Gov 310L Midterm 2
Media
"Media" simply refers to a variety of different communication outlets focusing on political coverage. - television - radio - newspapers and news magazines - Facebook, Twitter, etc
single nontransferable vote (SNTV)
- 1 vote per person - not all votes must be cast - district magnitude > 1
First past the post (FPP)
- 1 vote per voter - not all votes must be cast - district magnitude = 1
Importance of Third Parties
- 1912 Election as an example - presidents elected without a majority
Political participation
- 45 percent tried to persuade people on how to vote - 18 percent wore a button or bumper sticker - 13 percent gave money to a political party or campaign - 9 percent attended a political meeting - 4 percent worked for a political party or campaign
Social Welfare Issue Opinions
- Americans are liberal on social welfare issues
What the Early Polls Told Us
- Americans don't know very much about politics - Americans are not very interested in politics - Americans rely on broad and general attitudes and predispositions to make sense of politics
Converse Study Critisicms
- Analysis of issues was in the 50s - Relied on yes or no scales. More complex response reveal greater constraint
Social-Psychological Model (Michigan Model)
- Developed by Angus Campbell, PhilipConverse, Warren Miller, and Donald Stokes at the University of Michigan in the 1950s - "The American Voter" (1960) - Wanted to explain the psychological underpinnings of voting - used survey data to develop and test theories - offered the original conceptualization of party Identification - voters develop a psychological attachment to one of the parties - articulated the funnel model "funnel of causality") Criticisms: - not political - no explanation for change over time or difference in outcomes across elections - methodologically flawed
Sociological Model (Columbia model)
- Developed by Bernard Berelson, Paul Lazarsfeld, and William McPhee at Columbia University in the 1940s - "Voting" (1954) - done to test the impact of political propaganda and mass media - expectation was that campaigns would persuade people Instead, they found... - little persuasion during the presidential campaign - partisanship was activated as the campaign progressed - most people don't pay attention - people are in "social networks" that drive their opinions - "Cross pressuring" where people are pulled by messages from different groups, causes people to abstain Criticisms: - not very political - no explanation for change over time, or differences in outcomes across elections - No psychological model
Plurality Systems
- First past the post - single non-transferable vote - limited vote - cumulative vote
The General Election Context
- Goal is to amass a majority of electoral votes. There are 538 of them. 270 is majority
Other models like Rational Choice model
- Heuristics (Kahneman and Tversky) - Reasoning Voter (Popkin) - Aggregate Rationality (Lupia and McCubins) - Issue Ownership (Petrocik)
Levels of Conceptualization
- Ideologues - near ideologues - group interest (most common) - nature of the times - no issue content
What do parties provide to voters and candidates?
- Information shortcuts for candidates and voters. - For candidates, the party label helps them win.
How we measure public opinion
- Man-in-street interviews - Focus groups - Non-scientific polls - Probability samples (what we care about)
The case for "conservative bias"
- Most news media owned by corporate interests, who prefer conservative candidates and public policies - These controlling interests keep certain issues off the agenda - Talk radio and Fox News slant strongly to the right
Sources of Public Opinion
- Socialization: the end result of various experiences developing political ideas - Profession - ideology - race/ethnicity - income - geography - Party ID -Education - Parents ideology - Parents party ID - life experiences
Noteable Third Party Candidates
- Strom Thurmond - George Wallace - Ross Perot
persuade swing voters
- TV Ads - radio ads - direct mail - phone calls - social media - in person contacting
History of Parties
- Tammany Hall - An organization - parties uniquely contest elections, run candidates in their own name with the goal of winning office.
Media or Press?
- The press used to refer to print media, but has expanded to all news coverage - They're pretty much inter-changeable today
Turnout in the U.S.
- U.S. turnout is low compared to other countries - turnout has varied over time - declined from 1960-1996 - increased from 2000-2008 - turnout decreases in midterm elections, increases in presidential elections ("saw-tooth" pattern) - Political, demographic factors affect turnout rates
Presidential campaigns: The general election
- V.P. pick is important - candidate appearances - TV advertising
Conspiracy Theories
- a belief that some covert but influential organization is responsible for a circumstance or event - half of Americans believe in one conspiracy theory - conspiracy theories arise from extraordinary events - melodramatic narratives - when people are exposed to conspiracy theories they feel powerless - misinformation spread by conspiracy theories are hard to stop
Spatial voting theory and median voter theorem
- abstention - alienation - primary behavior - general election behavior - what do they actually do?
How much influence does traditional media have in the digital age?
- blogs have a niche, but they heavily rely on mainstream media. They rely on them as sources. They also rely on them for agenda setting.
Candidate Rhetoric and Emotion
- candidates use emotional appeals - There are three key emotions - fear, anxiety, and anger - emotional appeals have longer affects - more media attention - anger gets people out to vote
Primaries
- closed primaries: only registered to the party - semi-open primaries: registered members and independents - open primaries: anyone can vote -blanket primaries: everybody is listed republican and democrat jungle: top two vote getters (no matter dem or rep)
Media today
- cynical, negative, process-oriented, empirical. However they are still a business.
