Unit 3

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Terms

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political information: includes such matters as who supports or opposes legislation and how strongly they feel about it.
media consolidation: companies merge to create large conglomerates of many newspapers and broadcasting stations; Rupert Murdoch, Fox News, 20th Century Fox, TV Guide
Asian Americans: japanese= democrat; others= republican; higher education and income;
Libertarian party: A minor party that believes in extremely limited government. They call for a free market system, expanded individual liberties such as drug legalization, and a foreign policy of nonintervention, free trade, and open immigration.
22nd amendment: created the two term limit for presidents
primary election: Election in which voters determine party nominees.
intensity: how strongly people feel about their opinions.
soft money: Money raised in unlimited amounts by political parties for party-building purposes. Now largely illegal except for limited contributions to state or local parties for voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts.
consensus: When a substantial percentage of a sample agrees on an issue.
socialism: an economic and governmental system based on public ownership of the means and production of exchange
presidential election: Elections held in years when the president is on the ballot.
Keynesian economics: Theory based on the principles of John Maynard Keynes, stating that government spending should increase during business slumps and be curbed during booms.
revolving door: Employment cycle in which individuals who work for government agencies that regulate interests eventually end up working for interest groups or businesses with the same policy concern.
candidate activists: followers of a particular candidate who see the party as the means to elect their candidate
Federal Communications Commission (FCC): an independent regulatory commission that licenses and regulates broadcasting stations; it may regulate content
off-year elections: Elections held in odd-numbered calendar years.
midterm election: Election held midway between presidential elections.
Green party: A minor party dedicated to the environment, social justice, nonviolence, and a foreign policy of nonintervention. Ralph Nader ran as its nominee in 2000.
iron triangle: congressional committees, interest groups, media
Pitchfork of Unelected: how things get done, pressure; lobbyists and think tanks, media, congressional staff
Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs): groups that independently investigate and report on government and corporate action relating to consumer interests
issue advocacy: Unlimited and undisclosed spending by an individual or group on communications that do not use words like "vote for" or "vote against," although much of this activity is actually about electing or defeating candidates.
proportional representation: political parties secure legislative seats and power in proportion to the number of votes received in the election
civic journalism: issue centered focus; talk to ordinary voters, write campaign stories from their point of view; media reform
nonpartisan election: A local or judicial election in which candidates are not selected or endorsed by political parties and party affiliation is not listed on ballots.
public choice: Synonymous with "collective action," it specifically studies how government officials, politicians, and voters respond to positive and negative incentives.
special election: Election in which voters replace members of the House of Representatives who have died or left office.
Buckley v. Valeo: this SC decision stated that spending money was a form of symbolic speech and that therefore individual expenditures could not be limited
types of interest groups: economic, single issue, public interest, foreign policy, public sector,
political ideology: a consistent (sort of) pattern of beliefs about political values and the role of government
political action committee (PAC): the political arm of an interest group that is legally entitled to raise funds on a voluntary basis from members, stockholders, or employees to contribute funds to candidates or political parties.
egalitarian society: everyone should be able to earn a decent living
manifest opinion: A widely shared and consciously held view, like support for homeland security
gender gap: The difference between the political opinions or political behavior of men and women; women are increasingly more Deomcratic
interested money: financial contributions by individuals or groups in the hope of influencing the outcome of an election and subsequently influencing policy
candidate appeal: tendency in elections to focus on the personal attributes of a candidate
divided government: Governance divided between the parties, as when one holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of Congress.
wedge issues: Issues that motivate particular segments of the electorate to vote and on which the opposing candidate or party has a less popular position.
name recognition: voters vote with familiar incumbents
life-cycle effects: as people age they vote more conservative
general election: Elections in which voters elect officeholders.
National Bonus Plan: a reform plan that would give the winner of the popular vote 102 electoral votes, in order to secure that the popular candidate did win
public opinion: The distribution of individual preferences for or evaluations of a given issue, candidate, or institution within a specific population.
party regulars: place the party first; value winning elections and understand that compromise and moderation may be necessary to reach the objective; realize it is important to keep the party together.
responsible party system: European model of party government: officeholders are expected to act according to party wishes and to vote along party lines.
Help America Vote Act (HAVA, 2002): provides $3.9 billion in federal funds to modernize American voting procedures and mandates that states maintain accurate statewide voter registration lists; also permits voters to cast provisional ballots if there is uncertainty about their registration.
honeymoon: Period at the beginning of a new president's term during which the president enjoys generally positive relations with the press and Congress, usually lasting about six months.
faithless elector: a member of the electoral college that votes differently than the majority in their district
types of economic interest groups: trade associations, labor unions, professional associations
party identification: An informal and subjective affiliation with a political party that most people acquire in childhood.
independent expenditure: The Supreme Court has ruled that individuals, groups, and parties can spend unlimited amounts in campaigns for or against candidates as long as they operate independently from the candidates. When an individual, group, or party does so, they are making this.
movement: A large body of people interested in a common issue, idea, or concern that is of continuing interest and who are willing to take action. They seek to change attitudes or institutions, not just policies.
