Psci Exam 3

The Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995

- Congress passed new, expanded lobbying legislation that reformed the 1946 act in the following ways: - Strict definitions now apply to determine who must register with the clerk of the House and the secretary of the Senate as a lobbyist. - Lobbyists must report their clients, the issues on which they lobbied, and the agency or chamber of Congress they contacted, although they do not need to disclose the names of those they contacted. - Tax-exempt organizations, such as religious groups, were exempted from these provisions, as were organizations that engage in grassroots lobbying

Political News and Campaigns on the Web

- About 59 percent of the world's inhabitants currently use the Internet, a total of almost 4.6 billion people - About two-thirds of Internet users consider the Internet to be an important source of news News Organization Online - an online presence is required to compete effectively with other traditional news companies for revenues - however, only about 1/4 of U.S. newspaper revenues come from online sources Inadequate Revenues - the additional revenues that newspapers have gained from their online editions do not come close to making up for the massive losses in advertising revenue suffered by their print editions Google's Dominance - content providers—such as newspaper sites that hire journalists and create new material—receive a very small share of the online advertising revenue. Most of the revenue goes to aggregators, including search engine sites that develop little new content but mostly direct users elsewhere. Google, by far the largest of these aggregators, collects more than one-third of all online ad revenues. citizen journalism: a one-time posting of a newsworthy event recorded by a smartphone - increase in news blogs and do-it-yourself journalism on the web clearly poses a threat to mainstream news sources. - blogging and podcasting are both very inexpensive bit consume substantial internet bandwidth - new decentralized media sources do not always observe standard media conventions

The Impending Crisis

- As the Whigs and Democrats competed for the White House from 1835 to 1854, the two-party system as we know it today emerged - Both parties were large, with well-known leaders and supporters across the nation. Both had grassroots organizations of party workers committed to winning as many political offices for the party as possible - By 1856, the Whig coalition had fallen apart. Most northern Whigs were absorbed into the new Republican Party, which opposed the extension of slavery into new territories - in 1860, the Republicans succeeded in electing Abraham Lincoln—the first president elected under the banner of the new Republican Party.

Effects of third parties

- Bring important issues to the publics attention, takes a strong stance on them whereas majority parties don't to avoid backlash - can influence election outcomes and take victory from one major party and give it to another - provides a voice for voters who feel frustrated and alienated from the republican and democratic parties who still wish to participate in American politics. - Because third parties normally do not win elections, Americans tend not to vote for them or to contribute to their campaigns, so they continue not to win.

2012 and 2014

- By 2012, some were beginning to wonder whether the strong conservatism of the newly elected Republicans might be alienating independent voters - In 2014, however, Republicans won control of the U.S. Senate and did well in state-level races. At least one cause of that party's success was the very low voter turnout in that election,

party ticket

A list of a political party's candidates for various offices. In national elections, the party ticket consists of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates

The Congressional Campaign Committees

Each party has a campaign committee in each chamber of Congress. In each chamber, members are chosen by their colleagues and serve for two-year terms. The committees work to help elect party members to Congress.

Elite Theory (describes American democracy)

Elite Theory: contends that, as a practical manner, the government is controlled by one or more elite groups, typically drawn from the wealthiest members of society. - one version of elite theory posits that multiple elites compete for power - many interests groups are largely funded/controlled by wealthy individuals so pluralism and elite theory may overlap

Structure of American political parties

- Each of the two major American political parties consists of three components: the party in the electorate, the party organization, and the party in government. - Party in the electorate: largest component, consisting of all of those people who describe themselves as Democrats or Republicans - Major Party/Party Organization: has a nationwide organization with national, state, and local offices. party organizations include levels of people who maintain the party's strength between elections, make its rules, raise money, organize conventions, help with elections, and recruit candidates - Party in Government: consists of all of the party's candidates who have won elections and now hold public office.