Rational Choice Model (Rochester Model)
- developed by Anthony Downs (also William Riker, Robert Axelrod) -"Economic Theory of Democracy" - used simple assumptions Proximity Voting Model - measuring the "distance" between yourself and the candidates Directional Voting Model - It depends on the side, not if you're moderate Criticisms: - assumes high levels of knowledge, interest, and engagement - assumes a single dimension to political competition - empirical predictions about who will win are often correct
Mobilize the base
- direct mail - phone calls - emails - social media - in person contacting
Education and Public Opinion
- education creates a political efficacy - higher education = higher efficacy - citizen duty: people believe they are required to be engaged and informed
What are US campaigns like?
- expensive - long - instrumental: the point of running is to win (aka by candidate not policy) - negative: vote for me because im not him. negative advertising is effective in mobilizing voters.
Voting systems and legislating
- first past the post: breeds a two party system so there are less issues on the table, but its easier to legislate. - proportional: more issues on the table, but more confusing to legislate
opposition voters
- get nothing
What purpose do parties serve?
- help solve the "social choice problem" for office-seeking politicians - help to solve the "collective action problem" for office-seeking politicians - Have been an appropriate mechanism for organizing and communicating with voters in a historical sense
Media Coverage of Campaigns
- horse-race - personalities - conflict - scandal, gaffes - negativity
Priming
- if exposed to stories about defense, citizens will evaluate the president in regards to their defense policy. - If exposed to stories about energy, citizens will evaluate candidates in regards to energy.
What are factors in turnout?
- income - education - marital status - age - race - gender
What do you need to know about campaigns?
- incumbency matters - 95% of U.S. House incumbents who run for election win - 90% of U.S. Senate incumbents who run for re-election win - name recognition, money, credit taking helps - party ID matters: dont usually elect from the minority party - people don't pay much attention to campaigns: besides presidential. - The news media don't matter as much as you think - money matters: favors incumbents, matters most in open-seat, well-funded challengers have the best chance of beating incumbents
American Political Culture
- individualism - equality - limited government
Social Learning Theory
- instrumental motivations: people are rational actors seeking to maximize their utilities - reward (positive reward, negative reward) - punishment - generalization: attempting to extrapolate from a previous experience to another, related experience - discrimination: learning that not all apparently similar situations are identical
News Trends
- internet trend going up - everything else is going down
Rosenstone, Behr and Lazarus "Third Parties in America"
- legal constraints (plurality, aka majority, doesn't win, most votes win) - handicaps (electoral college) - campaign finance laws - third parties suffer from campaign resources - unqualified and unknown candidates - self-fulfilling prophecy - third parties bring issues to the larger parties
Why do people vote for third parties?
- major party deterioration - neglected issues - neglected preferences - unacceptable major party candidate - attractive minor party candidate
Importance of voting methods
- methods can determine a different outcome
What do campaigns do?
- mobilize the base - persuade swing voters
Limited vote (LV)
- more than one vote - all votes must be cast - district magnitude = k
Cumulative Vote (CV)
- more than or equal to one vote - all votes must be cast - district magnitude > 1
Political Knowledge and Public Opinion
- most people are not properly informed
Presidential campaigns: Party conventions
- party conventions usually give a bump
Probability Sample
- population: group we want to know something avbout - sample - randomly selected sub-set of target population - representativeness: degree to which sample looks like the underlying populations
Unmeasurable Error
- question wording - response options - question order - interviewer effects
Religion as a Source of Public Opinion
- religion as a socializing agent - creed - culture
Measurable Error
- sample size - response bias/response rates
Voting methods
- simple plurality: the most votes win (not the majority) - plurality runoff: top two vote getters determine second round. (broader) - sequential runoff: lowest votes eliminated and then its recounted (even broader) - borda count: alternatives assigned points in accord with rank order. Alternative with the most points wins - Condorcet procedure: pairwise round-robin tournament determines if one alternative defeats its rivals - approval rating: each voter casts votes for any alternative he or she approves of. Most approves wins.
Comparison of voting methods
- some require more time and energy - a more thorough choice takes more time and can be affected by less education and turnout.
Different types of contests
- statewide conventions - caucuses (tend to be exclusive and high-end) - primaries:
Era of the Commercial Press (1850 - 1910s)
- the press targets mass audiences - to drive sales, coverage moved towards sensationalist stories (sex, violence, scandal) - "Yellow journalism" ex. "yellow boy" cartoon Dominant figures: - Joseph Pulitzer (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, New York World) - William Randolph Hearst (San Francisco Examiner, New York Morning Journal) "Citizen Kane" and Hearst Castle
Limitations of the god strategy
- using religious language can deter people who aren't religious or dont have the same religion
Costs of voting
- waiting in line - takes time - registration
Proportional systems
- where parties and legislature are given seats based on the percentage of votes that they receive - problems: tie breaker issues, also goofy people run.
