Unit 5 Flashcards
linkage institution (list the 4)
channels that connect individuals with the government (elections, political parties, interest groups, media)
PAC
political action committee; an organisation that raises money to elect and defeat candidates and may donate money directly to a candidate’s campaign
franchise
the right to vote
sufferage
the right to vote
24th amendment
prohibits congress from imposing poll taxes as a condition for voting in federal elections
17th amendment
there should be two senators per state, that serve 6 year terms and are directly elected from the people
voter turnout
percent of eligible voters who vote
political efficacy
one’s the belief that they can make a political change
political mobilization
efforts by political parties to encourage members to vote
26th amendment
people who are 18 or older can vote
poll tax
a payment required by a gov’t to vote
absentee ballot
voting completed and submitted by a voter the before the election day without going to the polls
rational choice voting
voting based on what one believes is in people’s best interest
retrospective voting
voting based on incumbent’s past performance
prospective voting
voting based on what a candidate promises
party-line voting
voting for who is in the political party you agree with
electoral college
a constitutionally required process for selecting the president through slates of electors chosen in each state who are pledged to vote for a nominee in the presidential election
winner take all system
a system of elections in which the candidate who wins plurality of voters within a state revives all of that state’s votes in the electoral college
battleground states
a state where the polls show a close contest between the Democratic and Republican candidate in a presidential election.
swing states
states where levels of support for the parties are similar and elections swing back and fourth between the two parties
federal election campaign act (FEC)
created the federal elections commission, set rules requiring disclosure of the sources of campaign funds, placed limits on campaign contributions, instituted a system of public financing of federal elections, etc.
what does the federal elections commission do?
they oversee campaign finance laws
BCRA
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act: placed stricter donation limits on individuals and PACS
BCRA was challenged, under the claim that it violated the 1st amendment right to free speech. Portions of the BCRA was struck down because labor unions and corporations are persons under the law
super PACS
a PAC that can spend unlimited amounts on a political campaign, but cannot coordinate with the campaign.
19th amendment
the right to vote cannot be abridged on the basis of sex
15th amendment
the right to vote cannot be abridged by race or color
straight ticket voting
voting for all the candidates on a ballot from one political party
split ticket voting
voting for candidate from different parties in the same election
party coalition
groups of voters who support a political party over time
realignment
when groups of people who support a political party shift their allegiance to a different party
critical election
an election that signals the change in the balance of power between two parties
party era
a time period when one party wins most national elections