Civics Unit 3: Political Participation

What are Political Parties?

organized groups that attempt to influence the government by electing their members to important government offices

What are Midterm Elections?

the congressional elections that occur in the even-numbered years between presidential election years, in the middle of the president's term

What are General Elections?

regularly scheduled elections at which voters make the final selection of officeholders including the President

What is the prupose of Primary Elections?

elections held to select a political party's candidate for the general election

Left on the political spectrum is...

liberal (political spectrum)

Right on political spectrum is...

conservative (political spectrum)

What is political socialization?

the process by which people gain their political attitudes and opinions

What is a Party platform?

a set of positions and policy objectives that members of a political party agree to (Example: abortion, death penalty etc.)

How is the President elected?

through the electoral college

How are Congressional members elected?

through popular vote

What is a political ideology?

beliefs on the purpose and function of government.

What are the influences on your political ideological leaning?

Schools, Peers, Social Environments and Media Exposure

What is the winner-takes-all system of the Presidential elections?

Electoral system in which the candidate receiving the most popular votes within a state wins all of the electoral votes.

What are personalized algorithms?

Using personal information to design algorithms to predict and present the information for each unique individual.

How can you be an engaged citizen in the age of social media?

question everything you read, counter false information, lateral read

What is lateral reading?

fact-checking source claims by reading other sites and resources.

What is a margin of error when reviewing a public opinion poll?

a measure of the accuracy of a public opinion poll (+/- 3%)

Which example is representative of a liberal ideology?

Exmaple: The government is responsible for solving social and economic problems by adding regulations.

What is an example of conservative ideology?

Exmaple: The government should be less active in regulating the economy.

What are the two major political parties in the United States?

Democrats and Republicans