Horse-race/strategic game coverage of campaigns
- who is leading and who is not - less time on policy - strategic gains instead of policy outcomes - better for the media - actual content goes up before the election - creates cynicism - stimulates attention because exciting
Facts about participation
- women are less likely to participate, but when they participate, they outpace men - historically African Americans have a lower turnout, but that's changed recently - controlling for economic, African Americans have higher turnout
The case for liberal bias
-Most news reporters and journalists are personally liberal. -Some empirical evidence shows that conservative candidates and policy-makers receive worse coverage. -Newspapers and mainstream media slant strongly to the left.
Decay of the Democratic Party
1. 1952 and 1956 Democratic Party State Conventions 2. V.O. Key and the Southern Democrat
Reasons for participation
1. Capacity - time - money -resources - socioeconomic status - education 2. Motivation - rewards vs costs - psychological reward - citizen duty 3. Networks of Recruitment - when people are asked, they are more likely to do it
Thinking about 2020 (lol)
1. Competitive distribution of the vote 2. Mixed economic performance 3. Low presidential approvement 4. Higher turnout 5. Republicans need 21 seats in the house 6. Democrats need 4 seats in the senate
Democracy Monopoly in Texas
1. Democrats have owned Texas for a long time. Republicans started in 1961. One-party system. There were wings within the Democratic party. Liberal vs. Conservative Democrats. 2. Ma and Pa Ferguson and the New Deal. Against the prohibition and the klan.
Funnel Model
1. Learn your party ID from parents and socialization. You form psychological development of your attitudes 2. Your partisanship shapes the development of your attitudes 3. because you like your party, you adopt the positions of the democratic party 4. Your underlying attitudes are then reflected in your position on the six additional dimensions: - the personal attributes of the democratic candidate - the personal attributes of the Republican - the groups involved - the issues of domestic policy - the issues of foreign policy - the record of parties managing affairs of government 5. the issue positions are the proximal cause of your voting decision.
Rise of the Republican Party
1. Legacy of Gov. Edmund Davis 2. Partisanship of Texas Governors
Are U.S. Parties Strong or Weak?
1. Party in Government (Congress and state legislature) 2. Party in Electorate 3. Party Organization
The God Strategy
1. Political priest: candidate using the language of religion 2. Fusing god and country: god created the US as a special nation 3. Embracing religious symbols: taking part in holidays or going to church 3. Morality politics: engaging in talking about morality 4. God strategy in action: GWB says Jesus is his favorite philosopher. - sen John McCain - sen Hillary Clinton - sen Barack Obama
Felony Disenfranchisement
1. Post-reconstruction - reduce the level of black voter turnout - certain felonies (blacks instead of whites) 2. Hunter v. Underwood - 1985 Alabama is sued over felony disenfranchisement laws - it was made clear to uphold white supremacy 3. Continuing challenges
Theories of Voting
1. Sociological Model (Columbia Model) 2. Social-Psychological Model (Michigan Model) 3. Rational Choice Model (Rochester Model)
Churches as facilitators
1. churches and capacity - public speaking - understanding administration - lower information costs 2. churches and motivation - driven by a divine force 3. churches and networks of recruitment - churches that communicate political recruitment as a norm - people who go to church are more likely to participate - people are meeting regularly
What affects turnout/why is it low?
1. institutional factors: - registration requirement - timing of elections - frequency of elections - location/convenience of polling places - complexity of the ballot 2. Psychological factors: - political efficacy - interest/engagement - partisanship
Radio
14 million
Strom Thurmond
1948 upset with President Truman's push for Civil Rights, several southern Democrats split with he party and formed the Dixiecrats. Their nominee was Strom Thurmond, Governor of South Carolina. Able to get on the ballot in Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, and Louisiana
The nomination contest: debates matter (?)
1980: Raegan 1980: Mondale and Heart 2008: Hillary Clinton on immigrations 2012: Rick Perry republican presidential debate. yikes.
Newspapers
2 million (subscribers)
By how much did the share of Texas Democrats identifying as liberal increase between 2010 and 2020?
20 percent
News Magazines
3 million (Time) the rest under 1 million
According to the New York Times, what is one of the most valuable tools of campaigns and political action committees?
30-second TV commercials
Cable News Audience
4 million views per week (Fox, CNN)
Broadcast News Audience
8 million views per week (ABC, CBS, NBC)
progressive movement
A broadly based political, social, and business reform movement that arose as a response to the effects of industrialization after the Civil War and reached its height in the early 20th century. Texas progressivism had a decidedly populist streak that sought to defend the citizenry from the evils of "bigness"—i.e., railroads and other corporations, the wealthy, and even government.
Social Conservatism
A disposition or political outlook that favors tradition and preservation of the status quo in social customs and public policy.
Sharpstown stock fraud scandal
A scandal that led to a wave of reform in Texas politics surrounding the reporting and disclosure of campaign funds.
Texas Ethics Commission (TEC)
A statewide regulatory authority established in 1991 by constitutional amendment and assigned a range of responsibilities, including providing guidance on Texas ethics laws, collecting financial disclosure statements from government officials, and recommending salaries for the lieutenant governor, speaker of the Texas House, and Texas Legislature.
