Exam 2 Study Guide Flashcards
1
Q
5 reasons why you should vote:
A
- It’s your civic duty
- You can elect candidates
- Decreases alienation
- Affects public policy
- Prevents corruption, which almost always happens at the local level
2
Q
What are the 5 main reasons for low voter turnout in Texas?
A
- Very frequent elections that cause voter burnout/fatigue
- Lengthy ballots
- Decline of party identification
- Decline of electoral competitiveness (2-party conflict)
- Level and election type (people prefer not to vote for mayors, sheriffs, etc. and only presidents)
3
Q
What are ways to determine/calculate voter turnout?
A
- VAP (voting-age population): total number of individuals in the US who are 18+
- REG (registered population): total number of US citizens registered to vote, this is more effective than VAP and utilized more in states
- Voting-age citizens: US Citizens who are 18+
4
Q
What are the two types of third parties?
A
Single cause and multi-cause
5
Q
Two real world examples of third parties are…
A
Libertarians and the Green Party
6
Q
What are some factors of the Green Party?
A
- Peace: cut military funding and end our country’s long war and military presence
- Ecology: Eliminate fossil fuels and move to renewable energy
- Social Justice: Demand living wage and real safety net
- Democracy: Public financing of elections, open debates, and more representative voting systems
7
Q
List the factors of the Precinct level of political parties
A
- The lowest level
- Every precinct elects a precinct chair (serve 2 year terms)
- In charge of: recruiting volunteers, coordinating campaign volunteers, mobilizing voters, getting them registered
- Serve on executive county committee in charge of planning and conducting local primaries and county conventions
- Precinct hold conventions to elect delegates for county level
8
Q
List the factors of the County level of political parties
A
- County party chair is elected (serves 2-year term)
- Preside over county executive committee
- Determine polling stations
- Responsible for: renting machines, printing ballots, constructing primary ballots, recruiting for local and regional offices, incharge of local funds and spokesperson for local level
- At the county level, delegates for state conventions are chosen
- Help construct county party platforms
9
Q
List the factors of the State level of political parties
A
- State Party Chair is the most powerful party official in state (2 year term)
- Responsible for recruiting local and state offices, raising funds for candidates and party
- Certify all party winners, preside over the state executive committee, which determines the site of the next state convention. They raise money, distro press releases, work closely with the party at a national level
- Every even number year the state convention is held
10
Q
When is General Election held?
A
In November on the first Tuesday after the first Monday
11
Q
Who is the main election officer in General Elections?
A
Secretary of State
12
Q
Governors are elected in ___
A
Off years
13
Q
Define an Australian ballot
A
Introduced to Texas in 1982, it is cast in secret and is counted by the state. It’s printed at public expense and lists all candidates on one ballot. It’s also distributed to every eligible voter at the polls.
14
Q
What are the 2 types of Australian Ballots?
A
- Massachusetts ballot
- Indiana ballot
15
Q
Define the Massachusetts ballot
A
Lists all candidates by office and encourages ticket splitting
16
Q
Define “ticket splitting”
A
The voter divides their votes between the parties instead of voting straight party line
17
Q
When are Primary Elections held?
A
The first Tuesday of March
18
Q
List some factors of primary elections
A
- Administered by counties or the state depending on the level of office
- Drawings are held to determine the order of names placed on the ballot
19
Q
Define a Direct Primary
A
An election held by a political party to determine the party’s nominee for political office
20
Q
Define a Closed Primary
A
A primary in which only registered partisans can participate
21
Q
Define an Open Primary
A
A primary in which all registered voters can determine which party’s primary vote is on primary election
22
Q
Define a Raiding Primary
A
A primary in which supporters of one party vote in the others primary to select the weakest nominee
23
Q
Define a Blanket Primary
A
A primary in which voters do not have to be partisans and ballots contain the names of all candidates from all parties
24
Q
What are run-off elections?
A
A 2nd vote in which the top 2 candidates face off against each other if neither received an absolute majority vote
25
When are run-off elections held?
The 4th Tuesday of May
26
What are 2 other elections?
1. Mayor and City councils (nonpartisan)
2. Special elections
27
What can special elections be used for?
Filling vacant positions (can be judge, congress, senate, etc) and voting on constitutional amendments
28
Define "Partisan"
A voter who identifies with a political party
29
Define "Independent" (in terms of voting)
A voter who does not identify with a political party
30
What percentage of all voters in America base their vote on party identification?
80%
31
What are the 8 functions of political parties?
