Ch13 Flashcards
political participation
the dif ways in which individuals take action to shape the laws and policies of a gov
______ is a huge factor in electoral success
money
Political Action Committees (PACs)
political committee organized for the purpose of raising and spending money to elect and defeat candidates
FECA
Law that creates limits on PAC donations, monitored by FEC (no limits on support not directly linked to the candidate)
FECA
Federal Election Campaign Act
Buckley v Valeo
no limit on an individual spending their own money on their campaign
Citizens United
non profit corporation that wanted to air a documentary w/i the timeframe, but prohibited
- corporations /unions entitled to 1st Amendment free speech protections
- creation of Super PACs- take unlimited donations to spend unl $$ on indirect ads
linkage institutions
channels that connect individuals with gov, incl elections, political parties, interest groups & the media
social movement
joining of individuals seeking social/ political change w the goal of placing issues on the policy agenda
(protests, attend political meetings, contact elected officials, reach out the other citizens to educate them)
suffrage
right to vote (5 out of 17 amendments of BoR)
26th Amendment
allows 18+ y/o to vote
24th Amendment
prohibits Congress and the states from imposing poll taxes as a condition for voting in federal elections
poll tax
a payment by a state or federal government before a citizen in allowed to vote
Voter turnout in the US is ___ among dem states
low
voter turnout
number of eligible voters who participate in an election as a percentage of the total number of eligible voters
Why do/n’t ppl vote?
- institutional figures
- demographic characteristics
- whether it’s a presidential election year
demographic characteristics
measurable characteristics of a population
econ status, education, age, race, ethnicity, gender
socioeconomic status (SES)
measure of an individual’s wealth, income, occupation, and educational attainment
associations w high SES
- higher lvls of participation in elections (donate to campaigns/ joining interest groups)
- higher lvls of education
political efficacy
a person’s belief that they can make effective political change
Why is political efficacy important?
the lower it is, the less indivs feel they can make a difference, so they don’t participate
young vs old voters
younger Americans are less likely to vote
older people are more likely to have a higher income
race/ ethnicity/ gender in voting
Hispanic citizens lower than other identities
women vote more than men
Obama effect
could be cause for an inc in voter turnout among African Americans
political mobilization
efforts by political parties to encourage their members to vote
partisan attachment
indivs most likely to vote w their party affiliation
registration requirements
set of rules that govern who, how, when, where people vote
Who may be limited by registration requirements?
homeless, college students, minorities
Why might voting registration be limiting?
requires proof of residency/ state ID
When is election day?
First Tuesday after the first Monday in November
Why is the day of election an obstacle?
It’s a work day
Absentee ballot
voting completed and submitted by a voter before the day of an election without going to the polls
barriers to voting
registration requirement
voter ID laws
Tues= workday
felony disenfranchisement
rational choice voting
voting based on what a citizen believes is in his or her best interest
retrospective voting
voting based on an assessment of an incumbent’s past performance
prospective voting
casting a ballot for a candidate who promises to enact policies favored by the voter in the future
party- line voting
voting for candidates who belong only to one political party for all of the offices on the ballot
requirements for POTUS
35 y/o
born in the US
resided in US for 14 years
who selects the POTUS
electoral college
two campaign phases
- Nomination campaign
- General election Campaign
Nomination Process
- Candidates from the same party compete for the party’s nominations
- most states hold primary elections, in which voters choose delegates
- caucus
- primary elections and caucuses serve the same purpose
open elections
regardless of party affiliation, eligible voters can participate
closed
only those registered w the party can participate
caucus
party members gather to discuss candidates and issues to select delegates
general election
- nominees are now up against competing party members, not their own
- campaign rhetoric is meant to appeal to independent voters as well as base
- candidates make phone calls, knock on doors, and mobilize the base
Electoral College
- vote for a slate of electors pledged to vote for a nominee
- candidate needs 270/ 538 votes
- Winner take all system
- electors chosen from party leaders and activists
Who chooses the presidential winner if there is a tie?
HoR
Winning Electoral College
shapes cand’s strat
red/ blue state
faithful to a single party
battleground state
state where polls show a close contest btwn R/ D candidate in a pres election
swing state
state where levels of support for the parties are similar and elections swing back & forth btwn R&D
Why are campaigns so expensive
- ads
- professional consultants