Direct Election
A system of choosing officeholders in which voters directly cast ballots for a particular person.
poll taxes
A tax of a fixed amount per person levied as a condition of voting. By making voting more costly, poll taxes served to restrict the size of the electorate, particularly among low-income and racial minority groups. The passage of the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1964 banned all poll taxes in federal elections, and a U.S. Supreme Court decision extended the ban to state and local elections two years later.
Populism
A term broadly used to describe any movement having popular backing and perceived to be acting in the interests of ordinary people.
Yellow Dog (Democrats)
A term used to describe any staunch Democratic loyalist.
pragmatism
A way of thinking that emphasizes facts and practical matters over idealistic thoughts of what could or should be.
Issue Consistency
Across time: inconsistent Across Issue Domain: One opinion doesn't predict another
15th Amendment
African American men can vote
runoff primary
An election held between the top two vote-getters in a primary when none of the candidates received a majority (more than 50 percent) of the original votes cast.
Primary election
An election in which the party electorate chooses which candidates will run for office under the party's label. - open primaries: A type of primary election in which voters are not required to declare a party affiliation and are permitted to vote in the party primary of their choice. - closed primaries: A type of primary election in which participation in each party's primary is restricted to those voters formally affiliated with that party. - blanket primaries: A type of primary election in which voters are presented with all of the candidates for each office irrespective of party. The candidates from each party with the highest votes then move on to the general election.
The Federal Election Commission (FEC)
An independent regulatory agency established in 1975 to regulate campaign finance through enforcement of campaign finance laws and disclosure of contributors and contributions in federal elections.
Which of the following is true of an open primary?
An open primary does not require voters to declare the party with which they are affiliated.
Which ethnic group experienced the slowest population growth rate in Texas from 2010 to 2018?
Anglos
Owned media
Are outreach efforts a candidate established for supporters and voters (like Bloomberg) (also like social media). Target is supporters.
Conventional Wisdom about Public Opinion
Assumptions: - Americans are interested, engaged and attentive to public and affairs (de Tocqueville) - Americans know the basic facts concerning Americans politics - Americans listen to public officials and candidates, understand their issue and policy positions and hold them accountable. Reasons to believe: - elections results suggest rationality - high levels of literacy and educational attainment - substantial campaign communication and outreach
What is the most important task for candidates to accomplish during a campaign?
Candidates must motivate voters to show up and vote.
Classic liberalism
Classical liberalism - A political philosophy that places a high value on individual freedom, based on a belief in natural rights that exist independent of government. Classical liberalism is often at the root of opposition to government involvement in social issues, as it emphasizes reliance on private initiatives or the free market to determine the best outcomes.
23rd Amendment
DC has the right to vote (3 electors)
Where did the term "Yellow Dog Democrat" come from?
Democratic voters acquired this moniker when they vowed that they would vote for a yellow dog before voting for a Republican.
Which of the following groups is LEAST likely to view Texas government as a model for other states?
Democrats
Who benefited the most from Jim Crow laws in Texas
Democrats
Which of the following has been a factor in the increasing party competition that has inflated the costs of campaigning in Texas?
Demographic shifts in Texas have raised the possibility of a Democratic resurgence.
Agenda Setting
Determining which public-policy questions will be debated or considered.
What is one trend that occurs when one party is dominant in state or national politics?
Divisions within the dominant party tend to become more important than divisions between the parties.
Party Organizations
Do parties raise money and enlist volunteers? yes Do parties contact and mobilize voters? yes
Party in the Electorate
Does party structure politics and voting in a meaningful way for voters? Yes. Party matters with respect to turnout. Strong.
Calculus of Voting
Downs (1957) - R = pB -C R = probability the voter will turn out, If R is greater than 0, the person will vote p = probability of vote "mattering" B = "utility" benefit of voting -- differential benefit of one candidate winning over the other C = costs of voting.
Hard and Easy Issues
Easy issues: easy to form opinion. familiar issue. Hard issues: harder to form opinions on. unfamiliar issue.
Types of political participation
Electoral Participation - voting - monetary contributions - volunteering in a campaign - running for office Non-electoral participation - contacting officials - attending a town hall - writing a letter to the editor - participating in a protest
literacy tests
Exams that Black voters were required to pass before being allowed to vote, with variations in the difficulty of the tests used to target African Americans.
Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding voting during the civil rights era?
For the first time, many Southern Democrats voted for non-Democratic Party candidates in the 1968 presidential election.
Framing v. Persuasion
Framing changes the importance of the issue, persuasion is convincing if something is good or bad.
Framing
Framing is how a news source defines the essential problem underlying an issue and outline a set of considerations relevant to the issue.
While the Democratic Party was dominant within Texas, the Republican Party dominated national politics. Which president brought the Democratic Party to national dominance?
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Earned media
Free media, candidates depend on earned media to communicate. Target is everybody.
What did Republicans do in 2003 to address the disparity between Republicans' success in statewide races and their minority presence in the U.S. House of Representatitves
Governor Rick Perry called a special session of the legislature to draft redistricting legislation that appeared to give Republicans the chance to gain many more House seats.
Why should political parties ideally be "participatory vehicles"? Choose the BEST answer.
