US Political parties Flashcards
Two main parties America
Democrat, Republican
Republican factions
Moderates, Fiscal conservatives, social conservatives
Democrat factions
Liberals(progressive’s), Moderates, Conservatives
key figures in Republican moderates
Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski
key figure Republican Fiscal Conservatives
Rand Paul
key figures Republican Social Conservatives
Mike Johnson, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Marjorie Taylor Greene
Key figures Democratic liberals
AOC, Ilhan Omar, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders
what is a Super PAC
a super political action committee, raises and spends unlimited amounts of money to support or oppose political candidates but without directly donating or coordinating with these candidates
What is a PAC
this raises and spends money in order to elect/ defeat electoral candidates, with a donation limit of £5,000 per candidate per election
what is a single interest group
a group that advocates policy surrounding a small specific issue, e.g. NRA national rifle association
what is a policy group
a group that attempts to influence a whole policy area, e.g. American Israel PAC
What is an invisible primary
this is the period between when a candidate announces their bid for public office and when the actual primaries take place. it is also sometimes called the “money primary” since candidates spend most of their times during this period raising money in an effort to show their political strength
what is soft/hard money
when cash is contributed directly to a political candidate, it is “hard money” which may only come from an individual or a political action committee. when cash is contributed to a political party with no limits attached to the amount this is called a “soft money” contribution
what are factions
the groups (factions) that make up political parties- ideological wings, particular age and occupation groups, citizens concerned about particular issues-are now a feature of modern politics
what is campaign finance
campaign finance refers to all funds raised to promote candidates political parties or policy initiatives and their agendas during an election
What is a professional group
a group that represents the economic interests of it’s members. e.g. American medical association AMA, American bar association ABA
What is the religious right
The movement, which generally gives support to the Republican party, is an ultraconservative religious response to the sexual revolotion and an attempt to translate this into public policy, promoting family values, opposing abortion and the 1973 Roe vs Wade judgement, opposing same-sex marriage, civil partnerships and non-discrimination laws
