Electoral Process, Mass Media, Interest Groups Flashcards

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1
Q

2 Steps of United States Election

A

Nomination

General electionq

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2
Q

Ways in which candidates are nominated

A
  1. Self Announcement (Write-In on Ballot)
  2. The Caucus
  3. The Convention
  4. The Petition
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3
Q

Petition

A

Candidates must get a required number of signatures to get on the ballot

Often used on local level

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4
Q

The Caucus

A

Series of meetings held within a state

Grass-roots approach to democracy

Town hall style meetings

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5
Q

Which Caucus is first?

A

Iowa

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6
Q

When is primary season?

A

January

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7
Q

When is the general election?

A

Tuesday after first Monday of November

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8
Q

Primaries

A

Vote on machine

open and closed primaries

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9
Q

Open primaries

A

Do not have to be in the party to vote

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10
Q

Closed primaries

A

Have to be in the party to vote

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11
Q

When are the conventions held?

A

July (used to be August)

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12
Q

Purpose of the convention

A

Party candidates are officially announced

The party’s platform is announced

Selection of a running mate, vice president

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13
Q

Super Tuesday

A

Significant number of states hold their primaries

usually in Februrary or early March

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14
Q

Blanket primaries

A

Idea to allow voters to vote in different primaries depending the office (party does not matter as much)

Office by office basis

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15
Q

How are electors granted?

A

Based on the number of representatives in the house

Plus one for each senator

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16
Q

Electors cannot be…

A

people who already hold an office in the government

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17
Q

How many electors does the District of Columbia have?

A

3 electors

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18
Q

Total number of electors

A

538

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19
Q

Who chooses electors?

A

Political party committees

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20
Q

How many votes are required to win a presidential election?

A

270

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21
Q

Precinct

A

Voting district

Smallest geographic units to carry out elections

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22
Q

Polling place

A

Where the voters who live in a precinct go to vote

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23
Q

First campaign regulations

A

Tillman Act

1907

24
Q

The Federal Election Campaign Act

A

Full disclosure on campaign contributions and spending

Limited spending on media

Limits on campaign contributions

No overseeing agency

25
Q

Federal Election Comission

A

Created by Congress in 1975 to oversee and regulate the FECA

26
Q

Reform Law/FEC

A

Sets limitations on individual donations

27
Q

Who can not give to federal elections?

A

Foreign nationals

Charitable organizations (churches, Salvation Army)

28
Q

How much can individuals give to candidates and national party committee?

A

2,700 to candidate

33,900 to national party committee (33,400 on notes)

29
Q

PAC Requirements

A

At least 50 voluntary members

Give to at least 5 federal candidates

Limited to giving $5,000 per election per candidate or more than 15,00 to another party

Can spend as much on advertising as they want as long as they don’t coordinate with a candidate

30
Q

Connected PACs

A

Connected to corporations or labor unions

Does not need to report fundraising

Contributions from employees or members

31
Q

Unconnected PACs

A

Financially independent

Pay membership

Open to anyone in the public

Needs to report fundraising

32
Q

Example of unconnected PAC

A

NRA

33
Q

McCain-Feingold Bill

A

Bipartisan

Use of soft money restricted

direct contributions from PACs forbidden

(Don’t think this worked out)

34
Q

Super PACS

A

2010 created

Can raise as much money possible to support a candidate

can spend as much as they want

report to FEC monthly

35
Q

How are Super PACs not like PACs

A

They cannot give money directly to candidates

36
Q

Soft money

A

Money given to state and local party organizations for “party building” but actually goes to campaigns

37
Q

Independent Campaign spending

A

A person unrelated and unconnected to a candidate or party can spend as much as they want to benefit or work against candidates

38
Q

Issue ads

A

take a stance on certain issues in order to criticize or support candidates without actually mentioning the person’s name

39
Q

Who owns the media?

A

Corporate conglomerates

40
Q

Journalist influence on public policy

A
  1. create the reality in which government leaders act
  2. playing the role of public opinion reps
  3. give attention to particular issues
  4. act as a link between governmental bureaucracies
  5. some admit they are active members in the political process itself
41
Q

Public policy

A

principles on which social laws are often based on

not set in stone

more of doing what is right type deal

42
Q

Muckracking

A

Journalistic investigation

43
Q

Interest Group

A

Private organization that tries to persuade public officials to respond to the shared attitudes of its members

Want to influence policy

44
Q

Functions of Interest Groups

A

Help to stimulate interest in public affairs

represent groups of people with similar attitudes

provide information to government

check the government

45
Q

Criticism of interest groups

A

influence far of of their importance and size

many do not represent the people they claim to represent

some tactics used to make changes in governmental policy is bad

46
Q

Economic Issues Interest Groups

A

Buisness Groups

Labor Unions

Agricultural groups

Professional Groups (medicine, law)

47
Q

Agricultural Groups

A

Interest group

withold produce to adjust food prices

farmers unions

48
Q

Interest Groups that Promote a cause

A

American Civil Liberties Union

National Wildlife Federation

Planned Parenthood

NRA

49
Q

Interest Groups that Promote Welfare

A

American Legion

NAACP

Japanese Americans League

50
Q

Misc. Interest Groups

A

Religious Organizations

Public Interest Groups (League of Women Voters)

51
Q

How do interest groups alter public opinion?

A

Use propaganda

52
Q

Lobbying

A

Interest groups present expert testimony

Shape the interpretation of legislation

Direct contact made by a lobbyist in order to persuade government officials to support the policies their interest group favors.

53
Q

Link between Interest Groups, PACs, and Lobbyists

A

Interest groups can have both lobbyists and PACs within it

54
Q

What are the majority of intererest groups based on?

A

Economy

55
Q

Why are public opinion polls important

A

they tell us what portion of a population has a specific view

campaigns can be built around it