"Popular" Television

- For some years now, many younger viewers have obtained information and opinions from politically oriented comedy shows

talk radio

- From the beginning, radio has been a favorite outlet for the political right. - Modern talk radio took off in the United States during the 1990s. In 1988, there were 200 talk-show radio stations. Today, there are more than 1,200. - Today, eight of the top ten talk-radio shows are politically conservative - 17% of public regularly listen to radio. The audience is predominantly male, over 49, and conservative. Of all radio listeners, 50% consider themselves conservative Audience and Hosts - Talk radio is sometimes characterized as the Wild West of the media - Hosts have often publicized fringe beliefs Impact of Talk Radio - dominance of conservatives in radio is deemed as justifiable by consumers bc of "a liberal bias in mainstream print media"

Agricultural Interest groups

- In our capitalist society, farms clearly are businesses. - Producers of various specific farm commodities have formed their own organizations to promote their interests. In addition, many groups work for general agricultural interests - these groups have been very successful in winning subsidies from the federal gov.

party organization

- In theory, each of the major American political parties has a standard, pyramid-shaped organization - the bosses are at the top and the employees are at various lower levels. - Both parties are fragmented and decentralized, which means there is no central power with a direct chain of command - no single individual or group directs all party members. Instead, a number of personalities, frequently at odds with one another, form loosely identifiable leadership groups.

How Interest Groups shape policy

- Interest groups operate at all levels of government and use a variety of strategies to steer policies in ways beneficial to their interests

Labor & Professional Interest Groups

- Interest groups representing labor have been some of the most influential groups in our country's history. - The largest and most powerful labor interest group today is the AFL-CIO (the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations), a confederation of fifty-five unions representing 12.5 million organized workers and 3.2 million members of community affiliates

Single-Issue Interest Groups

- Interests groups devoted to a single issue - ex: MADD, Mothers against drunk driving

Ownership of the Media

- Many mainstream media outlets are owned by giant corporations, such as Time Warner, Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, and Disney. - There is little evidence, however, that these corporations significantly influence reporting. - Concentrated ownership may be a more serious problem at the local level than at the national level. - If only one or two companies own a city's newspaper and its TV stations, these outlets may not present a diversity of opinion - unlikely to air information that they disagree with politically

public sector unions

- More than 1/3 of all public sector workers are union members today. - in contrast to unions in the private sector, public sector unions normally do not have the right to strike over wages and working conditions - public sector employees have the right to vote for their own bosses unlike private - government workers typically enjoy pension benefits that are substantially more generous than those received by comparable employees in the private sector.

Professional Interest Groups

- Most professions that require advanced education or specialized training have organizations to protect and promote their interests. (American Medical Association, American Bar Association, etc...) - These groups are concerned mainly with the standards of their professions, but they also work to influence government policy. - Competing interests sometimes divide professional interest groups from one another.

The National Convention

- Much of the public attention that the party receives comes at the national convention - national convention: The meeting held by each major party every four years to nominate presidential and vice-presidential candidates, wrote a party platform, and conduct other party business. - The conventions inspire and mobilize party members throughout the nation. They provide the voters with an opportunity to see and hear the candidates directly, rather than through a media filter or characterizations provided by supporters and opponents - attended by delegates chosen by the states

Murdoch Empire

- Murdoch's holdings in the United States, which include the Fox television networks, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Post, are famous for promoting conservative politics

National Party Organization

- On the national level, the party's presidential candidate is considered to be the leader of the party. - Well-known members of Congress may also be viewed as national party leaders. - In addition to the party leaders, the structure of each party includes four major elements: the national convention, the national committee, the national chairperson, and the congressional campaign committees.

Union Goals

- Press for policies to improve working conditions/ensure better pay for members - may compete for new members

Types of Interest Groups

- Some interest groups have large memberships (AARP 38 million), others have fewer than 100 (Colorado Auctioneers Association) - most common interest groups are those that promote private interests - they seek public policies that benefit the economic interests of their members/ work against threatening policies

From the Civil War to the Great Depression

- When the former Confederate states rejoined the Union after the Civil War, the Republicans and Democrats were roughly even in strength - In the 1890s, however, the Republicans gained a decisive advantage. After the realigning elections of 1896, the Republicans established themselves in the minds of many Americans as the party that knew how to manage the nation's economy. - In 1912, the Republicans temporarily split between the "Republican regulars" and Theodore Roosevelt's "Bull Moose Progressives." As a result of this Republican split, the Democrats under Woodrow Wilson won power from 1912 to 1920.

The unrepresented poor

- liberal and religious interests have done for the poor what the poor cannot do for themselves. As a result, low-income taxpayers are largely exempt from income taxes. - If there were no federal tax and spending programs aimed at low-income persons, as many as 25 percent of U.S. families would have incomes below the official poverty line

Elite Groups

- made up of elites of various kinds—opinion leaders, media personalities, and prominent persons in all walks of life. It includes fundraisers, former politicians, and nationally famous political operatives.

