Unit 3: Political Participation!

Question 1

15th Amendment

Answer 1

Gave African American males the right to vote (1870)

Question 2

19th Amendment

Answer 2

Gave women the right to vote (1920)

Question 3

24th Amendment

Answer 3

Abolished the poll tax (1964)

Question 4

26th Amendment

Answer 4

Required states to allow citizens to vote no later than the age of 18. (1971)

Question 5

527 Groups

Answer 5

Private interest groups who influence elections by airing issue-oriented advertisements during an election campaign; usually aimed at preventing a candidate from winning.

not taxed acc to Citizens v FEC

Question 6

Absentee Voting

Answer 6

A process where voters can vote in advance because they will be away from home on election day

Question 7

Agenda Setting

Answer 7

Role of the media or government when they make choices that influence the government agenda for policies and programs; decide what programs and policies will be enacted.

Question 8

Caucus

Answer 8

A closed meeting of a particular group; it refers to members of the political party who meet to choose delegates to the national convention when their party chooses a presidential candidate.

Question 9

Electoral college

Answer 9

Method by which we select the President of the United States; each state has the same number of electors as they have members in the House and Senate, combined. States determine how electors are chosen.

Question 10

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

Answer 10

Independent regulatory commission which oversees election laws and campaign finance rules for all political candidates to ensure candidates are following the law and to help prevent corruption.

Question 11

General elections

Answer 11

Elections held in November to choose candidates for state or national office.

Question 12

Midterm elections

Answer 12

Elections that are held in the even “off year” between presidential elections.

Question 13

National committee

Answer 13

The group chosen by Republicans/Democrats to oversee the operations of the party and make important decisions in reaction to events for the period of time between presidential election years.

Question 14

National convention

Answer 14

The group of delegates chosen in primaries/caucuses to attend this meeting in the summer of Presidential election years to vote on the political party platform and formally choose the candidates for president/vice president for the party.

Question 15

Party identification

Answer 15

Self-identification of an individual with a political party. “I consider myself a [insert party name here].” In some states, voters have to declare party identification at the time they register to vote. Alabama is not one of those states.

Question 16

Party Platform

Answer 16

The official statement of beliefs and policy intentions for the political party.

Question 17

Political Action Committees (PAC’s)

Answer 17

Organizations whose role is to raise money for political action. They donate money to candidates and campaigns, under strict guidelines that are enforced by the FEC. PAC’s are often attached to corporations, unions and formal interest groups.

Question 18

Political party

Answer 18

An organization whose primary purpose is to win elections and thereby control government. Political parties also educate the public on policy issues, organize government and serve as a bridge between members of the public and government.

Question 19

Poll tax

Answer 19

A tax required if you want to be registered to vote; poll taxes were a common Jim Crow era mechanism to disenfranchise voters; they were outlaws by the 24th amendment, which made them unconstitutional.

Question 20

Polling

Answer 20

A process of gathering and measuring public opinion on issues from a sample of people intended to represent the whole

Question 21

Primary (closed/open)

Answer 21

Primaries are political party mechanisms for the purpose of narrowing down the candidates for a political office from many to one; primaries are held earlier than the general election so that each party has only one candidate running for each political office. In a closed primary, only registered members of the political party can vote to choose the candidate; in an open primary, voters “declare” which party they wish to vote for at the time of the primary election.

Question 22

Single issue parties

Answer 22

Third parties who organize around a single (or very narrow range of) issue(s). Example, Green Party for environmental issues.

Question 23

Social Media

Answer 23

Newer form of media that is driven by public interaction with one another and news and information through internet sources such as facebook, twitter, instagram, snapchat and others.

Question 24

Special interest group

Answer 24

A group who organizes for the purpose of promoting particular policy ideas and influencing the actions of government with regard to that policy area; special interest groups often have membership and expertise in the area of policy they are promoting (ex., NRA for gun owners)

Question 25

Split ticket

Answer 25

Action where voters choose candidates in a general election from different parties; ex., choosing a republican for Senate and a Democrat for House

Question 26

Straight ticket

Answer 26

Action where voters choose to vote for all candidates from one party; this is generally fast and easy because voters can circle one oval for the party and it records their vote for all candidates from that party

Question 27

Suffrage

Answer 27

The right to vote. Can also be referenced as “franchise” rights.

Question 28

SuperPacs

Answer 28

Political action committees that formed as a result of the Citizens United v. FEC case in 2010; these groups are allowed to raise unlimited amounts of money for advocacy for or against a candidate; however, they are not allowed to engage in any coordination or communication with the candidate in question.

Question 29

Third parties/minor parties

Answer 29

Any parties that seek election in a two party system that are not one of the two dominant parties.

Question 30

Turnout

Answer 30

A measure of how the public turns out for elections; younger voters vote less frequently than older voters in America; overall turnout is amongst the lowest in the world, hovering around 50% in presidential elections and even lower in mid-term elections

Question 31

Two party system

Answer 31

A system in which two political parties dominate elections and the governmental system of a country; the U.S. is a two party system.

