Unit 2 Gov Concepts

Question 1

List the factors that affect political opinion

Answer 1

Education, Opinion Schema, Self-Interest Principle, Political Leadership

Question 2

List the factors that affect political values

Answer 2

Gender (women prefer Democratic or more equality), Education (rich and white tend to vote more), Income (richer want freedom over equality), Race/Ethnicity (minorities want more equality), Religion (protestants are more conservative than Catholics), Region

Question 3

How do the regions of the US influence the political beliefs

Answer 3

Liberals (Northeast), Conservatives (Midwest) Communitarian (Minority/Low Income) Libertarian (Wealthy, Upper class)

Question 4

Primary Principle

Answer 4

What is learned first is learned best

Question 5

Structuring Principle

Answer 5

What is learned first helps structure what is to come

Question 6

Majoritarian model of public opinion believes that

Answer 6

the government should act upon the majority of the people.

Question 7

Pluralistic model of public opinion believes that

Answer 7

the government should allow all to have free expression to express the opinions of all (notably minority publics)

Question 8

Unconventional participation is useful when

Answer 8

1. there is a distrust in the political system 2. are stronger or must identify with a larger group who has the same issues 3. used by minorities when political participation is impossible.

Question 9

Two types of conventional behavior

Answer 9

supporting behavior and influencing behavior: supporting behavior supports a country (saying the pledge of allegiance) while influencing behavior seeks to modify government policy towards self interests (vote against school taxes if you have no children) or to pursue broad class objectives (class action suits)

Question 10

Americans in voting

Answer 10

actively engage in political activities but do not like to vote

Question 11

Name the three court cases in helping blacks gain suffrage (the right to vote)

Answer 11

Smith v. Allwright -> preventing blacks from voting in primaries was unconstitutional

Question 12

Voting rights act of 1965

Answer 12

got rid of literacy tests; federal government could register voters in the south

Question 13

Harper v. Virginia State board of elections 1966

Answer 13

state poll taxes are unconstitutional

Question 14

progressivism

Answer 14

political beliefs from a single individual instead of special interests (railroads, oil, etc)

Question 15

Progressivism functions

Answer 15

recall, referendum, initiative, direct primary

Question 16

Standard socioeconomic model

Answer 16

relates how one’s place in society influences their political beliefs

Question 17

Reasons for decline in voter turnout (theories)

Answer 17

1. younger adults are not as interested in politics 2. too large of a learning curve now that voting is so easy 3. belief government is no longer responsive to citizens

Question 18

Reasons for decline in voter turnout (actual)

Answer 18

1. American system (voting day is not a holiday, you have to register yourself instead of the government registering you) 2. political parties less likely to mobilize voters (more parties with closer ties in other countries)

Question 19

A majoritarian view towards voting will be better because

Answer 19

Favors conventional, institutionalized behavior (voting)
○ Emphasizes equality in political participation
○ Favors collective decisions through elections

Question 20

A pluralistic system towards voting will result in

Answer 20

the wealthy dominating the political sphere with greater influence.

Question 21

closed versus open primary

Answer 21

closed primary - > must identify with party to vote; open primary -> party affiliation not considered

Question 22

Congress/state office have

Answer 22

primary elections, where there is a election conducted within the political party as to who will run

Question 23

modified close primary

Answer 23

the political party can determine whether independents can vote for their party’s candidates

Question 24

modified open primary

Answer 24

independent voters can vote in either ballot but not both

Question 25

Changes in campaigning since 1968 (older -> newer)

Answer 25

Shorter campaigns - > longer campaigns; More time after convention -> frontloading; limited use of media - > extensive media usage; open primaries - > closed primaries; political parties organized election process -> candidates consult organizers on election process, Few primaries (candidate selected by party) -> Many primaries (primary/caucuses influence candidate)

Question 26

President must win

Answer 26

270+/538 total electoral college votes (senators+house number of representataives + 3 for dc) plurality (most votes takese all )except Maine and Nebraska

Question 27

first past the post election

Answer 27

an election where one with the most votes wins

Question 28

FECA (Federal Election campaign act) 1971

Answer 28

limited donation amount of hard money to candidates

Question 29

Buckley v. Valeo (1976)

Answer 29

removed limit on expenses incurred by individuals/organizations who
campaigned independently on behalf of national candidate

Question 30

FECA Amendment (1974)

Answer 30

Limited amount which nonparty groups (“political action committees”) could contribute
Created Federal Election Commission (FEC): bipartisan, 6-member agency to oversee financing of
nationalelection campaigns and administer public financing

