GOV TEST 2

UNIT 3: AMERICAN POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES AND BELIEFS

1. Core values - include individualism, equal opportunity, free enterprise, and rule of law

2. Individualism - each person has the ability to shape their life and destiny through the choices they make

3. Equal opportunity - all people are given an equal chance to compete

4. Free enterprise - the market determines prices, products, and services

5. Rule of law - every person, even those in power, must follow and is accountable to the same laws that govern all

6. Political socialization - the process by which individuals develop political beliefs, values, opinions, and behaviors ; family, schools, peers, media, and social environments (including civic and religious organizations) contribute to the development of an individual’s political attitudes and values

7. United States political culture - its democratic ideals, principles, and core values

8. Globalization - process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide ; U.S. political culture has both influenced and been influenced by the values of other countries

9. Political ideology - a set of political ideas and beliefs on how society should function in achieving and prioritizing goals and methods ; influenced by generational effects and life cycle effects, political events, political socialization

10. Generational effects - experiences shared by people of a common age

11. Life cycle effects - experiences a person encounters during different life stages

12. Scientific poll - a human research survey of public opinion using statistical information to randomly select representative respondents and obtain timely results through unbiased questioning

13. Opinion poll - measuring public opinion on various issues

14. Benchmark poll - creating baseline views of a candidate

15. Tracking poll - following how views of a candidate change during a campaign

16. Exit poll - collecting data on why people voted the way they did

17. Polling methodology - more precise when it includes: i. Accurate sampling methods, including calculating a margin of error ii. Neutral framing of questions (specific and unbiased wording of questions) iii. Accurate reporting (clear reporting and conclusions that can be supported by the data)

18. Public opinion - collective opinion on a topic or issue or voting intention relevant to society

19. Democratic Party - a major political party that generally aligns more closely to liberal ideological positions ; D or DEM

20. Liberalism - favor more governmental regulation of the marketplace ;  generally favor more national government involvement to address some social issues such as education and public health, with less responsibility for these issues left to state governments

21. Republican Party - a major political party that generally aligns more closely to conservative ideological positions ; R or GOP

22. Conservatism - favor fewer regulations in the marketplace ; generally favor less national government involvement to address some social issues such as education and public health, with more responsibility for these issues left to state governments

23. Libertarianism - favor little or no regulation of the marketplace beyond the protection of property rights and voluntary trade ; generally favor little national or state government involvement except when national or state government is protecting private property or individual liberty

POLITICAL PARTICIPATION

24. Fourteenth Amendment - granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S., including formerly enslaved people

25. Fifteenth Amendment - granted African American men the right to vote

26. Seventeenth Amendment - changed the practice for electing Senators from a vote by state legislatures to a direct vote by the people

27. Nineteenth Amendment - granted women the right to vote

28. Twenty-Fourth Amendment - eliminated poll taxes, a structural barrier to voting

29. Twenty-Sixth Amendment - lowered the voting age to 18

30. Rational choice theory - refers to individuals who base their decisions on what is perceived to be in their best interest

31. Retrospective voting - refers to individuals who decide whether the party or candidate in power should be reelected based on the recent past

32. Prospective voting - refers to individuals who vote based on predictions of how a party or candidate will perform in the future

33. Split-ticket voting - refers to individuals who vote for all of the candidates from one political party on a ballot

34. Voter turnout - differences in state-controlled elections (the hours polls are open, Voter ID laws, variations in funding for polling places and workers, variations in types of voting allowed, such as voting by mail, absentee voting, and early voting) ii. Variations in voter registration laws and procedures (registering in-person, online, or automatically) iii. Election type (more turnout for presidential elections than midterm elections)

35. Structural barriers - such as Voter ID laws, variations in funding for polling places and workers, variations in types of voting allowed, polling hours, availability of absentee ballots, voting by mail, and early voting opportunities, ability to register in-person and/or online, 

36. Political efficacy - the belief that an individual’s participation in the political process will make a difference ; used to predict the likelihood of whether an individual will vote

37. Voter choice - factors influencing voter choice include: i. Party identification and ideological orientation ii. Candidate characteristics iii. Contemporary political issues iv. Religious beliefs or affiliation, age, gender, race and ethnicity, and other demographic characteristics

38. Linkage institutions -  channels that allow individuals to communicate their preferences to policymakers: i. Political parties ii. Interest groups iii. Elections iv. Media

39. Political party - functions and impact of political parties on the electorate and government are represented by: i. Mobilization and education of voters ii. Party platforms iii. Candidate recruitment iv. Campaign management, including fundraising and media strategy v. The committee and party leadership systems in legislatures ; structure of parties has been influenced by: i. Critical elections (elections in which there is a realignment of political party support among voters) ii. Campaign finance law iii. Changes in communication and data management technology ;  use communication technology and voter data management to disseminate, control, and clarify political messages and enhance outreach and mobilization efforts

