Unit 4 Flashcards
Political Culture
The collective attitudes, values, and beliefs of the citizenry and the norms of behavior in the political system. It sets expectations about the exercise of power to establish a balance between social order and individual liberty.
Political Socialization
The process – most notably in families and schools – by which we develop our political
attitudes, values, and beliefs.
Ideology
A consistent pattern of beliefs about political values and the role of government
Liberalism
A belief that government can and should achieve justice and equality of opportunity
Socialist
An economic and governmental system based on public ownership of the means of production and exchange.
Conservatism
A belief in private property and free enterprise.
Libertarianism
An ideology that cherishes individual liberty and insists on minimal government, promoting a free market economy, a non interventionist foreign policy, and an absence of regulation in moral, economic, and social life
Demographics
Demographics is the study of a population based on factors such as age, race and sec.
Demographics Trends
a long-range demographic change observed historically in populations around the world.
The Census
An official count or survey of a population, typically recording various details of individuals.
Redistricting
the redrawing of the boundaries of the congressional districts within each state
Reapportionment
the process by which congressional districts are redrawn and seats are redistributed among states in the house. reapportionment occurs every ten years, when census data reports shifts in the population of districts.
Gerrymandering
the drawing of electoral district lines to the advantage of a party or group
Voting Behavior
how people decide to vote (decision is shaped by a complex interplay between an individual voter’s attitudes as well as social factors.)
Party Identification
a citizen’s self-proclaimed preference for one party or the other. (personal choice)
Political Efficacy
Citizens’ faith and trust in government
and their belief that they can understand and
influence political affairs.
Civic Duty
A belief that one has an obligation to participate in civic and political affairs. Civic Competence. A belief that one can affect government policies.
Fundamentalists
Conservative Christians who as a group have become more active in politics in the last two decades and were especially influential in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections. Gender gap. The difference between the political opinions or political behavior of men and women
How does age, race, gender, and ethnicity affect political identity
These all affect political identity because different people have different views based on these factors
Interest Groups
An organization of people sharing a common interest or goal that seeks to influence the making of public policy
Political Action Committees
a private group that raises and distributes funds for use in election campaigns.
Super PACS
Also called an independent expenditure-only committee, a super PAC may raise unlimited funds in support of a candidate or party as long as they do not coordinate in any way with the candidate or party.
527 Groups
political organizations that are not regulated by the Federal Election Commission or by a state elections commission, and are not subject to the same contribution limits as PACs
Iron Triangles
The policymaking relationship between congressional committees, the bureaucracy and interest groups
Revolving Door
the practice of public officials or employees abandoning public service for lobbying positions.
Lobbying
Engaging in activities aimed at influencing public officials, especially legislators,
and the policies they enact.
Public Opinion
what the public’s views are on society stuff
Soft Money
Unlimited amounts of money that political parties previously could raise for partybuilding purposes. Now largely illegal except for limited contributions to state and local parties
for voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts.
Hard Money
Political contributions given to a party, candidate, or interest group that are
limited in amounts and fully disclosed. Raising such limited funds is harder than raising
unlimited funds, hence the term “hard money.”
What are the three things interest groups do?
- Educate voters and office holders on an interest group chosen issue
- Engage in Lobbying
- Draft Legislation
Equality Interest Groups
group contributed by many people and organizations (Ex. Human Rights Campaign)
Single Issue Interest Groups
focuses any campaign, efforts, or activism almost exclusively on only a single issue or a very narrow range of issues
Public Interest Groups
public interest groups promote issues of general public concern (Ex. environmental protection, human rights, and consumer rights)
Ideological Interest Groups
view all issues federal spending, taxes, foreign affairs, court appointments, and so forth through the lens of their political ideology, typically liberal or conservative.
Governmental Interest Groups
organizations to bring the issues of local and state government before Congress and the administration.
What Factors Make Interest Groups Strong?
the group’s financial resources, the managerial and political skills of its leaders, the size and cohesiveness of its membership, and political timing
Mass Mailing
the mailing of advertising or similar material to a lot of people at one time
Litigation
the process of taking legal action.
Boycotting
withdraw from commercial or social relations with (a country, organization, or person) as a punishment or protest.
Electioneering
taking part actively and energetically in the activities of an election campaign.
