Unit 5 Flashcards
Political Participation
the different ways im which individuals take action to shape the laws and policies of a government
Political action committee
an organization that raises money to elect and defeat candidates and may donate money directly to a candidate’s campaign, subject to limits
What does political participation include?
voting, calling, emailing, or using social media to contact elected officials, making their preferences known or expressing their displeasure
Linkage Institution
channels that connect individuals with government, including elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media
Franchise (or Suffrage)
the right to vote
26th Amendment
allows those eighteen years and older to vote
Protects right to vote based on age for all people >18 years old
24th Amendment
prohibits Congress and the states fro imposing poll taxes as a condition for voting in federal elections
Poll tax
a payment required by a state or federal government before a citizen is allowed to vote
Voter turnout
the number of eligible voters who participate in an election as a percentage of the total number of eligible voters
Demographic Characteristics
measurable characteristics of a population, such as economic status, education, age, race or ethnicity, and gender
Socioeconomic Status (SES)
a measure of an individual’s wealthm income, occupation, and educational attainment
Political efficacy
a person’s belief that they can make effective political change
What causes a person to vote or not to vote?
- Demographic Characteristics
- Socioeconomic Status
- Political Efficacy
- Changes in Participation as People Age
- Racial and Ethnic Identities
- Gender and Voter Turnout
- Candidate Characteristics and Voter Turnout
Political Mobilization
efforts by political parties to encourage their members to vote
Registration Requirements
the set of rules that govern who can vote and how, when, and where they can vote
Rational Choice Voting
voting based on what a citizen believes is in their best interest
Retrospective Voting
voting based on an assessment of an incumbent’s past performance
Prospective Voting
casting a ballot for a candidate who promises to enact policies favored by the voter
Party-line voting
voting for candidates hwo belong only to one political party for all of the offices on the ballot
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 a candidate who wins the plurality of votes within a state receives all of that state’s votes in the Electoral College
battleground states
a state where the polls show a close contest between the Republican and Democrartic candidate in a presidential election
Swing State
a state where levels of support for the parties are similar and elections swing back and forth between Democrats and Republicans
Get out the vote (GOTV)
efforts to mobilize supporters
Super PAC
an organization that may spend an unlimited amount of money on a political campaign as long as the spending is not coordinated with a campaign
17th Amendment
Direct election of Senators by states population (used to be chosen by state legislature) (so only extremely connected people - so super corrupt!!)
19th Amendment
Expand voting rights to women (After civil activism campaigns)
24th Amendment
Forbids either federal or state government from establishing a tax to vote (aka poll taxes)
Rational Choice Voting
Voting based on the perceived best interest of yourself (wealthy vote forr candidates who want lower taxes)
Not always the case ! Sometimes people vote for what they think is the good of society rather than for themselves
Straight Ticket Voting
Voters who vote for one particular party across the ballot
Has become increasingly common
Structural Barriers to Voting
- Differences in polling hours of operatio and early voting timelines
- Availability of absentee ballots for voters
- Voter ID laws and specific ID requirements to vote
- Voter registration process (online vs. in person, and deadlines)
Other Barriers to Voting
- Sense of political efficacy will impact voter turnout
- Election type; more turnout for presidential elections than midterm
- Demographic trends (race, class, gender, etc. ) can sometimes impact coter turnout or access
Linkage institutions
Connect people to gov. to make preferences known or voice opinions
Political Parties
linkage institutions
Establish values and political preference
Elections
Show either support or disapproval of recent policies
Interest Groups
Focus and mobilize interactions with elected reps
Media
Frame issues and hild government accountable (watchdog)
changing media
- Increased demand for political analysis and commentary
- Media bias occurs in news outlets through framing and commentary
- Bias impacts political opinions through ideological oreintation, reinforcing beliefs, and uncertainty of credibility
Functions of a Political Party
- Mobilizes and educates voters about candidates and issues
- Create party platforms for candidate and voter alignment
- Recruits candidates for office (those who can win and uphold beliefs)
- Manage electoral campaigns (inc. fundraising and media strategy)
Political Parties and Governing
- Political parties : Their one goal is to get people elected
- Support the committee and party leadership systems in legislatures
- Set legislative agenda and pass policy when in majority
Act as watchdog and opposition when in minority
Canditate Centered (changes in parties)
Candidates in charge of messaging and strategy
Party selection has been weakened over time
Demographics (changes in parties)
Changing policy to appeal to different groups or demographics
Critical Elections
realign the values among party members
Campaign Finance
changes in limits on donation amounts
Data Management
Changes in data availability for mobilization and outreach
Winner Take All (aka “First past the post”)
- Only one candidate wins the election → single rep for each district
- Winner is decided by plurality of votes
- Favors a two party system → one will always get over 50%
- In a winner take all system - Single Member Districts - there is a single member who can win the district
Proportional Systems
- Elects multiple reps for each district and is allocated proportionally
- Leaders selected based on which party received the most votes
- Multi-Member Districts - multiple different members of the parties that can win different allocation and it’s proportional
Ranked Choice Voting
- Winner take all, but rank candidates from least to greatest
- If 1st choice not in top candidates then counts the second choice, etc.
Political Party
an organized group of party leaders, officeholders, and voters who work together to elect candidates to political office
Recruitment
the process through which political parties identify potential candidates
In government, elected officals work to enact their parties policies.
Party Coalition
groups of voters who support a political party over time