Bias Against Losers

-Kathleen Hall Jamieson believes that media bias does play a significant role in shaping presidential campaigns and elections, but she argues that it is not a partisan bias. Rather, it is a bias against losers. A candidate who falls behind in the race is immediately labeled a "loser," making it even more difficult for the candidate to regain favor in the voters' eyes.*

How interest groups function in American politics

Interest Group Purposes - help bridge the gap between citizens and government - raise public awareness/inspire action on issues - provided public officials with detailed info useful in making policy choices - serve as a check on public officials to make sure they are carrying out their duties responsibly

Pluralist Theory of American Democracy

Pluralist Theory: A theory that views politics as a contest among various interest groups - at all levels of government - to gain benefits for their members - pluralists believe the influence of interest groups on gov is not undemocratic bc individual interests are indirectly represented in the policymaking process through these groups. (people not belonging to groups are still most likely represented) - pluralists also believe no one group can dominate the political process because there are so many and many people have multiple interests.

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

The Court ruled that PACs could accept unlimited contributions from individuals, unions, and corporations for the purpose of making independent expenditures. This ruling led, in short order, to the creation of super PACs, which channeled about $800 million into election spending in the 2018 election cycle. - independent expenditures: expenditures that are not coordinated with a candidates campaign or a political party.

agenda setting

The ability to determine which issues are considered important by the public and by politicians; in policymaking, getting an issue on the political agenda to be addressed by Congress. Part of the first stage of the policymaking process

Checking the power of the governing Party

minority party: the party with fewer members in the legislature majority party: the party with more members in the legislature - The "out" party does what it can to influence the "in" party and its policies, and to check the actions of the party in power. - The minority party will also work to inform voters of the shortcomings of the majority party's agenda and to plan strategies for winning the next election.

Interest Groups vs. Political Parties

political party: a group of individuals who organize to win elections, operate the government, and determine policy Interest groups: do not seek to win elections or operate the government, although they do seek to influence policy - Interest groups are often policy specialists, whereas political parties are policy generalists - Interest groups are usually more tightly organized than political parties (financed through contributions/duespaying memberships) - A political party's main sphere of influence is the electoral system. Parties run candidates for political office, Interest groups do not compete for public office but they can try to influence outcome of elections

Political Parties

political party: a group of individuals who organize to win elections, operate the government, and determine policy - political ideologies are typically embodied in political parties - political parties are not mentioned in the constitution - Although we only have two major political parties, a few others always exist at any one time

Earmarks/Pork Barrel legislation

special provisions benefiting a lawmaker's constituents

Free Rider Problem

The existence of persons who benefit but do not contribute - private goods mean that of you consumer them, no one can consume it at the same time - public goods mean your use of the good does not diminish its use by someone else (ex: national defense)(also lobbying, collective bargaining by labor unions, and other forms of representation) - people can't be excluded from a public good just because they didn't pay for it, which means that public goods are often provided by the gov and are paid for by taxation - Free rider problem can sometimes be overcome by social pressure/the fear of being ostracized

Why do americans form groups?

to pursue or protect their interests. - Special interests significantly influence American government and politics - some Americans think that this influence is so great that it jeopardizes representative democracy. Others maintain that interest groups are a natural consequence of democracy.

sound bite

a recorded comment lasting for just a few seconds that captures a thought or a perspective and has an immediate impact on viewers

Consumer Interest Groups

consumer interest groups: Groups organized for the protection of consumer rights - ex: consumers Union has been influential in pushing for the removal of phosphates from detergents, lead from gasoline, and pesticides from food - deal with such problems as substandard housing, discrimination against minorities and women, discrimination in the granting of credit, and business inaction on consumer complaints.

Identity Interest Groups

group for members that share a common race, ethnicity, gender, or other characteristics ex) The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

After the Great Depression

- The Great Depression of the 1930s destroyed the belief that the GOP could better manage the economy and contributed to another realignment in the two-party system - The election of 1932 brought Franklin D. Roosevelt to the presidency and the Democrats back to power at the national level. - Roosevelt's programs to fight the Depression were called the New Deal. - In 1948, for the first time ever, the Democrats adopted a civil rights plank as part of the party platform at their national convention. Those who joined the Democrats during Roosevelt's New Deal included a substantial share of African Americans - In 1964, the Democrats, under incumbent president Lyndon Johnson, won a landslide victory, and liberals held a majority in Congress - The subsequent years were turbulent, with riots and marches in major cities and student protests against the Vietnam War (1965-75). - The Democrats continued to hold majorities in the House and Senate until 1994 - The elections of 2000 were a striking demonstration of how closely the electorate was now divided. Republican George W. Bush won the presidency in that year by carrying Florida with a margin of 537 votes.

