Terms Chap 13 and 14

Question 1

Political Action Committee (PAC)

Answer 1

The fundraising arms of interest groups

Question 2

Collective Action Problem

Answer 2

The difficulty in getting people to work together to achieve a common goal when the solution is costly and no one individual has an incentive to use resources to make it happen

Question 3

Lobbying

Answer 3

Interest group activities aimed at persuading policymakers to support the groups’ position

Question 4

Economic Interest Groups

Answer 4

Groups that organize to influence government policy for the economic benefit of their members

Question 5

Revolving Door

Answer 5

The tendency of public officials, journalist, and lobbyists to move between public and private sector (media lobbying) jobs

Question 6

Direct Lobbying

Answer 6

Direct interactions with public officials for the purpose of influencing policy decisions

Question 7

Super PACs

Answer 7

Special PACs that can spend unlimited amounts of money on a candidate’s behalf but are not allowed to coordinate their efforts with those of the candidate’s campaign

Question 8

Motor Voter

Answer 8

Legislation allowing citizens to register to vote at the same time they apply for a driver’s license or other state benefit

Question 9

Invisible Primary

Answer 9

Early attempts to raise money, line up campaign consultants, generate media attention, and get commitments for support even before candidates announce they are running

Question 10

Caucus

Answer 10

A local gathering of party members to choose convention delegates

Question 11

Front Runner

Answer 11

The leading candidate and expected winner of a nomination or an election

Question 12

Swing Voters

Answer 12

The approximately one-third of the electorate who are undecided at the start of a campaign

Question 13

Oppo Research

Answer 13

Investigation of an opponent’s background for the purpose of exploiting weakness or undermining credibility

Question 14

Wedge Issue

Answer 14

A controversial issue that one party uses to split the voters in the other party

Question 15

Valence Issue

Answer 15

Issues on which most voters and candidates share the same position

Question 16

Hard Money

Answer 16

Campaign funds donated directly to candidates; amounts are limited by federal laws

Question 17

Soft Money

Answer 17

Unregulated campaign contributions by individuals, groups, or parties that promote general election activities but do not directly support individual candidates

Question 18

Electoral Mandate

Answer 18

The perception that an election victory signals broad support for a winner’s proposed policies