Unit 3 - Political Parties/ Interest Groups/ Media Flashcards
Amicus curiae brief
“friend of the court” brief filed by an interest group to influence a Supreme Court decision
Dealignment argument
contention that parties are less meaningful to voters, who have abandoned the parties in greater numbers to become independents
Divided government
government in which one party controls the presidency while another party controls the Congress
Elite theory
theory that upper class elites exercise great influence over public policy
Factions
term used by Madison to denote what we now call interest groups
Fairness Doctrine
FCC rule (no longer in effect) that required broadcasters to air a variety of viewpoints on their programs
Feeding frenzy
Just as sharks engage in a feeding frenzy when they sense blood in the water, the media “attack” when they sense wrongdoing or scandal in government, and devote great amounts of coverage to such stories
Free rider problem
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
Horse race coverage
the tendency of the media to report on an election campaign as if it were a horse race, i.e., who is ahead, who is behind, who is gaining ground
Iron triangle
an informal association of federal agency, congressional committee, and interest group that is said to have heavy influence over policy making
Litigation
the act or process of carrying out a lawsuit
Lobbying
attempting to influence policy makers
Nonpartisan elections
elections in which candidates are not identified by party membership on the ballot
Office column ballot
ballot in which candidates are arranged by office rather than party. Encourages split ticket voting
Party column ballot
ballot in which candidates are arranged by party rather than office. Encourages straight ticket voting
Photo opportunity
a staged campaign event that attracts favorable visual media coverage, e.g., a candidate reading to a group of school children
Pluralism
theory that policy making is the result of interest group competition
Political Action Committee (PAC)
an interest group that raises funds and donates to election campaigns
Patronage
appointing loyal party members to government positions
Revolving door
the cycle in which a person alternately works for the public sector and private sector, thus blurring the individual’s sense of loyalty
Selective exposure
the practice of selectively choosing media sources which are in harmony with one’s own beliefs
Selective perception
the practice of perceiving media messages the way one wants to
Sound bite
a short, pithy comment that is likely to attract media attention, e.g., Ronald Reagan saying, “A recession is when your neighbor loses his job, a depression is when you lose your job, and recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his job.”
Spin control
placing a certain slant on a story to deflect negative public attention against a candidate or office holder
Unit rule
an abandoned rule of the Democratic Party national convention in which the candidate with the most delegates from a state won all of that state’s convention votes