Media and the First Amendment

- The concept of freedom of the press has been applied to print media since the adoption of the Bill of Rights - Radio received no protection upon its development, and neither did television until 1952 (still not completely protected) - Court extended First Amendment protections to the Internet in 1997

The first political parties

- The founders rejected the idea of political parties because they believed it made communities jealous and pitted people against each other. - In spite of the founders' fears, two major political factions—the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists—were formed before the Constitution was ratified - Federalists pushed for ratification of the constitution (stronger national gov than article of confed. that would encourage commerce/manufacturing) thought that a republic should be ruled by its wealthiest and best-educated citizens) - Anti-Federalists argued against ratification (state rights, feared powerful central gov) - Alexander Hamilton became the leader of the Federalist party which VP John Adams joined - Opponents of Federalist/Hamiltons policies were known as Republicans (today they are referred to as Jeffersonian republicans/democratic-republicans) favored a more limited role for government. They believed that the nation's welfare would be best served if the states had more power than the central government

Fairness Doctrine

- The growth of talk radio was made possible by the Federal Communications Commission's repeal of the fairness doctrine in 1987. - the fairness doctrine required the holders of broadcast licenses to present controversial issues of public importance in a manner that was (in the commission's view) honest, equitable, and balanced. That doctrine would have made it difficult for radio stations to broadcast conservative talk shows exclusively, as many now do.

1796-1860

- The nation's first two parties clashed openly in the elections of 1796, in which John Adams defeated Thomas Jefferson - In the presidential elections of 1800 and 1804, Jefferson won the presidency, and his party also won control of Congress. (first example of realignment) - realignment: A process in which the popular support and strength of the parties shift, and the parties are reestablished with different coalitions of supporters - federalists never returned to power and became the first American party to go out of existence - Jefferson's Republicans dominated American politics for the next 20 years but split into 2 groups (second realignment) National Republicans (later whigs) led by John Quincy Adams, and the Democrats led by Andrew Jackson

Coordinating Policymaking

- The political party is usually the major institution through which the executive and legislative branches cooperate with each other. - Ideally, the parties work together to fashion compromises—legislation that is acceptable to both parties and that serves the national interest.

Third Parties in American Politics

- Third parties all have one thing in common: their members and leaders want to challenge the major parties because they believe certain needs and values aren't being properly adressed - Issue-oriented Parties: formed to promote a particular cause of a timely issue - Most issue-oriented parties fade into history as the issue that brought them into existence fades from public attention, is taken up by a major party, or is resolved. Some issue-oriented parties endure, however, when they expand their focus beyond a single area of concern (ex: Green party) - Ideological Parties: supports a particular political doctrine or a set of beliefs. - political ideology: a system of political ideas rooted in beliefs about human nature, society, and government - Splinter/Personality parties: A splinter party develops out of a split within a major party. - formed around a leader with a strong personality, which is why they are sometimes called personality parties.

Media Bias

- Today many citizens believe that news medias are biased. - Republican mistrust of the "mainstream media" has grown particularly sharply in recent years. - however, the public does believe that the press is successful in fulfilling its role as a watchdog. In a recent poll by the Pew Research Center, 68 percent of respondents agreed that "press criticism of political leaders keeps them from doing things that should not be done

America's Political Parties Today

- Today, individuals with similar characteristics tend to align themselves more often with one or the other major party - Geography is one of the many factors that can determine party identification - one common occurrence is the more urban the county, the more likely to vote democrat

Primary Elections

- Voter turnout for primaries is lower that it is for general elections, and the ones who go to polls are often very strong supporters - this results in a very conservative republican primary electorate and a very liberal democratic primary electorate -

The agenda-setting Function of the Media

- a common criticism against media is that play too large a role in determining the issues, events, and personalities that are in the public eye - the media decide the relative importance of issues by publicizing some issues and ignoring others, and by giving some stories high priority and others low priority - media sets the political agenda priming: an agenda-setting technique where a media outlet promotes specific facts or ideas that may affect the public's thinking on related topics framing: an agenda-setting technique that establishes the context of a media report - frames are stories about how the world works - some studies show that people filter their own preconceived ideas about issues and bring their own frames to political stories

State Organizations

- built around a central committee and a chairperson. The committee works to raise funds, recruit new party members, maintain a strong party organization, and help members run for state offices. - The state chairperson is usually a powerful party member chosen by the committee

