Chapter 9 Flashcards
Mugwumps or progressives
Republican Party faction of the 1890s to the 1910s, composed of reformers who opposed patronage
Political party
A group that seeks to elect candidates to public office
Split ticket
Voting for candidates of different parties for various offices in the same election
Straight ticket
Voting for candidates of the same party
Office-bloc ballot
A ballot listing all candidates of a given office under the name of that office; also called a “Massachusetts” ballot.
Party-column ballot
A ballot listing all candidates of a given party together under the name of that party; also called an “Indiana” ballot
National Convention
A meeting of party delegates held every 4 years
National committee
Delegates who run party affairs between national conventions
Congressional campaign committee
A party committee in congress that provides funds to members and would be members
National chair
Day-to-day party manager elected by the national committee
Superdelegates
Party leaders and elected officials who become delegates to the national convention without having to run in primaries or caucuses – most active in the party
Political machine
A party organizations that recruits members by dispensing patronage
Ideological party
A party that values principled stands on issues above all else
Solidary incentives
The social rewards (sense of pleasure, status, or companionship) that lead people to join political organizations
Sponsored party
A local or state political party largely supported by another organization in the community
Personal following
The political support provided to a candidate on the basis of personal popularity and networks
Two-party system
An electoral system with two dominant parties that compete in national elections elections
Plurality system
An electoral system in which the winner is the person who gets the most votes, even if he or she does not receive a majority; used in almost all American elections
Caucus
A meeting of party members to select delegates backing one or another primary candidates
Material incentives
Some sort of material benefit (i.e. AARP offers discounts, insurance plan, etc)
Purposive Incentives
Satisfaction of taking action when the goals of a group focus on a persons’ personal beliefs or principles (i.e. Abortion, gun control, environment)
Institutional interest
Represent other organizations (large corporations, like General Motors)
Lobby for favorite legislation for their organization
Can be public like a university, city, or state
Membership interest
Individual Americans joining a cause
Pay dues/donations
Social, business, professional, veterans, charitable, and religious
Types of interest groups
Agricultural
Labor
Business
Professional
Business group
Pharmaceutical companies - one of the largest (I.e. National association of manufacturers)
Labor groups
Organization of workers who share the same type of job or work in the same industry (i.e. ALF-CIO)
Agricultural groups
The farm bureau - “champion of the dirt farmers”
Professional groups
Medicine, law, and teaching- maintain organizations to protect and promote their interests
Religious Organizations
Try to influence policy in several important areas
Unorganized poor
For the most part remain unrepresentative as an interest group
Supplying credible information
They provide their members with what their legislator is doing, keep them informed (ranking/rating system)
Educate their members on their issue/interest
Supply key information (useful, specialized & detailed) to the government
Raising public support
Used to rely on face-to-face
Grassroots activities are increasing, there is more public pressure to tell a politician what you think - email, direct tv, blogs, faxes
AstroTurf lobbying
“Synthetic” (fake) grassroots movements that can be “manufactured” for a fee by companies
Unlike genuine grassroots activism which tends to be money-poor but people-rich, AstroTurf campaigns are typically people-poor but cash-rich
Creating PACs & Campaign Contributions
Giving money is the least effective but they still do it- donations to candidates directly
Doesn’t necessarily lead to vote buying
Citizens United
Changed everything- superPACs emerge & can spend UNLIMITED amounts of money on independent ads
Employing former government officials
Hundreds of government employees go to work for SIGS & PACs - revolving door, inconclusive if there’s corruption
Leading litigation
They finance and provide for representation in landmark court cases - NAACP is famous for this
(i.e. Brown v. Board of Education)
Lobby regulation
Lobbyists have to register with the clerk of the house and the secretary of the senate - describe in detail who they are, who they represent and a description of their activities in a semi-annual report