Question 32

Voting Laws

Answer 32

Laws that govern eligibility, processes and procedures for voting. In the United States, voting laws are within the state’s powers according to the Constitution and so voting laws may vary from state to state

Question 33

Winner-take-all

Answer 33

A system in which the person with the most votes takes all the delegates/electors for that election; it does not necessarily have to be a majority win.

the only ones who don’t do that sys are maine and beraska

Question 34

Political efficacy

Answer 34

The belief that your opinion/participation matters in a democracy; those with low political efficacy are less likely to vote because they think their vote does not matter.

Question 35

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Answer 35

Law passed by Congress to institute more uniformity in voting laws and ensure that the civil rights of all Americans were not abridged when it came to the right to vote.

Question 36

incumbency advantage

Answer 36

the electoral edge afforded to those already in office

Question 37

Citizens United v FEC (2010)

Answer 37

Supreme Court case which ruled that corporations/organizations had free speech rights in political campaigns that must be protected. It led to the development of SuperPAC’s, which are able to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money for candidate support/opposition, with the provision that the SuperPAC cannot communicate or coordinate with the candidate in any way.

Question 38

Independents

Answer 38

A growing number of Americans do not identify with either dominant political party in America today, but instead consider themselves “independents”. This is the portion of society that politicians must particularly appeal to because they often act as the “swing vote” in close/contested elections.

Question 39

Divided Government

Answer 39

The situation when control of each branch is split between the two parties; ex. Republicans control House and Democrats control White House.

Question 40

linkage institutions

Answer 40

groups in society that link people to the government and help turn ppl’s policy opinions into gov policy action/agendas. In the United States, linkage institutions include elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.

Question 41

Gatekeeper

Answer 41

The media can influence what subjects become national political issues and for how long.

Question 42

agenda setting- media spec

Answer 42

the power of the media to bring public attention to particular issues and problems

Question 43

horse race journalism

Answer 43

news coverage that focuses on who is ahead rather than on the issues

Question 44

soft money

Answer 44

Campaign contributions unregulated by federal or state law, usually funding general party activities.

Question 45

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act

Answer 45

law passed in 2002 that banned soft money, put limits on issue advertising, and increased the amount individuals can donate to candidates

Question 46

Stand-by-your-ad disclaimer

Answer 46

requires candidates in the United States for federal political office, as well as interest groups and political parties supporting or opposing a candidate, to include in political advertisements on television and radio “a statement by the candidate that identifies the candidate and states that the candidate has approved the communication.

Question 47

free rider problem

Answer 47

the problem faced by interest groups when citizens can reap the benefits of interest group action without actually joining, participating in, or contributing money to such groups.

Question 48

interest group

Answer 48

An organization of people sharing a common interest or goal that seeks to influence the making of public policy

Question 49

Iron Triangle

Answer 49

A close relationship between an agency, a congressional committee, and an interest group
Congress (funding + political support) → bureaucracy (low regulation, special favors) → Interest Groups (electoral support via pacs + donations) → Congress
Interest Group (congressional support via lobbying Congress) → Bureaucracy (policy choices + execution) → Congress (friendly legislation + oversight) → Interest Group

Question 50

issue network

Answer 50

A network of people in Washington, D.C.-based interest groups, on congressional staffs, in universities and think tanks, and in the mass media, who regularly discuss and advocate public policies.

Question 51

Lobbying

Answer 51

Engaging in activities aimed at influencing public officials, especially legislators, and the policies they enact.

Question 52

Campaign Finance

Answer 52

Money that political candidates use for funding their expensive campaigns.

Question 53

Realignment

Answer 53

A process in which a substantial group of voters switches party allegiance, producing a long-term change in the political landscape.

Question 54

Candidate Centered Campaigns

Answer 54

Election campaigns and other political processes in which candidates, not political parties, have most of the initiative and influence.

Question 55

Rational Choice Theory

Answer 55

A popular theory in political science to explain the actions of voters as well as politicians. It assumes that individuals act in their own best interest, carefully weighing the costs and benefits of possible alternatives.

Question 56

retrospective voting

Answer 56

voting for a candidate because you like his or her past actions in office

Question 57

prospective voting

Answer 57

voting based on the imagined future performance of a candidate

Question 58

party-line voting

Answer 58

process in which voters select candidates by their party affiliation

Question 59

Brutus 1

Answer 59

Constitution gives the federal government too much power (supremacy clause, necessary/proper clause) AND that if the people are held under one government, their beliefs will be constantly contradicted - smaller republics are needed to represent diversity of opinion

Question 60

Article II of the Constitution

Answer 60

sets up the executive branch, led by the president.
prez = head of state; oversees US mil, receives/sends ambassadors, carries out (executes) law, appts SCOTUS.
The framers were cautious about creating a strong executive branch, fearing tyranny (impeachment+removal provision = section4)