Exam Three Flashcards
What is political socialization
Process by how people acquire their political orientation- his or her knowledge, feelings, and evaluations regarding his or her political world
Beliefs/values
Basic principles that shape a persons opinions about political issues and events
What is a margin of error and how do you use it
How pollsters qualify their result
Margin of error
+/- 3 through +/- 5
Confidence level needs to be 95%
What is the early impact of family
Influence of the family of political socialization in two factors: communication and receptivity. Children at an early age learn their parents political values. Decline of liberal ideological self-identification
What is the early impact of school
Children are taught respect for the USA when learning the pledge of allegiance, support for the flag, more children are patriotic despite negative views that adults have about the country
What is the early impact of college
15% likely to characterize themselves as liberal
Depends on the college you go to
What is the early impact of media
In telling us what to think about it
Setting the agenda
Fox News, MSNBC- whole different set of issues
Telling us what’s important
Who is important and what issues are important
Parents are not the sole dominant influence on politics
Importance of evangelicals in voting
Because since 1980 they have found a welcome and a home in the Republican Party. But not all evangelicals are republicans
Gender gap
A term that refers to the regular patterns by which women are more likely to support democratic candidates. Women tend to be significantly less conservative than men and are more likely to support spending on social services and to oppose higher levels of military spending
Voter turnout
Varies depending on type of election
Federal elections- 55%
Midterm elections- 38%
What is ticket splitting
Voting with one party for one office and with another party for other offices. It has become the norm in American voting behavior
Difference between closed and open primary
Open- do not have to be registered to that party to vote
Closed- must be registered in that primary to vote for that party
Difference between proportional and winner take all
Winner take all- electoral system in which legislative seats are awarded only to the candidates who come in first in their constituencies. In American presidential elections, the system in which the winner of the popular votes in a state receives all the electoral votes of that state
Proportional representation- an electoral system used throughout most of Europe that awards legislative seats to political parties in proportion to the number of votes won in an election
Electoral college
A body of individuals which elect the president and Vice President of the United States
Political party systems- IMPORTANT!!
Six different party systems and the history
First party system
George Washington elected twice
Govern by consensus without parties but division arose
Hamilton, treasury vs. Jefferson, state
Hamilton- north, strong national government and power; called themselves the federalists
Jefferson, south, agrarian, farmers, antifederalists; democratic republicans
1796 Jefferson vs Addams, Addams wins
Jefferson forms a political moment and he was elected in 1800
Last election prior to the 12th amendment
Hamilton died after 1800 election
1815 Federalist Party collapse
Second party system 1828-1856
Jacksonian democrats vs whigs
A period in American political history between 1828 and 1854 and saw rising levels in votes and the major parties were he democratic led by Jackson and the whigs led by clay
Third party system- period after the civil war
Golden age of American parties
Convergence of forces
Industrial revolution
Massive levels of immigration
Parties had the jobs, no civil service, everything controlled by the party, did not have secret ballot
Tremendous corruption between parties, immigrants and big business
Republican dominance(against slavery) putting union back together
Fourth party system- 1896-1932
Second period of republican dominance coalition of big business and working class against democratic rural
Great Depression of the 1890’s
Devastated rural America, dust bowl, farmers
Grover Cleveland, tight monetary standard, gold standard, could not print money if it ran a deficit
Fifth party system 1932-1964
Democratic dominance under FDR. Grand coalition of urban dwellers, labor unions, Catholics l, Jews, poor, south, blacks and farmers
Republicans dominated in 20’s, began to chip away
Republican congress has placed limits on immigration
Impacted eastern and south, non-English speaking Europeans- many were catholic
1928, Al smith, lost to Hoover; firth catholic ever nominated for major party
Stock market class 1929, Great Depression
Voters elected franklin Roosevelt 1932
Reelected, new deal coalition
Odd alliance of northern liberal, southern conservatives, Jewish votes, African Americans
Republicans on the outside looking in
1950’s war hero, Dwight Eisenhower, republican
Sixth party system
New deal coalition broke apart
Vietnam war separated people
Richard Nixon wins 1968
Divided government- ticket split
People voting for republican for president and dem. For house vice versa
Delaignment, moving away from the parties, rise of independent identifiers
Political party systems-
What precipitated each of the systems
Haha
Political party systems-
Who were the key players
George Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, farmers/the populists, McKinley, Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, and Richard Nixon
Divided government
One party controls the White House, and another controls one or both houses of congresss
Party dealignment
The gradual disengagement of people and politicians from the parties, as seen in part by shrinking party identification
A responsible party model
A view favored by some political scientists about how parties should work. According to the model, parties should offer clear choices to the voters, who can then use these choices as cues to their own preferences of candidates. Once in office, parties would carry out their campaign promises
Third parties, what sparks them
Libertarians, green but a few have ever had a long-lasting impact
Have achieved highlighting an issue that both two major parties have not addressed
Interest groups
Any group that seeks to influence public policy
Business lobby vs labor unions
Labor unions: an organization formed by workers to strive for better wages and working conditions
Business lobbying: LOOK UP
What is a public interest group
Public:
Anyone can participate in it. Ex: environmental group
If you benefit, everyone benefits
Can be multi-issue
Private:
Membership related to job. Ex: apscuf
Benefit limited to you
Most powerful: business
Labor unions: influence has declined considerably over the last 40 years.
Service economy to manufacturing economy; free trade hurt unions the most
What is grass roots lobbying
Try to get the rank and file activated
Organized affiliated
Wreak havoc
Question on single interest groups
Single issue groups
Why do individuals join interest groups
Material benefits
Proposive benefits
Solidary benefits
663-664 pages to look up and study
Haha
Public opinion
Collection of opinions that people have about issues or items of general interest
