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POS2041 > Exam 2 > Flashcards

Exam 2 Flashcards

1
Q

public opinion

A

citizens’ views on politics and government actions

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2
Q

latent opinion

A

an opinion formed on the spot, when it is needed

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3
Q

political socialization

A

the process by which an individual’s political opinions are shaped by other people and the surrounding culture

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4
Q

mass survey

A

a way to measure public opinion by interviewing a relatively small sample of a large population

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5
Q

population

A

the group of people whom a researcher or pollster wants to study

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6
Q

sample

A

within a population, the group of people surveyed in order to gauge the whole population’s opinion

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7
Q

sampling error

A

the predicted difference between the average opinion expressed by survey respondents and the average opinion in the population, sometimes called margin of error

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8
Q

ideological polarization

A

sharp differences in Americans’ overall ideas of the size and scope of government

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9
Q

policy mood

A

the level of public support for expanding the government’s role in society; whether the public wants government action on a specific issue

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10
Q

party organization

A

a specific political party’s leaders and workers at the national, state, and local levels

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11
Q

party in government

A

the group of officeholders who belong to a specific political party and were elected as candidates of that party

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12
Q

party in the electorate

A

the group of citizens who identify with a special political party

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13
Q

party system

A

periods in which the names of major political parties, their supporters, and the issues dividing them have remained relatively stable

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14
Q

party principle

A

the idea that a political party exists as an organization distinct from its elected officials are party leaders

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15
Q

spoils system

A

the practice of rewarding party supporters with benefits like federal government positions

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16
Q

realignment

A

a change in the size or composition of the party coalitions or in the nature of the issues that divide the parties- typically occur within an election cycle but can also gradually occur over the course of time

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17
Q

national committee

A

an American political party’s principal organization, comprising party representative from each state

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18
Q

political action committee

A

an interest group or a division of an interest group that can raise money to contribute to campaigns or to spend on ads in support of candidates

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19
Q

527 organization

A

a tax-exempt group formed primarily to influence elections through voter mobilization efforts and issue ads that do not directly endorse or oppose candidates

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20
Q

caucus (congressional)

A

the organization of Democrats within the House and Senate that meet to discuss and debate the party’s positions on various issues in order to reach a consensus

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21
Q

conference

A

the organization of Republicans within the House and Senate that meet to discuss and debate the party’s positions on various issues in order to reach a consensus

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22
Q

unified government

A

a situation in which one party holds a majority of seats in the House and Senate and the president is a member of that same party

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23
Q

divided government

A

a situation in which the House, Senate, and presidency are not controlled by the same party

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24
Q

party identification

A

a citizen’s loyalty to a specific political party

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25
Q

party coalitions

A

the groups that identify with a political party, usually described in demographic terms such as evangelical Republicans

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26
Q

issue ownership

A

the theory that voters associate certain issues or issue positions with certain parties

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27
Q

primary election

A

a ballot vote in which citizens select a party’s nominee for the general election

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28
Q

caucus (electoral)

A

a local meeting in which party members select a party;s nominee for the general election

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29
Q

nominating convention

A

a meeting held by each party every four years at which states’ delegates select the party’s presidential and vice-presidential nominees and approve the party platform

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30
Q

party platform

A

a set of objectives outlining the party’s issue positions and priorities that are not required by candidates to support

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31
Q

duverger’s law

A

in any election where a single winner is chosen by plurality vote, there is a strong tendency for serious competitors to be reduced to two because people tend to vote strategically

32
Q

incumbent

A

a politician running for reelection to the office he or she currently holds

33
Q

primary

A

a ballot vote in which citizens select party’s nominee for the general election

34
Q

open primary

A

a primary election in which any registered voter can participate in the contest, regardless of party affiliation

35
Q

semi-closed primary

A

a primary in which anyone who is a registered member of the party or registered as independent can vote

36
Q

closed primary

A

a primary election in which only registered members of a particular political party can vote

37
Q

general election

A

the election in which voters cast ballots for House members, senators, and (every four years) a president and vice-president

38
Q

plurality voting

A

a voting system in which the candidate who receives the most votes within a geographic area wins the election, regardless of whether that candidate wins a majority of the votes

39
Q

majority voting

A

a voting system in which a candidate must win more than 50% of votes to win the election and results in a runoff election if no one wins the majority

