Unit III Vocab

Question 1

“Friend of the court brief”

Answer 1

Amicus curiae brief

Question 2

Brief filed by an interest group to influence a Supreme Court decision

Answer 2

Amicus curiae brief

Question 3

Contention that parties are less important to voters, who have abandoned parties to become independents

Answer 3

Dealignment argument

Question 4

Government in which one party controls the presidency while another party controls Congress

Answer 4

Divided government

Question 5

Theory that upper class elites excercise great influence over public policy

Answer 5

Elite theory

Question 6

Term used by Madison to denote what we now call interest groups

Answer 6

Factions

Question 7

FCC rule that required broadcasters to air a variety of viewpoints on their programs

Answer 7

Fairness doctrine

Question 8

Is the Fairness Doctrine still in effect?

Answer 8

No

Question 9

The media attack when they sense wrongdoing or scandal in the government, giving massive coverage to these stories

Answer 9

Feeding frenzy

Question 10

The problem faced by interest groups when citizens can reap the benefits of interest groups without joining, participating, or contributing money

Answer 10

Free rider problem

Question 11

The tendency of media to report on an election campaign as if it were a horse race

Answer 11

Horse race coverage

Question 12

Media coverage of a campaign based on who is ahead or behind

Answer 12

Horse race

Question 13

An informal association of federal agency, congressional committee, and interest group that is said to have heavy influence in policy making

Answer 13

Iron Triangle

Question 14

The act or process of carrying out a lawsuit

Answer 14

Litigation

Question 15

Attempt to influence policy makers

Answer 15

Lobbying

Question 16

Elections in which candidates are not identified by party membership on the ballot

Answer 16

Nonpartisan election

Question 17

Ballot in which candidates are arranged by office, not by party

Answer 17

Office column voting

Question 18

Ballot arrangement which encourages split ticket voting

Answer 18

Office column

Question 19

Ballot in which candidates are arranged by party, not by office

Answer 19

Party column ballot

Question 20

A staged campaign event which attracts favorable visual media coverage

Answer 20

Photo opportunity

Question 21

Example of a photo opportunity

Answer 21

Reading to school children

Question 22

Theory that policy making is the result of interest group competition

Answer 22

Pluralism

Question 23

an interest group that raises funds and donates to election campaigns

Answer 23

PAC

Question 24

Appointing loyal party members to government positions

Answer 24

Patronage

Question 25

The cycle in which a person alternately works for the public and private sector (eg: government and interest groups)

Answer 25

revolving door

Question 26

The practice of selectively choosing media sources which are in harmony with one’s own beliefs

Answer 26

Selective exposure

Question 27

According to selective exposure, what news would a conservative watch?

Answer 27

FOX News

Question 28

The practice of perceiving media messages the way one wants to

Answer 28

Selective perception

Question 29

A short, pithy statement which is likely to attract media attention

Answer 29

Sound bite

Question 30

Placing a certain slant on a story to deflect negative public attention against a politician

Answer 30

Spin control

Question 31

An abandoned rule of the Democratic Party national convention in which the candidate with the most delegates from a state won all of the states’s convention votes

Answer 31

Unit Rule