40. Electorate - the people eligible to vote in an election

41. Party platform - formal set of principal goals of a political party to appeal to the public / electorate 

42. Candidate-centered campaign - where the public focus is on the characteristics of the candidate and not on the party

43. Critical elections / Realignments - set of sharp changes in party ideology, issues, party leadership, regional and demographic bases of power in political parties, and political system rules and structures

44. Third party - ; incorporation of third-party agendas into platforms of major political parties serves as a barrier to third-party and independent candidate success

45. Proportional system - a type of electoral system in which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionally in a legislative body

46. Winner-take-all system - serve as a structural barrier to third-party and independent candidate success ; winner-take-all voting advantages the two-party system in the U.S.

47. Interest group -  may represent very specific or more general interests, and can educate voters and office holders, conduct lobbying, draft legislation, and mobilize membership to apply pressure on and work with legislators and government agencies ; may also file an amicus curiae briefs ; exert influence by working within party coalitions and through iron triangles and issue networks ;  may have large memberships and are able to mobilize those members, and possess access to large financial reserves ; some may have more direct and more frequent access to important people in the policy process

48. Amicus curiae brief - a written document submitted as a “friend of the court” to provide additional information for justices to consider when reviewing a case

49. AARP - a non-profit organization focused on the issues affecting those above 50 years of age ; lobbies in favor of entitlement programs, such as Social Security and Medicare

50. Lobbying - act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of public policymakers 

51. Free rider - individuals who benefit from the work of an interest group without providing financial support ; interest groups may deal with this issue by providing selective benefits, goods and services that are only available to members, to encourage more people to join

52. Single-issue group - political party or organization focused on lobbying on a specific policy area or idea

53. Ideological/social movements - a political party or organization focused on a particular political ideology or social movement agenda

54. Protest movement - a political party or organization focused on addressing a perceived injustice or disagreement with public policies, agendas, or current political, economic, or social circumstances and situations

55. Professional organization - an interest or advocacy group consisting of members of a common career field

56. Incumbency advantage - benefits current officeholders possess over challengers

57. Open primary - voting process to elect candidates where only voters registered in a given party can vote in their party’s primary election

58. Closed primary - voting process to elect candidates by allowing voters of any party affiliation to vote in one party’s primary election

59. Caucus - closed meetings of party members to select candidates or decide policy 

60. Party convention - a political convention where delegates of a political party come from across the nation to nominate their party candidates and decide on a party platform

61. General election - a regular election where all registered voters may vote for candidates for political office

62. Electoral College - states can choose how they allocate their electors; most states use a winner-take-all system

63. Popular vote - an election where the candidate with a majority or plurality of all votes in the nation

64. Presidential election - Incumbency advantage phenomenon ii. Open and closed primaries iii. Caucuses iv. Party conventions v. General (presidential) elections vi. The Electoral College

65. Congressional election - process and outcomes in U.S. congressional elections are affected by: i. Incumbency advantage phenomenon ii. Open and closed primaries iii. Caucuses iv. General (presidential and midterm) elections

66. Modern campaign - benefits and drawbacks of modern campaigns are represented by: i. Dependence on professional consultants ii. Rising campaign costs and intensive fundraising efforts iii. Duration of election cycles iv. Impact of and reliance on social media for campaign communication and fundraising

67. Campaign finance - includes financial contributions from individuals, political action committees, political parties

68. Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 - an effort to ban soft money and reduce attack ads with “Stand by Your Ad” provision: “I’m [candidate’s name] and I approve this message”

69. Political Action Committees (PACs) - a political committee organized for the purpose of raising and spending money to elect and defeat candidates ; regulated by the FEC in federal elections

70. SuperPACs - a type of political action committee that may raise unlimited amounts of money from interest groups but cannot coordinate directly with candidates and political parties

71. Agenda setting (media) -  takes place when traditional news media, new communication technologies, and advances in social media influence how citizens routinely acquire political information, including news events, investigative journalism, election coverage, and political commentary

72. Traditional news media - include print media, radio, television, cable/satellite, and billboards

73. Social media - interactive technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas. interests, and other forms of expression through virtual networks and communities ; e.g. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube

74. Investigative journalism - a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a topic of interest, particularly with the government ; watchdog role of the media

75. “Horse race” journalism - based more on popularity and factors other than qualifications and platforms of candidates through the media’s use of polling results to convey popular levels of trust and confidence in government which can affect elections

76. Media bias - bias of journalists or producers in the selection and coverage of events and stories ; i.e. MSNBC slants more liberal / Democratic, FoxNews slants more conservative / Republican

77. Consumer-driven media outlet - media whose content is influenced by the actions and needs of consumers