AP Chapters 4-7 Test

What are some of the most powerful interest groups in America?

AARP NRA

C/L: Belief in keeping government small, especially the national government

Conservative

C/L: Belief that the primary task of the government is to ensure order

Conservative

C/L: Preference for business

Conservative

C/L: Belief that government can bring about equality of opportunity

Liberal

C/L: Belief that some government intervention is necessary to remedy the defects of capitalism

Liberal

C/L: Preference for greater environmental protection

Liberal

C/L: Preference for individual choice in moral issues such as same gender marriage and abortion

Liberal

Four dimensions in the American population:

Personality, external dimensions, internal dimensions and organizational dimensions.

Civic Competence

belief that one can affect government policies

How does diversity affect social capital?

can bring people together or tear them apart

Political Predisposition

characteristic of individuals that is predictive of political behavior

Fundamentalists

conservative christians who as a group have become more active in politics the past two decades and were especially influential in the 2000 race

List some ways the US could increase social capital

continually going back to the issue and working on it

PAC

the political arm of 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

Suffrage

the right to vote

Natural Rights

the rights of all people to dignity and worth-some believe government, as a primary threat to those rights must be limited and controlled

Political Culture

the set of attitudes, beliefs and sentiments which give order and meaning to a political process and which provide the underlying assumptions and rules that govern behavior in the political system

Duverger's Law

the simple majority, single ballot system favours the two-party system

Independent Expenditures

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 an independent expenditure

Popular Sovereignty

the ultimate power resides in the people. Government from this perspective exists to serve the people rather than the other way around. people exercise the power through elections

Bipartisan

two party system

Explain what politics in the US will be like in 2050

we will be like Greece CORRUPT

Divided Government

when the president and the house/senate are different are a different party

Political Culture

widely shared beliefs, values or norms concerning the relationship of citizens to government and to one another. Centers on democratic values like liberty, equality, individualism, democracy, justice, the rule of law, nationalism, optimism and idealism

Political Values

-liberty -equality -democracy -civic duty -individual responsibility

Describe the average american today.

-middle class -public school -decent job -working for a living (both parents living) -2.5 kids

Why do incumbents win reelection at such high numbers?

-multiple advantages including free mail, already have access to media

Political Culture

-rights -emphasize: individualism, competition, equality, following rules, treating others fairly, but impersonally -come countries put more emphasis on harmony/equality

What is an example of a 527 group?

-tax exemption group trying to influence politics

Describe 3 current demographic trends in the US

-white america -christian -middle class

Describe how technology affects social capital

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Describe the average american in 2050

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How did the BiPartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 reform money in politics?

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How do PACs influence politics?

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How does the idea of manifest destiny continue to influence American politics today?

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How has the power of parties changed over the past century?

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List and describe 7 different demographic categories in the US

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Rank and describe the three main reasons social capital is declining

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What are realigning elections and why do they occur?

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What are some factions in the Democratic and Republican parties today?

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What are the main advantages of incumbents in elections?

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What demographic factors will probably hurt the Republican party in the future?

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What effect does immigration have on american political system?

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What role do educational opportunity, economic wealth, and religious freedom play in achieving the American dream?

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Socialism

an economic and governmental system based on public ownership of the means of production and exchange.

Winner Take All System

an election system in which the candidate with the most votes win

Democratic Consensus

application of the consensus decision making to the process of legislation in a democracy

Primary Election

the election for the representatives for each party

Questions of Political Culture

-How do we know people share these beliefs? -How do we explain this?

Economics Culture

-american support free enterprise, some support limits on marketplace -believe in equality of opportunity but not equality of result

Sources of Political Culture

-family -friends -schools -affiliations, memberships -region, country -media -economy -polity -global society

Religion and Politics:

-important rule -both liberals and conservatives use the pulpit to promote political change -candidates for national office-religious practices

Bundling

a tactic in which PACs collect contributions from like minded individuals and present them to a candidate or political party as a bundle, thus increasing the PACs influence

Compare and Contrast the major beliefs of liberalism and conservatism. Including: approach to moral, economic, and national defense issues. How are they alike? different? Which is more effective today?

Written down

Liberalism

a belief in the positive uses of government to bring about justice and equality of opportunity. modern day liberals wish to preserve the rights of the individual and the right to own private property, yet they are willing to have government intervene in the economy to remedy the defects of capitalism

Conservatism

a belief that limited government ensures order, competitive markets, and personal opportunity

American Dream

a complex set of ideas holding that the US is a land of opportunity and that individual initiative and hard work can bring about economic success

Political Culture

a distinctive and patterned way of thinking how political and economic life ought

Socioeconomic Status (SES)

a division of population based on occupation, income and education

Race

a grouping of human beings with distinctive characteristics determined by genetic inheritance

Party Convention

a meeting of party delegates to vote on matter of policy and in some cases to select party candidates in a column under the party name

Manifest Destiny

a notion held by 19th century americans that the USA was destined to rule the continent, from the atlantic to the pacific

527 Group

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 so 60 days before a general election in which a clearly identified candidate is referred to and a relevant electorate is targeted

Libertarianism

a political ideology that cherishes individual liberty and insists on sharply limited government

Dealignment

a process whereby voters are moved toward nonpartisanship thus weakening the structure of political parties.

Ethnicity

a social division based on national origin, religion, language, and often race

Multi-Party System

a system in which multiple political parties have the capacity to gain control of government offices, separately or in coalition

Realigning Election

describing a dramatic change in the political system

Gender Gap

difference between the political opinions or political behavior of men and women

Cross-Cutting Cleavages

divisions within society that cut across demographic categories to produce groups that are more heterogeneous or different

Reinforcing Cleavages

divisions within society that reinforce one another, making groups more homogeneous or similar

Capitalism

economic system characterized by private property, competitive markets, economic incentives and limited government involvement in the production and pricing of goods and services

Midterm Election

election on the 2nd year to replace the house of representatives, and 1/3 of senate

Lobbying

engaging in activities aimed at influencing public officials, especially legislators and the policies they enact

Social Capital

features of social organization such as networks, norms, and social trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation for mutual benefit

Majority Rule

governance according to the expressed preferences of the majority at regular elections

Will changes in our country make the US more democratic or less?

if we continue on this path, it will be less democratic

What effect will technology have on political socialization and political culture?

it will make people lazy and it will not go well, and the people will rely more on what they hear money will have to do with even more what they think and hear

Ethnocentrism

judging another culture solely by the values and standards of ones own culture

Caucus

meeting of local party rules/officials/candidates for public office to draw a platform

Civic Duty:

obligation to participate

Single Member District

one member is elected to represent the whole district

Closed Primary

only allowed to vote for the candidate of the party of who you are regulating

Coalition

pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause

Describe the way population growth is changing American electoral politics

people have even less of a say than they once did

Explain the effects of low social capital on our political system

people will never work together as one

Anarchism

philosophy that hold the state to be undesirable, unnecessary or harmful

Nationalism

political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a nation

Explain the way you think the US is most divided

political parties

Incumbent

politician who is already in office

Issue Ad

promoting a particular issue through advertisement

Political Ideology

refers to a consistent pattern of ideas or beliefs about political values and the role of government. it includes the views people have about how government should work and how it actually works. ideology links our basic values to the day to day operations or politics of government

Minor Party

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 the third party