Having politically involved members is important for determining both the shape and leadership of a party.
In 2016 and 2018, which racial/ethnic group was the LEAST represented in the electorate relative to their share of the state population?
Hispanic/Latino
Which of the following accurately describes the elcetion results by are type in the 2016 and 2018 elections?
In both elections, urban areas had the narrowest margins of voters between Republican and Democratic candidates.
1. What was the result of the Supreme Court decision on Citizens United v. FEC?
Individuals, unions, and corporations can donate on a large scale to political action committees.
How did microtargeting help the 2000 Bush campaign?
It helped the campaign identify the best candidates to receive mail and phone calls making the case for Bush.
What is the political effect of holding gubernatorial and other executive branch office election in Texas in off years?
It insulates the election of statewide offices from national politics.
Texas's size and history, as well as its political and cultural variety, have contributed to the development of what might be called a "pragmatic center." Which of the following statements is true regarding the pragmatic center in Texas?
It tends to reflect relatively conservative, pro-business policy preferences.
grandfather clauses
Laws that based a current voter's eligibility on that of their grandparents, which of course rendered former slaves and their offspring ineligible in most cases.
Texas and Conspiracy Theories
Low trust in federal government creates more conspiracy theories
26th Amendment
Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18
Converse and the Nature and Origins of Mass Attitudes
Main Argument: American people really don't have coherent political pinions or beliefs nor do they even know what ideology is - low levels of conceptualization - low issue consistency
The reasoning behind the Citizens United v. FEC decision has to do with the way the United States understands the constitutionally guaranteed rights of citizens and interests to free speech. Why does making political donations fall in this category?
Making donations is understood to be petitioning government.
Minimal Effects Thesis
Media has little to no effect on public opinion
Heuristics
Mental shortcuts or "rules of thumb" that often lead to a solution (but not always).
Direct Spanish influence on the culture of Texas is overshadowed by which of the following related cultural influences?
Mexican culture
Major and minor parties are treated differently under Texas law. What is the difference between a major party and a minor party?
Minor parties are those parties that received less than 20 percent of the vote in the previous general election.
Why did the majority of Americans judge John F. Kennedy the winner of the first televised presidential debate in 1960?
Most Americans watched the debate on television, and Kennedy looked fresher and more vibrant than Nixon.
Do Campaigns Matter?
NO: - other factors influence voters and outcomes: incumbency, party ID, state of economy, macro-trends - the public does not pay attention - there is often an equality of resources and expertise YES: - campaigns spending seems to affect performance - more personalized outreach seems to matter - there is enormous variation in resources in non-presidential races.
George Wallace
Nationally known for his 1963 attempt to block two Black students from entering the University of Alabama. 1968 formed the American Independent Party. Wallace and the AIP forced Nixon to take a stronger conservative stance on race issues.
The nomination contest: parties no longer control it
New media are important. They are gate-keepers: - experience - money - organization
Era of the Professional Press (1920 - 1960s)
New norms develop after WWI: - objectivity - discretion - "Just the facts" (who, what, where, how, and why) Political news develops and evolves: - Newspapers have full-time staffs - Standard emerge with whats in play and what out of bounds - Newspapers still have their favorites
Era of the Adversarial Press (1960s - present)
News media begin to change in the 1960s - media discretion abused by JFK in Bay of Pigs episode - media suspicion mounts over LBJ and Vietnam, Nixon, and Watergate - television challenges newspapers for pre-eminence as the primary source for news - Watergate marks the end of "professional press" and marks "adversarial press" - Political parties decline, the news media rise as king-makers in politics
General election with strong party ideologue
No sir you were here before dont move that far
Presidential Campaigns: The nomination campaign
Nomination campaigns: - goal is to amass enough delegates to the party's nominating convention in order to win the nomination - In 2016, Republicans had 2,472 delegates up for grabs, meaning the winning candidate needs 1,237 delegates - In 2016, Democrats 4,764 - Democrats outlawed superdelegates
Which of the following patterns is characteristic of the succession of party systems in Texas.
One party tends to dominate elections for long periods of time.
What is one benefit of using short online videos in campaigns?
Online videos are less expensive than television advertisements.
24th Amendment
Outlawed poll taxes
Second Party System "Jacksonian Party System" 1828-1856
Parties Democrats Whigs Competition: Balanced and fierce Coalitions: Democrats do slightly better in southern and western states, while Whigs do well in New England and Midwest Issues: States' rights, immigration, and national expansion, tariff Mobilization? Extensive grass-roots mobilization
What role do parties play in deciding which candidates will appear on the ballot under a party's name?
Parties have very little direct control over who can run under a party's name, though they do tend to be involved in recruiting potential candidates.
How do political parties link state governments to national governments?
Parties often serve as career networks that allow candidates and political professionals to progress from state-level to national-level politics.
Sixth Party System "Post-New Deal Party System" 1968-?
