Vocab Flashcards
caucus
a form of candidate nomination that occurs in a town-hall style format rather than a day-long election; usually reserved for presidential elections
chronic minority
voters who belong to political parties that tend not to be competitive in national elections because they are too small to become a majority or because of the Electoral College system distribution in their state
coattail effect
the result when a popular presidential candidate helps candidates from the same party win their own elections
delegates
party members who are chosen to represent a particular candidate at the party’s state- or national-level nominating convention
early voting
an accommodation that allows voting up to two weeks before Election Day
district system
the means by which electoral votes are divided between candidates based on who wins districts and/or the state
early voting
an accommodation that allows voting up to two weeks before Election Day
Electoral College
the constitutionally created group of individuals, chosen by the states, with the responsibility of formally selecting the next U.S. president
incumbency advantage
the advantage held by officeholders that allows them to often win reelection
incumbent
the current holder of a political office
initiative
law or constitutional amendment proposed and passed by the voters and subject to review by the state courts; also called a proposition
recall
the removal of a politician or government official by the voters
referendum
a yes or no vote by citizens on a law or candidate proposed by the state government
residency requirement
the stipulation that citizen must live in a state for a determined period of time before a citizen can register to vote as a resident of that state
shadow campaign
a campaign run by political action committees and other organizations without the coordination of the candidate
straight-ticket voting
the practice of voting only for candidates from the same party
top-two primary
a primary election in which the two candidates with the most votes, regardless of party, become the nominees for the general election
voter fatigue
the result when voters grow tired of voting and stay home from the polls
bandwagon effect
increased media coverage of candidates who poll high
classical liberalism
a political ideology based on belief in individual liberties and rights and the idea of free will, with little role for government
communism
a political and economic system in which, in theory, government promotes common ownership of all property, means of production, and materials to prevent the exploitation of workers while creating an equal society; in practice, most communist governments have used force to maintain control
covert content
ideologically slanted information presented as unbiased information in order to influence public opinion
diffuse support
the widespread belief that a country and its legal system are legitimate
fascism
a political system of total control by the ruling party or political leader over the economy, the military, society, and culture and often the private lives of citizens
favorability poll
a public opinion poll that measures a public’s positive feelings about a candidate or politician
heuristics
shortcuts or generalizations for decision making
modern conservatism
a political ideology that prioritizes individual liberties, preferring a smaller government that stays out of the economy
modern liberalism
a political ideology focused on equality and supporting government intervention in society and the economy if it promotes equality
political elite
a political opinion leader who alerts the public to changes or problems
overt content
political information whose author makes clear that only one side is presented
socialism
a political and economic system in which government uses its authority to promote social and economic equality, providing everyone with basic services and equal opportunities and requiring citizens with more wealth to contribute more
straw poll
an informal and unofficial election poll conducted with a non-random population
theory of delegate representation
a theory that assumes the politician is in office to be the voice of the people and to vote only as the people want
traditional conservatism
a political ideology supporting the authority of the monarchy and the church in the belief that government provides the rule of law
beat
the coverage area assigned to journalists for news or stories
cultivation theory
the idea that media affect a citizen’s worldview through the information presented
digital paywall
the need for a paid subscription to access published online material
fairness doctrine
a 1949 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) policy, now defunct, that required holders of broadcast licenses to cover controversial issues in a balanced manner
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
a federal statute that requires public agencies to provide certain types of information requested by citizens
hypodermic theory
the idea that information is placed in a citizen’s brain and accepted
indecency regulations
laws that limit indecent and obscene material on public airwaves
libel
printed information about a person or organization that is not true and harms the reputation of the person or organization
mass media
the collection of all media forms that communicate information to the general public
minimal effects theory
the idea that the media have little effect on citizens
muckraking
news coverage focusing on exposing corrupt business and government practices
party press era
period during the 1780s in which newspaper content was biased by political partisanship
priming
