Unit 3 Buzzwords

Question 1

political ideology

Answer 1

coherent and consistent set of beliefs about who should rule, what policies they should pursue and the rules by which leaders govern

Question 2

political socialization

Answer 2

process by which people get their sense of political identity, beliefs, and values (family, school, media, religion, national events-all help to socialize)

Question 3

party realignment

Answer 3

dramatic shifts in partisan preferences that drastically alter the political landscape

Question 4

critical election

Answer 4

sharp changes in the existing patterns of party loyalty due to changing social and economic conditions

Question 5

Third Parties

Answer 5

electoral contenders other than the two major parties. American third parties are not unusual, but they rarely win elections.

Question 6

libertarians

Answer 6

believes in limited government interference in personal and economic liberties

Question 7

Green Party

Answer 7

minor party dedicated to the environment, social justice, nonviolence, and the foreign policy of nonintervention

Question 8

Reform Party

Answer 8

minor party founded by Ross Perot in 1995. It focuses on national government reform, fiscal responsibility, and political accountability

Question 9

Bull Moose Party

Answer 9

nickname for the new Progressive Party, which was formed to support Roosevelt in the election of 1912

Question 10

Party machine

Answer 10

party who builds loyalty and devotion by passing out perks and privileges. These party machines and their respective boss were often charged with corruption and have subsequently fallen in disrepute

Question 11

coalition

Answer 11

individuals or groups which cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause.

Question 12

party platform

Answer 12

political party’s statement of its goals and policies for the next four years

Question 13

party identification

Answer 13

sense of affiliation that a person has with a particular political party.

Question 14

ticket-splitting

Answer 14

voting for candidates of different parties for various offices in the same election

Question 15

special interest group

Answer 15

an organization of people with some common interest who try to influence public policy

Question 16

economic interest group

Answer 16

a group with the primary purpose of promoting the financial interests of its members

Question 17

527s

Answer 17

political organizations formed primarily to influence elections and therefore exempt from most federal taxes

Question 18

PAC

Answer 18

political action committee , set up by a corporation, labor union, or interest group that raises and spends campaign money from voluntary donations

Question 19

Super-PAC

Answer 19

formed by interest groups and can raise/spend unlimited funds if no direct coordination with candidates

Question 20

bundlers

Answer 20

people who collect legal campaign donations from individuals and then deliver the bundled donations to a specific candidate

Question 21

lobbyist

Answer 21

a person who is employed by and acts for an organized interest group or corporation to try to influence policy decisions and positions in the executive and legislative branches.

Question 22

exit polls

Answer 22

polls conducted as voters leave selected polling places on Election Day to determine who they voted for

Question 23

random sampling

Answer 23

method of poll selection that gives each person in a group the same chance of being selected

Question 24

Super Tuesday

Answer 24

a dozen or so southern states when they holding their presidential primaries in early March. These states hope to promote a regional advantage

Question 25

frontloading

Answer 25

tendency of states to hold primaries early in the calendar in order to capitalize on media attention

Question 26

winner-take-all system

Answer 26

electoral system in which the party that receives at least one more vote than any other party wins the election

Question 27

Electoral College

Answer 27

representatives of each sate who cast the final ballots that actually elect a president

Question 28

open and closed primaries

Answer 28

open: party members, independents, and members of other party can participate
closed: only party’s registered voters can participate

Question 29

Moto-voto bill

Answer 29

required registration for voting to be available when applying for a drivers license or receiving other help

Question 30

Tea Party

Answer 30

national social movement, primarily attracting fiscal and social conservatives, that seeks to limit government spending and cut taxes

Question 31

linkage institution

Answer 31

channels through which people’s concerns become political issues on the government’s policy agenda. In the United States, linkage institutions include elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.

Question 32

recall

Answer 32

election in which voters can remove an incumbent from office prior to the next scheduled election

Question 33

initiative

Answer 33

procedure by which voters can propose a law or a constitutional amendment.

Question 34

hard money

Answer 34

donations made to political candidates, party committees, or groups which, by law, are limited and must be declared.

Question 35

soft money

Answer 35

campaign contributions unregulated by federal or state law, usually given to parties and party committees to help fund general party activities.

Question 36

dark money

Answer 36

groups that make donations who report their funding.