Candidates and Television

- candidates spend a great deal of time and money cultivating a TV presence through political ads, debates, and general news coverage - televised political advertising consumes at least half the total budget of a major political campaign - negative political advertising: political advertising undertaken for the purpose of discrediting a candidate in voters' eyes - personal attack ads: advertising that attacks the character of a candidate -issue ads: a political ad that focuses on a particular issue, issue ads can be used to support or attack a candidates position or credibility, as well as point out discrepancies - negative ads have lots of pros and cons, but at they end of the day they are used because they work and grab attention easily

partisan bias

- conservatives believe there is a liberal media bias, and liberals believe there is a conservative media bias. - The majority of Americans think that the media reflect a bias in one direction or another. - surveys do suggest that journalists hold liberal views -still many members of the press are likely to view themselves as moderates - although many journalists are liberal, they do not automatically report left leaning news because stories go through a lot of other people before it is approved

Reasons for Labors Decline

- continuing fall in the proportion of the nation's workforce employed in blue-collar activities (manufacturing & transportation, heavily unionized) - general political environment (economic conservatives are traditionally hostile to labor unions) - many states in the south and west have "right-to-work laws" which ban unions from collecting dues or other fees from workers whom they represent but have not actually joined the union. - This creates a free rider problem, in unions

Local Organizations

- generally there is a party unit for each district in which elective offices are to be filled ward: a political division or district within a city precinct: either a political district within a city, such as a block or a neighborhood, or a rural portion of a county. Polling places are located within the precincts. The local, grassroots foundations of politics are formed within voting precincts.

Interest Group Access to Government

- gov offers many points of access for groups wishing to influence policy - federal level: house, senate, executive agency, can even challenge a law in court by filing a lawsuit or filing a brief an an amicus curiae (friend of the court) - a frequent goal when lobbying the gov is favorable treatment under federal/state regulations or subsidies, and even tax breaks

Public Interests Groups

- have aims other than benefitting narrow economic interests, formed with the broader goal of working for the "public good" ex: American Civil Liberties Union - however, there is no real such thing as a clear "public interest in a nation of 330 million diverse people.

The Party in Government

- helps to organize the government's agenda by coaxing and convincing its own party members in office to vote for its policies. If the party is to translate its promises into public policies, the job must be done by the party in government. - A political party succeeds at the national level when it wins the presidency or control of one or both chambers of Congress. It then has the opportunity to carry out the party platform it developed at its national convention

Why do Interest groups get bad press?

- image of interest groups and their special interests is not very favorable. - A major complaint is that the benefits these groups obtain are not in the general public interest - This enthusiasm gap is referred to as "concentrated benefits, dispersed costs."

Janus v. AFSCME, 138 S. Ct. 2448 (2018)

- in 2018 the Supreme Court held that it was unconstitutional for state and local governments to allow unions to collect representation fees from workers who are not union members - he argument was that such fees are a form of political speech, and employees could not be coerced into "speaking" against their will. In effect, the Court imposed a national right-to-work law on all state and local governments.

party in the electorate

- in the U.S. becoming a member of a political party is far less involved than in other countries - voters may declare a party preference when they register to vote which allows them to participate in party primaries -Members of parties do not have to work for the party or attend party meetings. Nor must they support the party platform, they just have to think of themselves as a democrat or republican - party in the electorate consists of party identifiers and party activists

Todays Lobbying Establishment

- interest groups and their lobbyists have become a permanent feature in the landscape of American government and an integral part of the American Government System - interest group representatives are frequently asked to testify before congressional committees or subcommittees on the effect or potential effect of particular legislation or regulations. - lobbying has developed into a profession - it has become increasingly common for those who leave positions with the federal government to become lobbyists or consultants for the private-interest groups they helped to regulate

Trade Organizations

- less visible than the Chamber of Commerce and the NAM, but they are also important in seeking policies that assist their members - usually support policies that benefit specific industries (Ex; People in the oil industry work for policies that favor oil as an energy source)

Role of the media in democracy

- media both has an impact on what Americans think about political issues as well as reflect what Americans think about politics - positive media exposure and news coverage are essential to winning votes - media provides the forum for people to discuss public affairs fully/assess the conduct and competency of their officials - Newest consumers of media include the young, usually through video and internet instead of television or print media. - Radio, television, and print media remain important to American politics and government. Older Americans largely rely on these more traditional media outlets, and older voters outnumber the young - Older voters are also much more likely to turn out to vote than younger ones. Finally, some of the most enthusiastic adopters of new media are not yet eighteen and cannot vote even if they want to. - In short, considering the electorate as a whole, television remains a key medium in terms of political influence.