1. Facilitate the voting process for the average voters
2. Provide political socialization
3. Recruit and nominate candidates for political office
4. Run candidate campaigns
5. Mobilizing voters
6. Provide voters with information ("party platforms")
7. Organize the policy making process at all governmental levels
8. Interest aggregation
32
Define "party platform"
A document drawn up every 2 years at the state convention that outlines a party's policies and principles
33
Define "Interest Aggregation"
The act of joining with like-minded citizens to acquire political power
34
Define "political power"
The ability to make people engage in political acts they would not engage in of their own free will
35
What are all 6 characteristics of political parties?
1. Two-party system
2. All-encompassing
3. Negative public view of their existence and function
4. Political parties categorized into mass and cadre parties
5. Weak parties
6. One party dominance
36
Define a two-party system
A political system in which only 2 parties have a realistic chance of winning political office
37
What is Duverger's Law?
Theory that a single member district electoral system results in a 2 party system and proportional representation in a multi-party system
38
What is a single member district electoral law?
An electoral system in which the person who wins the most votes in a district is elected office (discriminates against 3rd/minor parties)
39
What is proportional representation?
An electoral system in which seats are allocated based on the proportion of the vote a party receives
40
Define "all-encompassing"
Attempting to appeal to everyone
41
Define a cadre party
Decentralized and part time political party whose major purpose is to win office
42
Define a mass party
Centralized and full time political party whose major purpose is to represent a certain ideological viewpoint
43
Define "weak parties"
Creating a presidential or gubernatorial (non-presidential) system based on the separation of powers
44
What are 7 voting ID requirements?
1. Texas Drivers License issued by the DPS
2. Texas Personal Identification Card issued by the DPS
3. Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by the DPS
4. Texas Handgun License issued by the DPS
5. US Military Identification Card containing a persons photograph
6. US Citizenship Certificate containing a persons photograph
7. US Passport
45
What are the 5 functions of Interest Groups?
1. Interest aggregation
2. Electioneering
3. Use of litigation (lawsuit)
4. Major and credible sources of information for political officeholders
5. Lobbying
46
Define "coalition lobbying"
2+ interest groups pool their financial and contact resources and work together to attain a specific public policy goal
47
Define "grassroots lobbying"
Interest groups encourage the public to support their demands, which facilitate their attempt to influence policy making
48
Define "grasstop lobbying"
the attempt to mobilize prominent people rather than all of the large portion of society
49
Define "astroturf lobbying"
Involves interest groups spending monies to create the appearance of public support for their agenda
50
What are the sources of power for Interest Groups?
- Membership size
- Monetary resources
- Intensity of members conviction
- Prestige members
- Organizational structures
- Leadership
51
Define PACS
Political Action Committees; interest groups must create these committees to collect and spend money on candidates and on political campaigns
52
Define "soft money"
Unlimited raising/spending of monies by political parties
53
Define "dark money"
The downside to super PACS; money raised by nonprofit or 501 organizations
54
What did the 1995 Lobbying Disclosure Act do?
It defined who can/cannot lobby, and requires lobbyists and interest groups to register with the federal government
55
What did the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 do?
It further increased restrictions on lobbying by allowing Federal and State governments to prohibit certain activities, such as providing gifts to lawmakers or compensating lobbyists with commissions. It also allowed the Government to require disclosure about the amount of money spent on lobbying efforts
56
Define the Pluralist Theory
- Developed by James Madison, he believed interest groups will arise as societies and become more economically and socially complex
- People join together to push for their own interest and for governmental beliefs
- Ensure that policy will not benefit a few people but the majority of people
- As groups feel disadvantaged, it will begin to organize and compete for benefits
57
Define the Elite Theory
- A theory that a few powerful interest groups will consistently prevail in public policymaking, often at the expense of the majority
- Some are more powerful than others, eventually acquiring a monopoly on political power
- Are unable to be counterbalanced
58
What are 3 reasons why people join Interest Groups?
1. People join to receive material benefits
2. Ideological reasons
3. Solidary Incentives
59
What are the types of Interest Groups in Texas?
- Economic Interest Groups: generally focused on economic interest (most interest groups), consist of unions
- Professional Organizations: more powerful because of the prestige members and their monetary resources, EX; lawyers, doctors, CEOs, celebrities, actors
- Public Interest Groups: push for policies benefiting the majority of the people
- Governmental Structures: interest groups that can work for themselves, and local governmental structures
- Ideological Interest Groups: ideological in nature, these groups push for very narrow specific policies
60
Define "realignment"
When a core group of supporters of a political party switch to the opposing party
61
Define "critical alignment"
A core group of political party's supporters switching to the opposition. This switch also creates a new majority party. A switch of the conservative white vote in Texas constitutes a critical alignment at the state level
62
Define "dealignment"
A core group of supporters leaving a political party and refusing to join another
