Test 2 Flashcards
Australian Ballot
Uniform ballot cast in secret
Ideology
Consistent ideas about how government ought to govern on a variety of issues (conservative, liberal, etc.)
Progressives
Republican Party faction of the 1890s to the 1910s, comprising reformers who opposed patronage
Progressives were interested in establishing a more transparent and accountable government which would work to improve U.S. society. These reformers favored such policies as civil service reform, food safety laws, and increased political rights for women and U.S. workers.
Political Machine
Party organization that recruits members with money, jobs, and favors
Caucus
Closed party meeting to choose a candidate or discuss legislation, any voting is for party members only and is not secret
Bundling
Delivering stack of individual checks to hide the influence of a PAC
Express Advocacy
Ad says vote for/against someone
Issue Advocacy
Ad supporting only an issue
Propoganda
Advertising to sell a product, person, or idea
Independent Expenditure-Only Committees (Super PACs)
A group that raises and spends unlimited amounts of money from corporations, unions, and individuals but cannot coordinate its activities with campaigns in any way
PACs
A group that pools contributions of individual members to support political candidates
Straight Ticket
Voting for the same party for every position
Split Ticket
Voting for different parties for different positions
Poll Tax
A requirement that citizens pay a tax in order to register to vote; Became illegal with the 24th amendment
Literacy Test
A requirement that citizens show that they can read before registering to vote; White people were able to get around this using the grandfather clause
White Primary
The practice of keeping Black people from voting in the southern states’ primaries through arbitrary use of registration requirements and intimidation
Spin
Explaining an event in a favorable way toward one’s side
Bias
Exhibiting a preference or prejudice, either for or against something; Does not mean inacurate
Open Primary
Anyone may participate
Closed Primary
Allows only party members
Sensationalism
News selected to achieve an intense emotional reaction
Blog
World wide web log, political commentary written by bloggers
Wire Service
A news agency that supplies syndicated news by wire to newspapers, radio, and television stations
Majority
More than 1/2
Plurality
The most
Off the Record
Cannot print what was said
On the Record
Name used
On Background
No name used
On Deep Background
No name used and cannot say how you got the information
What were causes of voter fraud in US history?
No privacy
Vote buying
Double voting
What advantages do political parties provide?
Serves as a brand name
An organization that provides money and volunteers
Party logos
Republican - Elephant, GOP
Democrat - Donkey
Roles of the media
Prioritizing news stories
Measuring public opinion
Interpreting events
Investigating wrongdoing
Liberals
Issue Area & Role of Government:
Managing the economy - Influence needed
Lifestyle choices - Little to no role
Conservatives
Issue Area & Role of Government:
Managing the economy - Little to no role
Lifestyle choices - Influence needed
Libertarians
Issue Area & Role of Government:
Managing the economy - Little to no role
Lifestyle choices - Little to no role
Populists
Issue Area & Role of Government:
Managing the economy - Influence needed
Lifestyle choices - Influence needed
Left Politics
Liberals, Communists
In politics, the word left is applied to people and groups that have liberal views. That generally means they support progressive reforms, especially those seeking greater social and economic equality
Right Politics
Conservatives, Fascists
In politics, the word right refers to people or groups that have conservative views. That generally means they are disposed to preserving existing conditions and institutions. Or, they want to restore traditional ones and limit change
What are the goals and strategies of interest group lobbying?
Interest groups provide information and money in an attempt to influence public officials
For interest groups, the information is especially useful, as the politicians use it to make political decisions in areas where they are uninformed
What are some examples of important interest groups?
Economic
Business: US Chamber of Commerce
Labor: AFL - CIO, Teamsters
Agriculture: The Grange
Special Interest: NAACP, NRA, AARP (the most powerful), ACLU, NOW, Green Peace, AAA
Professional: AMA, ADA, ABA, NEA
Why is voter turnout in the US lower than in other democracies?
Elections are too frequent
Too many positions to vote for
No compulsory voting laws
Why minor parties do poorly in the type of elections conducted in the U.S.?
Minor parties lack party advantages
The Democrat / Republican parties serve as a brand name for politicians and provide and organization that provides money and volunteers
What are the laws regulating campaign financing?
Individuals:
limited in how much they can give to candidates, national parties, and PACs
PACs:
limited in how much they can give to candidates, national parties, and PACs
Candidates:
No limit on how much they can spend on their own campaign
Buckley v. Valeo
Candidates and citizens cannot be limited in what they spend on expressing their views (money = free speech)
Contributors, however, are limited because gifts can be regulated
Presidential Campaign Fund
Comes from taxpayer money, cannot spend any more than what is provided
Obama was the first to turn it down and raise his own money; no one has taken it since
What were the qualifications for voting in 1789?
White
Male
Age 21
Property owner (tax payer)
What is the history of suffrage (the right to vote)?
1789 requirements: white, male, age 21, property owner
15th amendment (1870) : allows any race to vote
(Ways around it: white primary, poll taxes, literacy test)
19th amendment (1920): allows women to vote
26th amendment (1971): allows 18 year olds to vote
The Green Party
Anti business, pro-union
Environmental platform, commitment to ecology
Pollution tax on businesses
Universal healthcare and childcare
Reallocation of military funds to social services
The Socialist Party
Anti-war
Non-violent resistance
Unilateral nuclear disarmament
Propose a maximum wage as well as a minimum
Operate within a multi-party democracy
The Libertarian Party
Individual freedom first, society second
Legalize all drugs
Repeal gun control laws
No income tax / IRS
Cancel mutual defense treaties
No military bases overseas
Privatize social security
No limits to how much money people can contribute to politicians
The Constitution Party
Opposed to the separation of church and state
No abortion in any case
Bring troops home from foreign countries
Pull out of NATO alliance
Eliminate IRS
Fund the military with tariffs on foreign goods
The Natural Law Party
Meditation programs in prisons
Opposed to nuclear power
Against GMOs
More restrained foreign policy
The Reform Party
Campaign finance reform
Same day voter registration
No abortion, immigration, or homosexuality
Term limits for congress
Reduce debt - create a balanced budget
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