Media Definitions

- media: communication channels, plural form of medium -medium: means of communication mass media: channels through which people communicate to large audiences print media: newspapers and magazines - electronic media: radio, TV, Internet

Government Interest groups

- organized Efforts by state and local governments to lobby the federal government

Evaluation of Theories

- pluralism and elite theories contain elements of truth - majoritarianism is only an ideal - when average citizens are separated from their groups/preferences, their influence goes too. - ordinary citizens have good reason to join interest groups if they want to be heard/recognized

News coverage

- political advertisements are expensive, but coverage by the news media is free so candidates try and take advantage of this -managed news coverage: news coverage that is manipulated by a campaign manager or political to gain positive media exposure for a political candidate - one of the jobs of the campaign manager is to create newsworthy events that demonstrate the candidate's strong points - Political consultants plan political events to accommodate the press - spin doctors/press advisers: a political candidates press adviser who tries to convince reporters to give a story or event concerning the candidate a particular "spin"

Balancing Competing Interests

- political parties are essentially coalitions coalitions: alliances of individuals and groups with a variety of interests and opinions who join together to support the party's platform or parts of it - The role of party leaders in this situation is to adopt a position broad enough on these issues that no group will be alienated - the Republican Party is primarily the agent of an ideological movement whose supporters prize doctrinal purity, while the Democratic Party is better understood as a coalition of social groups seeking concrete government action. - a conservative party would benefit from an ideological appeal to voters. The Democrats, in turn, would benefit when they highlight actual programs, such as Social Security or minimum wage laws.

Ideological Interest Groups

- promotes a shared political perspective or ideology, not an economic interest or collective identity - ex: Environmental groups, Religious groups

Television Debates

- provide an opportunity for voters to find out how candidates differ on issues - allow candidates to capitalize on the power of television to improve their images or point out the failings of their opponents. - limited to candidates of the two major parties and the vice-presidential candidates

What do political parties do?

- recruit and nominate candidates for political office - simplifies voting choices for the electorate. - do this by use of the primary - primary: a preliminary election to choose a party's final candidate. The candidate then runs against the opposing party's candidate in the general election

How political parties inform the public

- television announcements, newspaper articles/ads, website materials, campaign speeches, and debates - help citizens learn more, form opinions, and consider solutions

television as a medium

- television has the greatest impact on Americans, especially older ones - television is the primary news source for more than 65% of citizens - where print media tends to go into important detail, television is often criticized for being too brief/superficial - time is limited and news must be reported quickly - relies extensively on visual elements rather than words - to attract viewers, the news industry has turned to "infotainment"—programs that inform and entertain at the same time

Cyberspace and Political Campaigns

- the Internet is an inexpensive way for candidates to contact, recruit, and mobilize supporters, as well as to disseminate information about their positions on issues - The Internet can be an effective—and inexpensive—way to raise campaign funds - An increasingly important part of political campaigning today is the Internet campaign. Candidates typically hire web managers to manage their Internet campaigns - netroots: online activists who support the candidate but are not controlled by the candidate's organization - Netroots groups may publish online promotional ads or other materials that do not represent a candidate's position, for instance, or attack the candidate's opponent in ways that the candidate does not approve.

Why do people join political parties?

- they agree with many of its main ideas and support some of its candidates - people's reasons for choosing one party over another may include solidarity, material, and purposive incentives. solidarity incentives: driven by the desire to express mutual agreement with the members of a particular group material incentives: the belief that joining a party will benefit you materially through better employment or personal career advancement. (patronage) Purposive Incentives: you wish to actively promote a set of ideals and principles that you feel are important to American politics and society

party platform

- written by a select group of key delegates - sets forth the party's positions on national issues - Essentially, through its platform, the party promises to initiate certain policies if it wins the presidency.

Changing News Culture

-news organizations have begun to base their appeal more on how they cover the news and less on what they cover hyperlocalism: narrowing the focus of news to the local area personal commentary: revolves around highly politicized TV figures such as Sean Hannity (conservative) and Rachel Maddow (liberal) - new emphasis on niche programming

2005 through 2010

-war in Iraq began to cut into support for the Republicans. In 2006, the Democrats regained control of the House and Senate. In 2008, in the shadow of a global financial crisis, Americans elected Democrat Barack Obama as president. - Within one year of Obama's inauguration, the Democratic advantage had vanished. A sharp increase in government activity during Obama's first two years in office appeared to bother many voters. In November 2010, the voters handed the U.S. House to the Republicans. Republican successes in 2010 were backed up by the growth in new conservative movements such as the Tea Party.

