5: Political Participation Flashcards
Linkage instutitions
Make it possible for citizens to connect with policymakers
- Political parties
- Interest groups
- Elections
- Mass media
Rational-choice voting
Choosing candidates who best represent personal social, economic, ideological, and religious interests
Retrospective voting
Reflect on how candidate/party/administration has performed in recent past
Prospective voting
Listen to campaign rhetoric
Voter turnout expressions
Percentage of:
1: Eligible voters
2: Registered voters
3. Voting-age population
Voter efficacy
Feeling that one’s vote has an impact
Voter turnout: Socioeconomic status
Richer tend to vote more frequently than poorer
Voter turnout: Gender
Women more likely to vote than men, except older women
Voter turnout: Age
Turnout increases with age
Voter turnout: Race
Turnout highest among whites
National Voter Registration Act
1993
- “Motor Voter Act”
- Voters can register at the DMV
Help America Vote Act
2002
Provides federal funds to states to standardize and modernize voting procedures
Coat-tail effect
Tendency for popular political leader to attract votes for candidates of their party
Wave elections
Landslides
First Party System
Federalists vs Democratic-Republicans
Federalist Party
- Led by Alexander Hamilton
- New England & mid-Atlantic
- Robust federal government
Democratic-Republican Party
- Led by Thomas Jefferson & James Madison
- South & frontier states
- Individual freedom
Realigning elections
- Issues change, old parties seem incapable or resolving
- Coalition of voters supporting each major party fracture and realign with new party
- New party system
- AKA critical election theory