Initiative
Procedure whereby a certain number of voters may, by petition, propose a law or
constitutional amendment and have it submitted to the voters.
Lobbyists
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.
Are Lobbyists GOOD or BAD for
America
GOOD: Lobbying encourages people to play an active role in their government it’s protected by the First Amendment as our right “to petition the government.”
BAD: when lobbyists use money to buy influence with our government. Lobbyists today funnel millions of dollars into the hands of Congress.
Referendum
Procedure for submitting to popular vote measures passed by the legislature or
proposed amendments to a state constitution.
Recall
Procedure for submitting to popular vote the removal of officials from office before the
end of their term.
Divided Government
Governance divided between the parties, as when one holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of Congress.
Electoral college
Electoral system used in electing the president and vice president, in which voters vote for electors pledged to cast their ballots for particular party’s candidates.
Leadership PAC
A PAC formed by an officeholder that collects contributions from
individuals and other PACs and then makes contributions to other candidates and political
parties.
Party Activists
a person who believes strongly in political or social change and takes part in activities such as public protests to try to make a difference
Political Parties are…
groups of people seeking to control government by gaining office in elections and determining public policy.
Dealignment
Idea that many people are moving away from the two political parties and moving towards the idea of indifference
Realignment
the movement of voters from one political party to another resulting in a major shift in the political spectrum
Critical Election
An election when significant groups of voters change their traditional patterns of party loyalty.
National Convention
A national meeting of delegates elected in primaries, caucuses, or state conventions who assemble once every four years to nominate candidates for president and vice president, ratify the party platform, elect officers, and adopt rules.
First Party System (1788-1824)
-Federalists vs. Democratic- Republicans
-Election of 1800 - Thomas Jefferson
*The federalist party and its opposing republican party competed for control of the presidency. Republican party was made because people saw the federalists as gaining too much power.
Second Party System (1824-1860)
-Democrats vs. Whigs
-Election of 1828 - Andrew Jackson
*coalition included nearly everyone who wasn’t rich in the early 1800s
Third Party System (1860-1896)
-Democrats vs. Republicans
-Election of 1860 - Abraham Lincoln
*Abraham Lincoln, anti slavery into new territories, Republican Party thrives for the next 60 years
Fourth Party System (1896-1988)
-Democrats vs. Republicans
-Election of 1896 - William McKinley
*ensures that Republican Party is in power until 1930s, called a watershed election, watershed refers to an important point of division or transition between two phases or conditions
Fifth Party System (1932-1968)
-Democrats vs. Republicans
-Election of 1932 - Franklin D. Roosevelt
*plan formed by FDR to get the US out of depression, most support after first term, Coalition included urban dwellers, labor unions, catholics and jews, the poor, southerners, African Americans
Sixth Party System (1968-Present)
-Democrats vs. Republicans
-Election of 1968 - Richard Nixon
*present, no one party dominates, democrats control the White House, republicans control the senate
National Committee
-National committee is one of the institutions that keeps the party operating between conventions.
-National committee is composed of representatives from the states and territories.
National Chairperson
-National chairperson is the person responsible for the day to day activities of the party.
-National chairperson hires staff, raises the money, pays the bills, and attends to daily party duties.
Congressional Campaign Committee
a party committee in congress that provides funds to members and would-be members
Ideological Party
a party that values principled stands on issues above all else
Single Issue Party
A single-issue party is a political party that campaigns on only one issue
Candidate Party
a party created for the purpose of its candidate
Third Party
Typically do not win major elections but often bring more voters into the electorate; often spoil elections for a major party; may bring issues that the major parties will adopt
Two-party system
a political system dominated by two major parties
Party Identification
A citizen’s self-proclaimed preference for one party or the other.
Party Platforms
A political party’s statement of its goals and policies for the next four years. The platform is drafted prior to the party convention by a committee whose members are chosen in rough proportion to each candidate’s strength. It is the best formal statement of a party’s beliefs.
Direct Primary
The selection of party candidates through ballots of qualified voters rather than party nomination convention
Open Primary
any qualified voter can take part in election
Closed Primary
A primary election in which ONLY a party’s registered voters are eligible to vote
Blanket Primary
All voters get the same ballot listing every candidate regardless for party for every office
Caucus
A meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates for public
office and to decide the platform.