Parties: Democrats Republicans Competition: Balanced competition, fierce Coalitions: Democrats dominate with middle and lower-status whites, racial and ethnic minorities. Republicans do well with white southerners, evangelicals Issues: Civil rights, government intervention in the economy Mobilization? De-mobilization until 2000, then mobilization
Fifth Party System "New Deal Party System" 1932-1964
Parties: Democrats Republicans Competition: Democrats dominate Coalitions: Democrats dominate in the South, urban area, with new immigrants. Republicans do well with northern, Anglo-Saxon Protestants Issues: Government intervention in the economy Mobilization? Mobilization of second-generation immigrants, women
Third Party System "Civil War Party System" 1860-1892
Parties: Democrats Republicans Competition: Republicans dominate 1860-76, then balanced and fierce Coalitions: Republicans dominate in North and West. Democrats dominate in South and urban area Issues: "waving the bloody flag," commercial/transport, regulation Mobilization? Extensive grass-roots mobilization
Fourth Party System "System of '96" 1896-1928
Parties: Democrats Republicans Competition: Republicans dominate, except for Wilson years (1912-1920) Coalitions: Republicans dominate in North and West, Democrats dominate in South and urban area Issues: Progressive, "good government" reforms, economic regulation Mobilization? De-mobilization as primaries, civil service reforms, ballot reforms occur
First Party System "Proto-Party System" 1800-1824
Parties: Jeffersonians (democratic-republicans) Federalists Competitions: Dominated by Jeffersonians Coalitions: Jeffersonians do well with southerners, westerners. Federalists do well in New England. Issues: Scope of federal governing power, states' rights, scope of democratic participation Mobilization? Elite-level only
Party in Government
Party seems to matter in instructing behavior of the congress. Strong.
Ross Perot
Perot benefited from Americans displeasure with the major parties. They key to Perot was that he was well financed. $73 million. Perot won 18.9% popular vote.
Paid media
Political advertising to communicate with voters. It is costly. Target is strangers.
Traditional vs Social Media Agenda Setting
Public agenda thats reflected in social media may pick up issues that traditional media may not. Social media = social issues. Traditional media = technical issues.
Public Attitude towards media
Public is becoming more negative about media coverage. Public trusts local news more than national news
Voting is illogical
R = pB - C - probability your vote matters is 0 - expected benefit of voting becomes 0 R = -C
Why was voter participation higher in the Democratic primaries than in the general elections during the 1950s?
Republicans didn't stand a chance in the general elections.
How did the total spending on U.S. House of Representatives campaigns change from 1998 to 2018?
Spending almost tripled.
Why are state and local campaigns still relying on older methods of campaigning such as door hangers, direct mail, and mass emails?
State and local races are small in scale and lack the resources to pay the high costs of analytics-driven targeting.
Which of the following describes a difference in voting requirements between Texas and the New England states of Maine and New Hampshire?
Texans have to register to vote earlier.
How do Republicans in Texas compare to Republicans at the national level?
Texas Republicans are more conservative and their policy models influence national Republican Party policies.
On average, how does Texas's voter participation rate compare to the national rate?
Texas has a lower voter participation rate than the national rate.
Which of the following statements is true regarding Texas's early years in the Union?
Texas was deeply divided regarding slavery.
Why has the Texas Ethics Commission (TEC) faced severe criticism over its enforcement of campaign laws?
The TEC does not sufficiently investigate complaints of violations.
What do the exit poll results from the 2020 Texas Democratic primary reveal about ideological differences in the Texas Democratic Party?
The Texas Democratic Party is becoming more liberal, but some ideological differences remain.
Nonpartisan
The absence of involvement or influence from political parties. Nonpartisan elections are those in which the use of party labels on the ballot or in campaigning is prohibited by law.
Citizen Duty
The belief that it is a citizen's duty to be informed and to participate in politics. Riker and Ordershook (1968) R = pB - C + D - D = citizen duty, goodwill feeling, psychological and civic benefit of voting.
Why are suburban areas becoming increasingly Democratic?
The cost of living in the urban areas has driven younger, more diverse people to the suburbs
How does one become an election judge for a general election
The county commissioners court appoints a presiding judge and an alternate judge.
What was the effect of the Citizens United decision?
The decision let individuals, unions, and corporations donate unlimited amounts anonymously to political action committees.
Based on Figures 2 and 3, what can we conclude about ideological identification among Texans?
The ideological identification of Texans has become more sorted in recent years.
Which of the following is true of Texas's population growth?
The increasing share of the population made up of ethnic minority groups is poised to alter a political culture historically dominated by Anglos.
Era of the Partisan Press (1760 - 1850s)
The media (newspapers pamphlets) tended to consist of vehicles for advocacy. - Federalist Papers/Anti-Federalist Papers - Jefferson v. Adams - Abolitionist Movement prior to Civil War There were many different papers. They were the primary forms of political communication. They were controlled by political parties; no pretense of objectivity.
What are the political implications of recent demographic trends in Texas?
The number of potential new Democratic voters is booming, but low voter turnout and mixed support for Greg Abbott among Latinos has prevented more Democratic victories.
Political Parties are Endogenous
The party members change the party
What do recent election results indicate about the future of the Democratic Party in Texas?
The party will likely experience continued electoral gains because it is attracting more resources and better candidates.