the process of predisposing readers or viewers to think a particular way
prior restraint
a government action that stops someone from doing something before they are able to do it (e.g., forbidding someone to publish a book they plan to release)
public relations
biased communication intended to improve the image of people, companies, or organizations
reporter’s privilege
the right of a journalist to keep a source confidential
slander
spoken information about a person or organization that is not true and harms the reputation of the person or organization
soft news
news presented in an entertaining style
sunshine laws
laws that require government documents and proceedings to be made public
first-past-the-post
a system in which the winner of an election is the candidate who wins the greatest number of votes cast, also known as plurality voting
gerrymandering
the manipulation of legislative districts in an attempt to favor a particular candidate
majoritarian voting
a type of election in which the winning candidate must receive at least 50 percent of the votes, even if a run-off election is required
majority party
the legislative party with over half the seats in a legislative body, and thus significant power to control the agenda
minority party
the legislative party with less than half the seats in a legislative body
party identifiers
individuals who represent themselves in public as being part of a party
party realignment
a shifting of party alliances within the electorate
party-in-the-electorate
members of the voting public who consider themselves part of a political party or who consistently prefer the candidates of one party over the other
personal politics
a political style that focuses on building direct relationships with voters rather than on promoting specific issues
plurality voting
the election rule by which the candidate with the most votes wins, regardless of vote share
political machine
an organization that secures votes for a party’s candidates or supports the party in other ways, usually in exchange for political favors such as a job in government
political parties
organizations made up of groups of people with similar interests that try to directly influence public policy through their members who seek and hold public office
reapportionment
the reallocation of House seats between the states to account for population changes
redistricting
the redrawing of electoral maps
safe seat
a district drawn so members of a party can be assured of winning by a comfortable margin
sorting
the process in which voters change party allegiances in response to shifts in party position
astroturf movement
a political movement that resembles a grassroots movement but is often supported or facilitated by wealthy interests and/or elites
Citizens United
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission was a 2010 Supreme Court case that granted corporations and unions the right to spend unlimited amounts of money on elections
collective good
a good such as public safety or clean air, often produced by government, that is generally available to the population as a whole
contract lobbyist
a lobbyist who works for a contract lobbying firm that represents clients before government
disturbance theory
the theory that an external event can lead to interest group mobilization
efficacy
the belief that you make a difference and that government cares about you and your views
elite critique
the proposition that wealthy and elite interests are advantaged over those without resources
fragmentation
the result when a large interest group develops diverging needs
inside lobbying
the act of contacting and taking the organization’s message directly to lawmakers in an attempt to influence policy
in-house lobbyist
an employee or executive within an organization who works as a lobbyist on behalf of the organization
issue network
a group of interest groups and people who work together to support a particular issue or policy
legislative liaison
a person employed by a governmental entity such as a local government, executive department, or university to represent the organization before the legislature
lobbyist
a person who represents an organization before government in an attempt to influence policy
material incentives
substantive monetary or physical benefits given to group members to help overcome collective action problems
membership organization
an interest group that usually consists of dues-paying members who organize around a particular cause or issue
neopluralist
a person who suggests that all groups’ access and influence depend on the political environment
outside lobbying
the act of lobbying indirectly by taking the organization’s message to the public, often through the use of the media and/or by issue press releases, in hopes that the public will then put pressure on lawmakers
particularized benefit
a benefit that generally accrues to a narrow segment of society
public interest group
an interest group that seeks a public good, which is something that accrues to all
purposive incentives
benefits to overcome collective action problems that appeal to people’s support of the issue or cause
revolving door laws
laws that require a cooling-off period before government officials can register to lobby after leaving office
soft money
money that interests can spend on behalf of candidates without being restricted by federal law
solidary incentives
benefits based on the concept that people like to associate with those who are similar to them
voting cues
sources—including fellow lawmakers, constituents, and interest groups—that lawmakers often use to help them decide how to vote, especially on unfamiliar issues