Reform party: A minor party founded by Ross Perot in 1995. It focuses on national government reform, fiscal responsibility, and political accountability. It has recently struggled with internal strife and criticism that it lacks an identity.
quid pro quo: Something given with the expectation of receiving something in return.
popular sovereignty: ultimate power resides in the people; government serves the people
pluralism: A theory of government that holds that open, multiple, and competing groups can check the asserted power by any one group.
closed primary: Primary election in which only persons registered in the party holding the primary may vote.
criteria for laws: general, undiscriminatory; prospectivity for present and future; publicly made known; from legitimate authority; due process
retrospective issue voting: Holding incumbents, usually the president's party, responsible for their records on issues, such as the economy or foreign policy.
crossover voting: Voting by a member of one party for a candidate of another party
open seats: a seat that does not have an incumbent due to redistricting or retirement; very rare
direct primary: Election in which voters choose party nominees
factors that affect voting: race, ethnicity, wealth, income, gender, religion, education
hard money: Political contributions given to a party, candidate, or interest group that are limited in amount and fully disclosed. Raising such limited funds is harder than raising unlimited funds, hence the term's name.
candidate appeal: How voters feel about a candidate's background, personality, leadership ability, and other personal qualities.
leadership PAC: A PAC formed by an office holder that collects contributions from individuals and other PACs and then makes contributions to other candidates and political parties.
candidate-based system: politicians are nominated largely on the basis of their qualifications and personal appeal, not party loyalty
issue advocacy: promoting a position or issue; paid for by interest groups or individuals, not candidates
democratic consensus: widespread agreement on the fundamental principles of democratic government and the values that support them
socioeconomic status (SES): A division of population based on occupation, income, and education.
latency: political opinions that people may hold but have not yet fully expressed.
faction: A term the founders used to refer to political parties and special interests or interest groups.
Australian ballot: A secret ballot printed by the state
patronage: the dispensing of government jobs to persons who belong to the winning political party; "spoils system"
free rider: An individual who does not join a group representing his or her interests yet receives the benefit of the group's influence.
competitive economy: individuals reap large rewards for their initiative and hard work
national party convention: A national meeting of delegates elected in primaries, caucuses, or state conventions who assemble once every four years to nominate candidates for president and vice president, ratify the party platform, elect officers, and adopt rules.
laissez-faire economics: Theory that opposed governmental interference in economic affairs beyond what is necessary to protect life and property.
electoral college: the indirect way of selecting a president set up by the framers
winner take all: a system in which the candidate with the most district votes in a state gets all of the delegate votes from that state
trade association: businesses with similar interests band together in order to push their ideas; eg: regulation issues
gross domestic product (GDP): The total output of all economic activity in the nation, including goods and services.
coattail effect: boost that candidates may get in an election because of the popularity of candidates above them on the ticket
actual voting: voters elect delegates to go to the national convention to vote for a candidate
voter suppression: negative advertising discourages some voters who might support a candidate
American dream: set of ideas that the US is a land of opportunity and that individual initiative and hard work can bring economic success
African Americans: poorer, Democratic, civil rights
ethnicity: A social division based on national origin, religion, language, and often race.
conservatism: a belief that limited government ensures order, competitive governments, and personal opportunity
527 organization: A political group organized under section 527 of the IRS Code that may accept and spend unlimited amounts of money on election activities so long as they are not spent on broadcast ads run in the last 30 days before a primary or 60 days before a general election in which a clearly identified candidate is referred to and a relevant electorate is targeted.
fundamentalists: Conservative Christians who as a group have become more active in politics in the last two decades and were espeically influential in the 2000 presidential election.
party identification: An informal and subjective affiliation with a political party that most people acquire in childhood.
issue activists: wish to push the parties in a particular direction on a single issue or a narrow range of issues.
cross-cutting cleavages: Divisions within society that cut across demographic categories to produce groups that are more heterogeneous or different; ex: religion
issue network: a policy making alliance among loosely connected partiipants that comes together on a particular issue and then disbands
substantive information: includes information like the impact of proposed laws
Federal Register: An official document, published every weekday, which lists the new and proposed regulations of executive departments and regulatory agencies.