Reconstruction
The period between 1865 and 1877 when former Confederate states were occupied by federal troops during the process of rewriting their constitutions, rebuilding from the war, and being readmitted to the Union.
What happened when public opinion in Texas began to show more tolerance of same-sex relationships?
The polling results were greeted with surprise and skepticism.
Which statement BEST explains why overall contributions to political campaigns in Texas were higher in 2014 than in 2016?
The race for governor significantly increases the total amount of money spent on political campaigns.
Confederacy
The secessionist government of Southern states that formed in 1861 in reaction to the election of anti-slavery candidate Abraham Lincoln to the U.S. presidency.
Precinct
The smallest electoral unit into which voters are grouped for the purposes of voting, vote tabulation, and party organizing. Each county is divided into one or more precincts, with a total of more than 8,000 across Texas.
What's on the Agenda
The social burden (number of deaths) does not matter. It matters who is dying from the disease. Bias towards cis white men.
What happens if no candidate wins a majority of votes in a Texas primary election?
There is a runoff election between the two candidates with the most votes to decide who will run in the general election.
Agenda Setting and Public Discourse
There is evidence that the public does pay attention to the media, but it depends on the issue. Concrete more than abstract the public will talk about it.
In what ways have data and research taken over specific functions of the campaigns
They are used to help a candidate get to know individuals or groups.
Why do elected leaders and other political actors use elements of political culture to assist them in their efforts?
They can use political culture to influence voters
Which of the following is TRUE of indigenous groups in early Texas history?
They consisted of a range of subgroups and cultures, which makes it difficult to generalize their contributions to Texas politics.
What role do public schools play in the process of political socialization?
They teach political history and promote patriotism and civic engagement
What role do religious agents play in the process of political socialization?
They tend to reproduce society's core values.
How did the Democrats maintain their hold on power throughout Texas?
They used patronage systems in which urban bosses directed the voting choices of mostly immigrant blocs.
Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding African Americans in early Texas history?
They were involved in Reconstruction politics and helped shape the current state constitution.
Why have Texans adopted a "low taxes, low services" approach to government?
This approach has developed out of Texas's balance among classical liberalism, social conservatism, and populism.
1965 Voting Rights Act
Trying to reduce the impact of vote suppression 1. Barriers to Voting - poll taxes - literacy tests - intimidation 2. Vote Dilution - gerrymandering - the way districts are drawn 3. Shelby County v. Holder - supreme court rules that preclearance is out of date
What does polarization in politics mean?
Two opposing or conflicting principles, tendencies, or points of view exist on a topic, with the majority of opinions being at extremes.
How might voters exposed to poll results be influenced by the "bandwagon effect"?
Undecided voters are likely to cast their ballots for the candidate they think is the probable winner.
What is the effect of nonpartisan elections (such as city council elections) where party affiliation is not indicated on the ballot?
Voters have a difficult time choosing between candidates.
The nomination contest: no party label to provide info to voters
Voters rely on: - name recognition - ideology - viability - electability
Why does support for third-party candidates rarely translate into votes?
Voters who express support for third parties often revert to the major parties on Election Day
Professor Victoria DeFrancesca Soto (DeSoto)
Week 10: 4. Do Campaigns Matter? - campaigns matter - money - fear is the key emotion - Obama played on hope - tailoring messages to reach the minority communities - too saturated in technology. We should use in person contact.
Ross Ramsey
Week 6: 3. Contemporary Characteristics of the Media - Texas Tribune - media is faster now - physical delivery is on its way out - people in politics are adaptive
Professor Philpot
Week 7: 11. Assessing US Parties
Josh Blank
Week 8: 16. Foreign Policy Opinions
Professor Sunshine Hillygus
Week 9: Rational Choice Model
Parties and Convergence
When parties converge, they can get more done. They can converge when they can keep dissimilar candidates out. Extreme candidates leads to decay.
Which of the following statements is true of public opinion?
When survey researchers measure an attitude, they are really measuring an individual's predispositions and information.
Paradox of Turnout
Why did turnout decrease across the 1960s-1990s - parties did not mobilize voters as they had in the previous eras.
19th Amendment
Women have the right to vote
Have young candidates ever been successful at running for public office in the state of Texas?
Yes, several young candidates with little experience have fared well in Texas elections.
Which of the following is a requirement to be able to vote in the state of Texas?
You must be a citizen who is at least 18 years of age by Election Day.
Which of the following individuals would be MOST likely to vote, according to statistical trends on demographic data and voter turnout?
a 70-year-old woman with a bachelor's degree
Which of the following is a characteristic of the political climate in Texas after the civil rights movement?
a comparatively low level of state-funded social services, which are kept minimal by a general hostility toward progressive taxation
Which of these people would NOT be eligible to vote?
a convicted felon whose sentence has not been completed
What was Edmund J. Davis's administration known for?
a devotion to public works
in 2018, Anglos made up what percentage of Texas's population?
a little over 40 percent
Which of the following describes classical liberalism?
a philosophy that places a high value on the liberty of individuals to exercise their freedoms, so long as their freedoms do not restrict the liberties of others
Which type of organization allows individuals to run for office under the organizations name?
a political party
A shift in the makeup and power of political parties, often marked by a critical election, is called what?
a political realignment
The history of political parties can be thought of which of the following?
a series of long, fairly stable periods that are interrupted by brief episodes of dramatic change
Which of the following BEST describes political culture?
a set of shared values, beliefs, and behaviors that relate to government and politics
What type of election is held when a legislative or congressional seat becomes vacant before the end of the current occupant's term?
a special election
At a basic level what is the primary goal of most political advertising
achieving name recognition for a candidate
Political Participation
activity that has the intent or actual effect of influencing government action either directly or indirectly.