40
Q

runoff election

A

under a majority voting system, a second election is held only if no candidate wins a majority of the votes in the first general election and is the top two

41
Q

caucus

A

a local meeting in which party members select a party’s nominee for the general election

42
Q

proportional allocation

A

during the presidential primaries, the practice of determining the number of convention delegates allotted to each candidate based on the percentage of the popular vote cast for each candidate

43
Q

winner-take-all

A

during the presidential primaries, the practice of assigning all of a given state’s delegates to the candidate who receives the most popular votes

44
Q

popular vote

A

the votes cast by citizens in an election

45
Q

electoral college

A

the body that votes to select America’s presidents and vice-president based on the popular vote in each state

46
Q

electoral votes

A

votes cast by members of the electoral college; after a presidential candidate wins the popular vote in a given state, that candidate’s slate of electors casts electoral votes for the candidate on behalf of that state

47
Q

election cycle

A

the two-year period between general elections

48
Q

open seat

A

an elected position for which there is no incumbent

49
Q

“get out the vote”/ground game

A

a campaign’s efforts to “get the vote out” or make sure they have supporters on election day

50
Q

federal election commission

A

the government agency that enforces and regulates election laws; made up of 6 presidential appointees, of whom no more than 3 can be members of the same party

51
Q

hard money

A

donations that are used to help elect or defeat a specific candidate

52
Q

soft money

A

contributions that can be used for voter mobilization or to promote a policy proposal or point of view as long as these efforts are not tied to supporting or opposing a particular candidate

53
Q

paradox of voting

A

the question of why citizens vote even though their individual votes stand little chance of changing the election outcome

54
Q

voting cues

A

pieces of information about a candidate that are readily available, easy to interpret, and lead a citizen to decide to vote for a particular candidate

55
Q

coattails

A

the ability of a popular president to generate additional support for candidates affiliated with his or her party however these are weak and nonexistent in most elections

56
Q

split ticket

A

a ballot on which a voter selects from more than one political party

57
Q

straight ticket

A

a ballot on which a voter selects candidates from only one political party

58
Q

interest group

A

an organization of people who share common political interests and aim to influence public policy by electioneering and lobbying

59
Q

lobbying

A

efforts to influence public policy through contact with public officials on behalf of an interest group

60
Q

linkage institutions

A

institutions such as political parties, interest groups, the media, and elections that are channels through which individuals can communicate their preferences to policymakers

61
Q

centralized groups

A

interest groups that have a headquarters, usually in DC, as well as members and field offices throughout the country

62
Q

confederations

A

interest groups made up of several independent, local organizations that provide much of their funding and hold most of the power

63
Q

mass associations

A

interest groups that have a large number of due-paying members

64
Q

peak associations

A

interest groups whose members are businesses or other organizations rather than individuals

65
Q

free riding

A

relying on others to contribute to a collective effort while failing to participate on one’s behalf, yet still benefiting from the group’s successes

66
Q

selective incentives

A

benefits that can motivate participation in a group effort because they are available only to those who participate, such as member services offered by interest groups

67
Q

solidary benefits

A

satisfaction derived from the experience of working with likeminded people, even if the group’s efforts do not achieve the desired impact

68
Q

purposive benefits

A

satisfaction derived from the experience of working toward a desired policy goal, even if the goal is not achieved

69
Q

coercion

A

a method of eliminating nonparticipation or free riding by potential group members requiring participation, as in many labor unions

70
Q

material benefits

A

benefits that are provided to individuals for joining a group that are distinct from the collective benefits provided by the group

71
Q

revolving door

A

the movement of individuals from government positions to jobs with interest groups or lobbying firms and vice versa

72
Q

inside strategies

A

the tactics employed within DC by interest groups seeking to achieve their policy goals

73
Q

outside strategies

A

the tactics employed outside DC by interest groups seeking to achieve their policy goals

74
Q

direct lobbying

A

attempts by interest group staff to influence policy by speaking with elected officials or bureaucrats

75
Q

grassroots lobbying

A

a lobbying strategy that relies on participation by group members, such as a protest or a letter-writing campaign

76
Q

astroturf lobbying

A

any lobbying method initiated by an interest group that is designed to look like the spontaneous, independent participation of many individuals

POS2041 (1 decks)

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