General Elections
Elections in which voters elect officeholders.
Ethnocentrism
Belief in the superiority of one’s nation or ethnic group.
Reinforcing cleavages
Divisions within society that reinforce one another, making groups more homogenous or similar
Cross-cutting cleavages
Divisions within society that cut across demographic categories to produce groups that are more heterogeneous or different
Race
A grouping of human beings with distinctive characteristics determined by genetic
inheritance.
Ethnicity
A social division based on national origin, religion, language, and often race
Gender Gap
The difference between the political opinions or political behavior of men and of
women.
Socioeconomic status
A division of population based on occupation, income, and
education.
Faction
A term the founders used to refer to political parties and special interests or interest
groups.
Pluralism
A theory of government that holds that open, multiple, and competing groups can
check the asserted power by any one group.
Open shop
A company with a labor agreement under which union membership cannot be
required as a condition of employment.
Closed shop
A company with a labor agreement under which union membership can be a
condition of employment.
Free rider
An individual who does not to join a group representing his or her interests yet receives the benefit of the group’s influence.
Movement
A large body of people interested in a common issue, idea, or concern that is of
continuing significance and who are willing to take action. Movements seek to change attitudes or institutions, not just policies.
Nongovernmental organization (NGO)
A nonprofit association or group operating outside of
government that advocates and pursues policy objectives.
Collective action
How groups form and organize to pursue their goals or objectives, including
how to get individuals and groups to participate and to cooperate. The term has many
applications in the various social sciences such as political science, sociology, and economics.
Leadership PACS
A PAC formed by an officeholder that collects contributions from
individuals and other PACs and then makes contributions to other candidates and political
parties.
Revolving door
Employment cycle in which individuals who work for governmental agencies
that regulate interests eventually end up working for interest groups or businesses with the same policy concern.
Bush v Gore
Use of 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause to stop the Florida recount in the election of 2000- Bush won from help of minor parties that took votes from dems
Citizens United v. FEC (2010)
A 2010 decision by the United States Supreme Court holding that independent expenditures are free speech protected by the 1st Amendment and so cannot be limited by federal law. Leads to creation of Super PACs & massive rise in amount of third party electioneering (Citizens for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow)
Independent expenditures
The Supreme Court has ruled that individuals, groups, and parties can spend unlimited amounts in campaigns for or against candidates as long as they operate independently from the candidates. When an individual, group, or party does so, they are making an independent expenditure.
Issue Network
Relationships among interest groups, congressional committees and
subcommittees, and the government agencies that share a common policy concern.
How do Native americans vote/population
Vote Democrat/Growing Population
How do African Americans vote/population
Vote Democrat/Growing Population
How do Hispanics vote/ population
Vote Democrat (with exception of Cubans who vote republican)
/Growing Population
How do Asians vote/ population
Split votes/Slightly growing population
Public choice
Synonymous with “collective action,” it specifically studies how government
officials, politicians, and voters respond to positive and negative incentives.
Federal Register
An official document, published every weekday, which lists the new and
proposed regulations of executive departments and regulatory agencies.
Amicus curiae brief
Literally, a “friend of the court” brief, filed by an individual or
organization to present arguments in addition to those presented by the immediate parties to a
case.
Bundling
A tactic in which PACs collect contributions from like-minded individuals (each
limited to $2000) and present them to a candidate or political party as a “bundle,” thus increasing
the PAC’s influence.
Quid pro quo
Something given with the expectation of receiving something in return.
Issue advocacy
Unlimited and undisclosed spending by an individual or group on
communications that do not use words like “vote for” or “vote against,” although much of this
activity is actually about electing or defeating candidates
Nonpartisan election
A local or judicial election in which candidates are not selected or
endorsed by political parties and party affiliation is not listed on ballots.
Patronage
The dispensing of government jobs to persons who belong to the winning political
party.
Honeymoon
Period at the beginning of the new president’s term during which the president
enjoys generally positive relations with the press and Congress, usually lasting about six months.
Crossover voting
Voting by member of one party for a candidate of another party
Minor party
A small political party that rises and falls with a charismatic candidate or, if
composed of ideologies on the right or left, usually persists over time; also called a third party.