Problem of Multiple Principles
agent: the person who carries something out principle: the person directing the action. because of multiple principles, the fluctuation of attitudes, and lack of education changes the actions of principles.
Political Culture
an overall set of values widely shared within a society about how their government should operate
Primaries
appealing to strong partisans, because that's who turns out
How might a political party leverage public debate in its favor?
by framing an issue in a way that is favorable to the party's position
What must an independent candidate do to be listed on the general election ballot?
collect signatures on a nominating petition
In order to be listed on the Republican or Democratic primary ballot in Texas, what must a candidate do?
either collect signatures on a nominating petition or pay a filing fee.
Which of the following policy ideals do democrats in Texas support the MOST?
greater funding for public education and health care
When did modern campaign finance regulation begin in the United States?
in 1972, with the adoption of the Federal Election Campaign Act
Political culture
is the shared values, beliefs, and behaviors regarding government and politics that develop over time through the process of political socialization.
Which of the following would the Republican Party MOST likely support?
limited government involvement in economic activity
General election
move close to the median voter
Alienation
moving so far from the median that voters feel alienated
What was the central issue in Texas during the pre-party era?
opposition to the leadership and government in Mexico
Which of the following groups within a party at the government set priorities and develop a legislative strategy?
party caucuses
Which of the following connects district - and state level - party organizations to their members?
party precincts
Which of the following did the 1991 law creating the Texas Ethics Commission (TEC) fail to do?
place a cap on campaign contributions
Which political ideology is concerned primarily with the well-being of ordinary people?
populism
Which political ideology is associated primarily with the Republican Party today?
social conservatism
Which practical ideology places a particular value on traditional religious beliefs and practices?
social conservatism
If you wished to become involved in party politics by running for a party nomination, which of the following elective offices would be the BEST place to start?
state representative from a smaller district
Since voters might be exposed to the bandwagon effect, what do some argue that news stations ought to do?
stick to reporting what is actually happening on Election Day rather than making projections
What were the two major pieces of civil rights legislation signed into law under President Lyndon Johnson?
the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act
What political event led to the end of Reconstruction?
the Compromise of 1877
Which group dominated elections at all levels in Texas for nearly a century following Reconstruction?
the Democratic Party
Which two authorities regulate campaign financing for elections in Texas?
the Federal Election Commission and the Texas Ethics Commission
Which of the following encouraged Anglo Americans to populate the Texas territory in large numbers?
the Mexican government's empresario policy
A Republican candidate running for office in Texas would be MOST likely to seek and endorsement from which of the following groups?
the NRA
What party posed the most significant challenge to the post-Reconstruction Democratic Party?
the People's Party
Which party enjoys the advantage of organizational strength in Texas?
the Republican Party
Which organization filed charges against the individuals involved in the Sharpstown stock fraud scandal?
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
What is data mining?
the collection and analysis of massive amounts of information
Apart from internal divisions in the Democratic Party, what contributed to the growth of the Republican Party in Texas?
the growth of Texas suburbs and the migration of people in from other states
Values
the ideas, beliefs, and attitudes about what is important that help motivate you in the way you live
Which contributed to the growth of the mestizo population in Texas in the early 1800s?
the lack of Spanish women exploring or occupying the area
A communications director who works for the Republican National Committee would represent which semi distinct group within the Republican Party?
the party organization
Suffrage and Franchise
the right to vote which expanded slowly throughout the nations history
What is classical liberalism?
the valuing of political arrangements that permit the fullest exercise of individual liberty without unreasonably restricting the liberties of others
What is political socialization?
the way that people acquire beliefs, values, and habits of thought and action related to government, politics, and society
public opinion
those opinions held by private persons which governments find it prudent to heed
How is public opinion measured?
through scientifically designed surveys known as public opinion polls
In what way do parents usually influence their children's political socialization?
through subtle comments and body language regarding different actors and influences in society
What is the purpose of a primary
to allow party members to choose the party's nominees for an upcoming general election
How do campaigns typically use successful poll results?
to establish their candidate's credibility
public opinion and democracy
trustee: listen to public opinion but do what they think is best delegate: listens to public and reacts directly according to that.
"Pappy" O'Daniel, the governor of Texas from 1941 to 1949, helped make what practice common?
using radio addresses to help voters feel as though they knew him
How much power do party organizations generally have over candidates
very little power, as they do not exercise centralized control over nominations or campaign funding
What are swing voters?
voters who are not committed to either party
Abstention
withholding of a vote because both candidates are close