Question 31

527 Committees:

Answer 31

Tax-exempt committees in election campaigns if unaffiliated with political parties; can raise unlimited soft money

Question 32

Majoritarian model for campaigns

Answer 32

○ Parties should present clear programs to voters (who choose candidates based on those programs)
○ Winning party should carry out programs when in office
 Basic party principles affect presidential primaries… but not Congressional ones as much

Question 33

Pluralist model for campaigns

Answer 33

Function as two giant interest groups to represent nation
○ Focus: electing/reelecting candidates, not their individual ideologies
○ Congressional/state candidates run under party banner using own resources with little party interference

Question 34

Lobbying tactics

Answer 34

Grassroots lobbying -> using indirect means of communication to attempt to swing legislators to their demands (demonstrations, rallies, letter writing to cater to the sympathy) and Direct lobbying -> issue framing in order to curb the legislator to their demands and persuade them on their view point of the issue

Question 35

Shortcoming of interest groups

Answer 35

Bias; rich are more likely to join interest groups, and the freerider problem further skews the results from membership bias; businesses hire groups of lawyers as part of a lobbying effort to get legislation passed in their favor

Question 36

citizen groups

Answer 36

a lobbying group with intentions that don’t align with those part of it

Question 37

What are the major uses of political parties

Answer 37

Nominating candidates (identifying who is worthy to run), Structuring voting choice in elections (trimming down the ballot size), proposing future government programs, and coordinating actions between officials (separation of power between president and Congress)

Question 38

Prior to first party system, the groups were

Answer 38

Federalist vs Antifederalists (who decided candidates in caucuses and then voted for them)

Question 39

First Party system

Answer 39

Federalists vs Democratic Republicans (Adams to Monroe)
nomination of candidate pairs starting from 1796 Weakened Democratic-Republican party  official 1824 election candidate lost to rival
candidates
 Increased suffrage reduced importance of parties’ role in structuring popular vote

Question 40

Second Party System

Answer 40

Democrats vs Whigs
Trended towards mass elections  political campaigns now required
 Party Platform:statement of policies of national political party
Parties devised national convention: gathering of delegates from single political party to choose
candidates for president and adopt party platform (pioneered by Anti-Masonic Party)
○
 National Republicans dissolved after 1832
 Whigs formed in protest over Jacksonian policy
 Whigs split over slavery and sectionalism

Question 41

Current Party System

Answer 41

Democrats vs Republicans
Republicans formed in 1854 to oppose extension of slavery  carried North
○ Democrats solidly supported South until Eisenhower (1952)  called “Solid South”
 Ex. Election of 1860  support for Republicans in the North; Democrats in the South
○ Critical Election: election that produces sharp change in existing pattern of party loyalties
○ Electoral Realignment: change in voting patterns that occurs after critical election (if sustained)

Question 42

Critical Elections

Answer 42

1860-1894: Republicans won White House (due to Northern dominance in South); split in Congress
 William Jennings Bryan/Populism pushed Northeast and Midwest to Republican Party
 Solidified Republican majority in industrial America (Republicans = businessmen)
 Maintained dominance until Great Depression
○ 1896-1930: Republican Majority (Critical Election = 1896)
1932-1994
 Democrats attracted urban laborers and ethnic groups in North along with South) via New Deal
 Electoral Dealignment:lessening of importance of party loyalties in voting decisions

Question 43

Minor parties allow

Answer 43

those who are discontent with the current system to have their say in the government, and can advocate policies to later be adopted by the more major political parties

Question 44

Majority representation vs plural representation

Answer 44

Majoritarian: districts are awarded on plurality system, one winner wins the office, interest groups must adhere to the two parties Pluralist: legislative seats awarded in proportion to winning vote, allows for each party to wield some power

Question 45

Political party reforms

Answer 45

Democrats -> procedural reforms; added affirmative action quotas to each state’s delegations to force representation of ethnicities/genders according to state’s population; Republicans -> organizational reforms; strengthened fundraising, research, service roles

Question 46

Responsible party governments

Answer 46

i. Parties should present clear program to voters
ii. Voters should choose candidates based on party programs
iii. Winning party should try to carry out program once in office
iv. Voters should hold governing party responsible at next election for execution of program

Question 47

Media bias

Answer 47

those in office incumbents will receive more attention and coverage

Question 48

Media contributes to the political agenda; how?

Answer 48

example: continued television of crime implies that crime rate might have increased even when it has not; delivers polarized view on issues (ie Clinton’s scandal), promote the government during times of crisis,

Question 49

What separates the two medias?

Answer 49

TV media is used for informal addresses, whereas newspaper is used for more important/formal addresses