Unit 5 - Political Participation

Question 1

24th amendment

Answer 1

prohibits congress and the state from imposing poll taxes as a condition for voting in federal elections

Question 2

26th amendment

Answer 2

allows those eighteen years old and older to vote

Question 3

agenda setting

Answer 3

the media’s ability to highlight certain issues and bring them to the attention of the public

Question 4

amicus curiae brief

Answer 4

a brief filed by someone who is not a party to a case in an attempt to persuade the court to agree with the arguments set forth in the brief

Question 5

battleground state

Answer 5

a state where the polls show a close contest between the republican and democratic candidate in a presidential election

Question 6

broadcast media

Answer 6

outlets for news and other content that rely on mass communications technology to bring stories directly into people’s homes

Question 7

caucus

Answer 7

a process through which a state’s eligible voters meets to select delegates to represent their preferences in the nomination process

Question 8

closed primary

Answer 8

a primary election in which only those who have registered as a member of apolitical party may vote

Question 9

delegate

Answer 9

a person who acts as the voter’s representative at a convention to select the party’s nominee

Question 10

electoral college

Answer 10

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

Question 11

elitist theory

Answer 11

theory of democracy that the elites have a disproportionate amount of influence in the policymaking process

Question 12

free riders

Answer 12

individual who enjoys collective goods and benefits from the actions of an interest group without joining

Question 13

front-loading

Answer 13

a decision by a state to push its primary or caucus to a date as early in the election season as possible to gain more influence in the presidential nomination process

Question 14

interest groups

Answer 14

voluntary association of people who come together with the goal of getting the polices that they favor enacted

Question 15

investigative journalism

Answer 15

an approach to newsgathering in which reporters dig into stories, often looking for instances of wrongdoing

Question 16

issue network

Answer 16

webs of influence between interest groups, policymakers, and policy advocates

Question 17

linkage institution

Answer 17

channels that connect individuals with government, including elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media

Question 18

lobbying

Answer 18

interacting with government officials in order to advance a group’s public policy goals

Question 19

mass media

Answer 19

sources of information that appeal to a wide audience, including newspapers, radio, television, and internet outlets

Question 20

media consolidation

Answer 20

the concentration of ownership of the media into fewer corporations

Question 21

national convention

Answer 21

a meeting where delegates officially select their party’s nominee for the presidency

Question 22

news media

Answer 22

a broad term that includes newspapers, magazines, radio, television, radio, internet sources, blogs, and social media postings

Question 23

open primary

Answer 23

a primary election in which all eligible voters may vote regardless of their party affiliation

Question 24

participatory democracy

Answer 24

the theory that widespread political participation is essential for democratic government

Question 25

pluralist theory

Answer 25

a theory of democracy that emphasizes the role of groups in the policymaking process

Question 26

political efficacy

Answer 26

a person’s belief that he or she can make effective political change

Question 27

primary election

Answer 27

an election in which a state’s voters choose delegates who support a particular presidential candidate for nomination or an election by a plurality vote to select a party’s nominee for a seat in congress

Question 28

proportional representation

Answer 28

an election system for a legislature in which citizens vote for parties, rather than individuals, and parties are represented in the legislature according to the precentage of the vote they receive

Question 29

revolving door

Answer 29

the movement of individuals between government and lobbying positions

Question 30

single-member plurality system

Answer 30

an election system for choosing members of the legislature where the winner is the candidate who received the most votes

Question 31

super pac

Answer 31

an organization that may spend an unlimited amount of money on a political campaign as long as the spending is not coordinated with the campaign

Question 32

superdelegate

Answer 32

usually, a party leader or activist who is not pledged to a candidate based on the outcomes of the state’s primary or caucus

Question 33

swing state

Answer 33

a state where levels of support for the parties are similar and elections swing back and forth between democrats and republicans

Question 34

two-party system

Answer 34

a system in which two political parties dominate politics, winning almost all elections

Question 35

voter turnout

Answer 35

the number of eligible voters who participate in an election as a percentage of the total number of eligible voters

Question 36

winner-take-all system

Answer 36

a system of elections in which the candidate who wins the plurality of votes within a state received all of that state’s votes in the electoral college