Political Action Committees (PACs)

A committee that is established by a corporation, labor union, or special interest group to raise funds and make campaign contributions on the establishing organization's behalf.

The tea Party

A grassroots conservative movement that arose in 2009 after Barack Obama became president. The movement opposes big government and current levels of taxation, and also rejects political compromise. - opposed benefits that, in their opinion, went to undeserving recipients. - Undocumented immigrants were the number-one "undeserving" group. In contrast, most Social Security and Medicare recipients were seen as deserving - seen as a precursor to "Trumpism"

Realignment, Dealignment, and Tipping

Dealignment: A growing detachment from both major political parties among voters - In such an environment, politics would be unusually volatile, because independents could swing from one party to another. Tipping: WHen types of voters maintain their political identifications but one type of voter becomes substantially more numerous - occurs during a migration between states/nations or due to changes in education levels/occupations

Regulation of Lobbyists

Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act in 1946. states... - Any person or organization that receives money to influence legislation must register with the clerk of the House and the secretary of the Senate. - Any groups or persons registering must identify their employer, salary, amount and purpose of expenses, and duration of employment. - Every registered lobbyist must make quarterly reports on his or her activities. -Anyone violating this act can be fined up to $10,000 and be imprisoned for up to five years. This act did not succeed in regulating lobbying to any great degree because... - Any lobbyist seeking to influence legislation indirectly through public opinion did not fall within the scope of the law. - only persons or organizations whose principal purpose was to influence legislation were required to register, many claimed their principal function was something else - the act did not cover those whose lobbying was directed at agencies in the executive branch or lobbyists who testified before congressional committees - the public was almost totally unaware of the information in the quarterly reports filed by lobbyists. - in 1955 congress addressed loopholes by enacting new legislation

Later Reform efforts

In 2005, a number of lobbying scandals in Washington, D.C., came to light. As a result, the new Democratic majority in the Senate and House of Representatives undertook a lobbying reform effort. This involved changes to the rules that the two chambers impose on their own members. - Bundled campaign contributions would have to be reported. - Expenditures on the sometimes-lavish parties to benefit candidates would have to be reported - President George W. Bush signed the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act in 2007. The new law increased lobbying disclosure requirements and placed restrictions on the receipt of gifts and travel by members of Congress paid for by lobbyists and the organizations they represent - In March 2010, the Republican-led House Appropriations Committee banned earmarks that benefit profit-making corporations. About a thousand such earmarks had been authorized in the previous year, to the value of $1.7 billion. The ban was renewed in 2012.

Majoritarianism Theory (describes American Democracy)

Majoritarianism Theory: the belief that public policy should be set in accordance with the opinions of a majority of the people - highly popular, but a poor representation of how politics actually work

The National Committee

National Party Committee: the political party leaders who direct party business during the four years between the national party conventions, organize the next national convention, and plan how to support the party's candidate in the next presidential election - each state elects a number of delegates to the national party committee

The National Chairperson

National party chairperson: an individual who serves as a political party's administrative head at the national level and directs the work of the party's national committee - elected by each parties national committee - involved in raising funds, providing for publicity, promoting party unity, encouraging the development of state and local organizations, recruiting new voters, and other activities

Business Interest Groups

Uline Inc. (packaging), The Fahr Group (executive recruitment), Blackstone Group (investments), Paloma Partners (investments), Bloomberg LP (financial services), Newsweb Corp. (media), Susquehanna Int'l Group (finance), Renaissance Technologies (hedge fund), Koch Industries (energy), Marcus & Millichap (commercial property) Why they support both parties - Traditionally business interest groups supported republican parties because they were more prevalent in business and promoted business policies more. Now they make democratic donations as well bc more business leaders are democrats. - They also support both parties to ensure they will benefit regardless of who wins, and to avoid political disfavor Business Interests and Foreign Trade - Business interests were strongly supportive of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement among Pacific Rim nations negotiated in the closing months of the Obama administration. The pact had few supporters outside the business community, however. It was opposed by labor and by many liberals who normally support free trade. it was also opposed by the conservative nationalists who supported Donald Trump. As president, Trump immediately withdrew from the deal. Beginning in 2018, President Trump launched what has been called a trade war with China. This was largely accomplished by imposing tariffs—taxes—on imports from that nation. ariffs disrupted these supply chains. Finally, as expected, China responded with tariffs on American goods, hurting U.S. producers of agricultural and other goods

