage

the electoral edge and built-in benefits that current officeholders (incumbents) hold over challengers when running for reelection

closed primaries

only voters registered for the party which is holding the primary may vote

party conventions

a large national gathering held by a political party every four years during the summer before the presidential election

Electoral College

the constitutional system used in the United States to elect the president and vice president

open primaries

a primary election in which any registered voter can vote in any party's primary

caucases

a local meeting of registered political party members who gather to discuss, debate, and select delegates to send to higher-level (state or national) party conventions, or to choose party leadership and policy

general elections

a nationwide event where voters choose their representatives for various levels of government, primarily for the presidency and Congress

popular vote

the total number or percentage of individual ballots cast directly by citizens in an election

electoral vote

a vote cast by a member of the Electoral College representing a specific state or the District of Columbia in the election of the U.S. President and Vice President

partisan voting

when members of Congress vote according to their political party affiliation rather than exercising independent judgment or compromising with the opposing party

gridlock

a situation in which no congressional action or major legislation can be passed because lawmakers lack sufficient consensus

gerrymandering

the intentional redrawing of electoral district boundaries to give one political party, group, or incumbent an unfair advantage over its rivals

constituencies

the body of citizens or voters who live within a specific geographic area and are represented by a particular elected official

duck president (period)

an outgoing chief executive in the final phase of their term—typically after a successor has been elected in November or when the president is ineligible/known not to run for reelection—who experiences reduced political influence and leverage over Congress

delegate

an individual chosen to represent a state, district, or group at a presidential nominating convention or a non-voting representative in the US House of Representatives from a US territory

polarization

the growing ideological distance and division between the Democratic and Republican parties and their supporters, leading to fewer moderate views, less overlap between the two sides, and a sharp decline in political compromise

reapportionment

the process of redistributing the 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives among the 50 states based on population changes recorded by the decennial census

redistricting

the process of redrawing electoral district boundaries (such as for the U.S. House of Representatives or state legislatures) within a state

divided government lane

a situation where one political party controls the White House (the executive branch), while a different political party controls one or both chambers of the U.S. Congress (the legislative branch)

trustee

a model of representation where a member of Congress votes based on their own independent knowledge, conscience, and best judgment rather than the immediate or explicit demands of their constituents

politico

a theory of congressional representation in which a member of Congress shifts between two different voting styles depending on the issue: delegate role and trustee role

Bipartian Campaign Reform Act of 2002

a major campaign finance reform law designed to curb the influence of money in politics by banning soft money and regulating electioneering communications

soft money

unlimited, unregulated financial contributions given to political parties rather than directly to a specific candidate's campaign

political action committees

a private, federally registered organization that pools campaign contributions from members or donors and distributes them to help elect or defeat political candidates

investigative journalism

the use of in-depth, sustained reporting to unearth scandals, scams, schemes, corruption, or hidden government misconduct

political commentary

media interpretation, analysis, evaluation, or advocacy rather than the straight reporting of newly verified facts

house race journalism

a style of political reporting that focuses on who is winning or losing in public opinion polls rather than the candidates' policy platforms, voting records, or substantive issues

media bias

a perceived or actual pattern in selecting, presenting, or interpreting political information that favors a particular perspective, ideology, or outcome