Political Belifs and Campaigns Flashcards
What are some causes of factions?
- Differences in religion
- Different ideas about government
- Charismatic leaders
- -Different class/ economic situations
What was Madison’s definition of faction?
A group of people with the same interests, against the rights of the citizens or the common good. Ex. KKK, Nazis
What are possible ways to combat factions?
- Removing the causes
- Controlling the effects
How does family influence our attitudes about issues?
- Children tend to inherit their parents’ political views.
How do our peers influence our attitudes about issues?
- Children are taught respect for their nation (pledge of allegiance)
- high school/ college classes can influence views
- peers influence political views
How does television influence our attitudes about issues?
- Sounds bites on TV
- Talk shows
- TV enlightens voters an encourages voter turnout
How has the internet influences out attitudes about issues?
- Candidates usually launch their own internet sites
- Major networks and newspapers have reporting sites
- Blogs and social networks contain information
How does religion influence out attitudes about issues?
- Second largest predictor of vote
- Tends to effect voting and stances on particular issues
- Religious Leaders impact views
How does race and ethnicity influence our attitudes about issues?
- Race is a reliable predictor of political attitudes
- There are many hot button issues where the opinion of blacks and whites is very different.
How does age influence our attitudes about issues?
- Opinion on the role of government differs depending on the era in which a person is born
How does region affect our attitudes about issues?
- Immigrants arrived with their own unique views
- Southerners advocate for a weaker central government (rep)
- West tends to be anti-government (rep)
How does gender influence our attitudes about issues?
- Women tend to have more liberal attitudes on social welfare issues
- Men tend to favor war and military intervention
What are public opinion polls?
Interviews or surveys with samples of citizens that are used in order to estimate the feeling and beliefs of an entire population.
What are straw polls?
Unscientific surveys used to gauge public opinion on a verity of issues and policies. There are many errors with straw polls.
What is a push poll?
Polls taken for the purpose of providing information on an opponent that would lead respondents to vote against that candidate. They are designed to give respondents some negative or even untruthful information to push them away from the candidate and towards the one paying for the poll.
What are tracking polls?
Continuous surveys that enable a campaign to chart its daily rise or fall in support.
What are exit polls?
Polls conducted as voters leave selected polling places at Election Day.
What is the bandwagon effect?
A strong showing in the polls that causes new supporters to hop on and donate money to a campaign.
What is a conservative?
One who believes that the best government governs the least, and that big government can only infringe on individual, personal, and economic rights.
What is a liberal?
One who favors government involvement in the economy, and in the provision of social services and who takes a role as an activist in protecting the rights of women, the elderly, minorities, and the enviernment.
What was George Washington’s farewell warning?
Washington warned the nation against parties, but the unification of the nation ended as soon as his presidency was over.
Which party held the first national party convention?
Democratic Party
What types of people formed the early Republican Party?
Anti slavery activists, mainly from the north, and former member of the Whig party. They set their sights on abolition of slavery.
What is a political machine?
A party organization that recruits voter loyalty with tangible incentives and is characterized by a high degree of control over membership activity.
What is ticket splitting?
Voting for candidates of different parties for various offices in the same election.
What is candidate-centered politics?
Politics that focuses directly on the candidates, their particular issues, and character rather than on party affiliation.
Why are parties most visible in congress?
The majority party has power over the minority party, and occupies the leadership positions.
How is party identification used?
A citizens personal connection to a political party is usually expressed by a tendency to vote for candidates of that party. My citizens identify with a party but do not belong to it.
What is party dealignment?
A general decline in party identification and loyalty in the electorate.
Is there a rise in the number is independents?
Yes, numbers of self described independents has risen to about 40% in recent years.
What is party realignment?
A shift of party coalition groupings in the electorate that remains in place for several years.
What is secular realignment?
The gradual realignment of party alliances, based more on demographic shifts than on shocks to the political system.
What is soft money?
Virtually unregulated money fumbled through political parties for party-building purposes, such as get out the vote efforts or issue ads. Banned after 2002.
What is hard money?
Money that can be used for direct electioneering but is limited and regulated by the Federal Elections Commission.
How does ones social and economic status influence their attitude about govrnment?
The more money one has, the less they favor government.
How does education influence ones views on government?
The more educate a person is, the more likely the are to favor a strong central government.
What is random sampling?
A method of polling that gives each person in a group an equal chance of getting selected. (This is impossible to achieve)
What are moderates?
People who have liberal views on some issues and conservative views on others.
What are the chances of electing minor parties/third parties?
Slim to none, the two major parties are so strong that minor parties don’t tend to do very well in elections.
What is the plurality system?
Whoever gets the most votes wins. (Except in the presidential election)
What are critical election?
An election that signals a party realignment.
- Thomas Jefferson nonfederalist
- Civil War
- FDR Great Depression
How do parties “get out the vote”?
Reminding people to go vote in the days leading up to the election, and advocating for your candidate in the process.