Interest groups

What is an Interest Group? Interest group: an organized group of people sharing common objectives who actively attempt to influence government policymakers through direct and indirect methods - interest groups pursue these goals on every level and in every branch of government. - The right to form interest groups and to lobby the government is protected by the Bill of Rights. The First Amendment guarantees the right of the people "to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." - example of petitioning: emailing a congress member to help with a problem How do Interest Groups Form? - A group becomes an interest group when it seeks to affect the policies or practices of the government. - Interest groups can form when the government expands its scope of activities (government deals with more areas now, like guns and retirement benefits, than before) - Interest groups can also form in reaction to the creation of other interest groups, or when a group feels threatened (David B Truman calls this "disturbance theory") - entrepreneurial theory focuses on the importance of the leaders who establish the organization. The desire of such individuals to guarantee a viable organization is important to the group's survival. Incentives to join a group - Surveys show that more than 85 percent of Americans belong to at least one group. - purposive incentive: joining a group that stands for something you believe is important for your satisfaction - solidary incentive: when people enjoy the sense of belonging that comes with associating with people who share their interests/goals - material incentives: interest in discounts on products, subscriptions, or group insurance - however, sometimes none of these incentives are enough to persuade people to join a group.

Direct Techniques of shaping policy

lobbying and providing election support - lobbying: all of the attempts by organizations or by individuals to influence the passage, defeat, or contents of legislation or to influence the administrative decisions of government - lobbyist: an individual who handles a particular interest group's lobbying efforts - often include former members of congress/former employees of executive bureaucracies who have experience - lobbying techniques: making personal contacts with key legislators, providing expertise and research results for legislators, offering expert testimony before congressional committees, providing legal advice to legislators, following up on legislation - providing election support: group members join and work with political parties to influence party platforms and the nomination of candidates - interest groups urge their members to vote for candidates who support the views of the group

Indirect Techniques of shaping policy

occurs through the general public - Shaping public opinion: carefully cultivating public image, crafting online campaigns, television publicity, mass mailings, etc... (uses PR) - Rating Systems: A group selects legislative issues that it believes are important to its goals and rates legislators according to the percentage of times they voted favorably on those issues - Issue Ads: a television or radio ad taking a position on a particular issue. - controversial because the funds spent to air issue ads have had a clear effect on the outcome of elections. - 527 and 501(c)4 Organizations: The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 banned unlimited donations to campaigns and political parties, called soft money. Lawyers argued that a 501(c)4 group could spend some of its funds on direct campaign contributions as long as most of the group's spending was on issue advocacy. Further, a 501(c)4 group could conceal the identity of its contributors. - Mobilizing Constituents: grassroots organizing: Interest groups sometimes urge members and other constituents to contact government officials to show their support for or opposition to a certain policy - Campaigns that masquerade as grassroots mobilizations, but are not, have been given the apt label Astroturf lobbying. An Astroturf lobbyist might make anonymous postings online that appear to be from concerned citizens but that actually come from the sponsoring organization. - Going to court - used litigation to press concerns - Amicus Curia Briefs - influencing the outcome of litigation without being a party to a lawsuit. - Often, interest groups cite statistics and research that support their position on a certain issue. This research can have considerable influence on the judges deciding the case. - Demonstrations - Some interest groups stage protests to make a statement in a dramatic way (ex: Boston Tea Party) - Not all demonstration techniques are peaceful.

Identifiers and Activists

party identifiers: those who identify themselves as being members of the party party activists: party members who choose to volunteer for the party activities and may even become candidates for office - The major functions of American political parties are carried out by the party activists (answer phones, conduct door-to-door canvasses, participate in Internet campaigns, organize speeches and appearances, and, of course, donate money.)

two-party system

two party system: the two major parties—the Democrats and the Republicans—dominate national politics - the first major political division between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists established a precedent that continued over time - One of the major reasons for the perpetuation of the two-party system is simply that there is no alternative. - minor parties/third parties: in the U.S. any party other than the two major parties Why is it hard for minor parties to compete with major parties? - political socialization: young people/new immigrants absorb the political views of those that provide them with info (ex:parents) -2/5ths of voters today are independents but doesn't mean they are looking for a third party, they just swing - Election laws favor two parties - major parties need less signatures than minor parties to get candidates on ballot - Institution barriers to a multiparty system - nature of election process/nature of single districts works against 3rd party candidates - Nonpartisan elections: Party identification never appears on the ballot