social conservatives: an ultra-conservatism that focuses on morality and lifestyle; dislike abortion, same-sex marriages, and affirmative action; ex: Christian Right
single member districts: an electoral district in which voters choose one representative or official (not voting for more than one person for any position)
majority rule: governance according to the opinions of the majority; determined by regularly held elections
staggered terms: not all offices are up for election at once; 1/3 of senate are up for election every two years
liberalism: belief that government can and should achieve justice and equality of opportunity; regulated economy, help society
national tide: focus on national rather than local issues; if there is a popular public view, it may skew the election in one direction
polarized: When two opposing sides feel intensely about an issue.
libertarianism: an ideology that cherishes individual liberties, insists on minimal government, promoting a free market economy, noniterventionist in foreign policy and an absence in moral, economic, and social life
Hispanics: cubans= republican; mexicans= democratic, liberal agenda, labor, immigration
realigning election: An election during periods of expanded suffrage and change in the economy and society that proves to be a turning point, redefining the agenda of politics and the alignment of voters within parties.
amicus curiae brief: Literally a "friend of the court" brief, filed by an individual or organization to present arguments in addition to those presented by the immediate parties to a case.
dealignment: Weakening of partisan preferences that points to a rejection of both major parties and a rise in the number of independents.
generational effects: when a particular generation has had certain experiences, their experiences make them politically extinct
horse race: a focus on who is ahead in the primaries rather than substantive differences between candidates; more media attention to winning candidates, less time to issues
closed shop: A company with a labor agreement under which union membership can be a condition of employment.
capitalism: economic system characterized by private property, competitive markets, economic incentives, and limited government regulation; free market
beauty contest: a popularity vote during the primary; candidates are chosen but delegates are not
lobbyist: A person who is employed by and acts for an organized interest group or corporation to try to influence policy decisions and positions in the executive and legislative branches
minor party: A small political party that rises and falls with a charismatic candidate or, if composed of ideologies on the right or left, usually persists over time; also called a third party.
permanent Congress: the state of congress being permanent due to the lack of term-limits and the advantages of incumbency
political socialization: The process -- most notably in families and schools -- by which we develop our political attributes, values, and beliefs.
selective perception: people see and hear what they want to in media messages
nationalism: a consciousness of the nation-state and belonging to it.
open shop: A company with a labor agreement under which union membership cannot be required as a condition of employment.
Ways of Choosing Delegates: proportional representation, winner take all, delegate selection without commitment to a candidate, delegate selection and separate presidential poll
direct popular election: abolishing the electoral college and basing the presidency solely on the popular vote
turnout: The proportion of the voting-age public that votes, sometimes defined as the number of registered voters that vote.
caucus: a meeting of local party members to discuss and choose party officials or candidates for public office; Iowa
blanket primary: Used to be held in Washington and California -- all voters could vote for any candidate, regardless of party.
nongovernmental organization (NGO): A nonprofit association or group operating outside of government that advocates and pursues policy objectives
techniques of interest groups: publicity through media, mass mailing, lobbying, litigation (court cases), supporting candidates, forming a political party
salience: measures the extent to which people believe issues are relevant to them.
selective exposure: people screen out messages that do not conform to their own biases
focus groups: small samples of people who are asked about candidates and issues in a discussion setting
political efficacy: how well voter turn out occurs in a group (very low for youth)
bundling: A tactic in which PACs collect contributions from like-minded individuals (each limited to $2,000) and present them to a candidate or political party as a "bundle," thus increasing the PAC's influence.
franking privilege: the privilege of incumbents of sending mail free to the electorate
party registration: The act of declaring party affiliation; required by some states when one registers to vote.
lobbying: Engaging in activities aimed at influencing public officials, especially legislators, and the policies they enact.
Maine and Nebraska plan: a winner take all system that never the less gave the candidate with the most popular votes the extra two votes in the electoral college
open primary: Primary election in which any voter, regardless of party, may vote.
prospective issue voting: Voting based on what a candidate pledges to do in the future about an issue if elected.
independent expenditures: money spent by individuals or groups, not candidates, in order to elect or defeat a candidate for office
fixed terms: the length of a term in office is specified, not indefinite; House=2; Senate=6, President=4
partisan gerrymandering: redrawing district lines so that one party is in the majority
reinforcing cleavages: Divisions within society that reinforce one another, making groups more homogeneous or similar; ex: social class, income,
media consultants: campaign professionals who help candidates with media relations, advertising, and opinion polls
safe seats: an elected office that is predictably won by one party or another; leads to less competition
race: A grouping of human beings with distinctive characteristics determined by genetic influence.
natural rights: rights of all people to dignity and worth
political party: An organization that seeks political power by electing people to office so that its positions and philosophy become public policy.
news media: media that emphasizes local, national, and world events
mass media: the means of communication that reach the public

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Number of cards 150