gov chapter 9

how nominating candidates aids electoral process

- each party has a position on issues - provides a brand name -help the electorate -watch how office holders perform

parties 3 main roles

- nominating candidates - assisting electoral office -helping operate gov (elect exec/judicial ppl)

democrats

-In 1828 the modern Democrat party began and elected Andrew Jackson as their first President

ward

a voting district made up of several precincts

lobbying

contacting a public official to persuade the official to support the groups interest

bias

errors introduced by polling methods that lead to one outcome over others

{T/F} on the political spectrum the democratic Party is considered liberal because it supports limited government lower taxes and traditional social values

false

{T/F} the us has a multi party system in which several parties compete for control

false

hard money

money that is donated to an individual campaign

soft money

money that is given to a political party rather than to a specific candidate

labor unions

organization of workers who do the same job or work in related industries

political party

organized group that seeks to win elections in order to influence the activities of government

limits on IG

passed ethics and lobbying reform

how do political parties compare to interest groups

political parties: address a variety of issues interest groups: focus on one issue

the process by which people acquire political beliefs is called

political socialization

interest groups use PACs (political action committees) to

raise and contribute money to candidates who support the groups interests

sample

the group of people who take part in a poll

political socialization

the process by which people acquire political beliefs

nomination process

the process of naming candidates for elective office

{T/F} a precinct is smaller than a ward

true

Political culture

widely shared beliefs, values and norms concerning relationships of citizens to government and to one another •Important Elements of American Political Culture •Liberty - preoccupation with rights •Equality - equal vote, equal opportunity, equality under the law, but not equal wealth •Democracy - politicians accountable to the people

PACs

-Political Action Committees, commonly called "PACs," are organizations dedicated to raising and spending money to either elect or defeat political candidates. -Most PACs are directly connected to specific corporations, labor groups, or recognized political parties. -ex microsoft -PACs solicit contributions from employees or members and make contributions in the PACs name to candidates or political parties -Non-connected or ideological PACs raise and spend money to elect candidates -- from any political party -- who support their ideals or agendas -Non-connected PACs are made up of individuals or groups of U.S. citizens, not connected to a corporation, a labor party or a political party. -A third type of PAC, called "leadership PACs" are formed by politicians to help fund the campaigns of other politicians. -Politicians often create leadership PACs in an effort to prove their party loyalty or to further their goal of being elected to a higher office.

political parties

-Political parties can form from factions. -Washington warned against factions tearing the country apart. -Madison wrote in Federalist 10 that they were bound to develop.

roles of IG

-Seek to influence the making and content of public policy -The first amendment guarantees the right to assemble -Promote interest in public affairs -Provide useful information -Serve as watchdogs -Represent the interest of citizens

functions of interest groups

-endorsin candidates -lobbying -informing public opinion -filing lawsuits -Interest groups try to influence every branch and every level of government. -The most common and effective interest group technique is lobbying or seeking to influence and persuade others to support a group's position

criticisms of political parties

-lacking unity bc trying to get too many voters not making campaign promises -by giving money for campaigns many ppl say that office holders narrow interests rather than serve public good - self centered office seekers -bickering between the two parties

interest groups info

-organize people who share concerns -provide members with a means of political participation -supply info to the public and to policy makers

lobbying

-they can visit city council members about changing zoning in city st or talking to reps -use email campaigns , phone calls -A lobbyist is one who is professionally employed to lobby on behalf of clients or who advises clients on how to lobby on their own behalf

party ideology {DEM/REP}

DEM- liberal REP- conservative

Ideology

Ideas and beliefs about how government and society should be organized and how to organize it •Political parties are roughly organized around these ideologies

political action committee

PAC an organization created to raise and contribute money legally to the campaigns of political candidates

Social vs fiscal convert ism

Social conservatives tend toward "traditional values" or religious values •Fiscal conservatives tend toward lower taxes, less regulation, and less government "interference" in the economy

Social vs Econ con

Social issues are those that have to do with the make up/rules of society -Abortion, gay marriage/marriage equality •Economic issues are those that have to do with the make up/rules of the economy -Taxation, government spending, regulation

Social vs Econ lib

Social liberals emphasize individual liberties and personal choices •Economic liberals tend to emphasize economic equality -The government should "invest" in society

absentee ballot

a ballot submitted on or before election day by a voter who cannot be present on election day

trade association

a business group that represents certain industries or parts of industries

independent candidate

a candidate who is not associated with any political party

caucus

a meeting party members who select the candidates to run for election

sampling error

a polls margin of error or uncertainty level

open primary

a primary election in which any registered voter may vote in either party's primary election

closed primary

a primary elections in which only voters registered as party members can vote in selecting that party's candidates

direct primary

a primary or first election in which the party candidates for office is chosen directly by voters

what prompted congress to pass legislation in 2007 that placed limits on some types of interest group activity

a series of lobbying scandals

poll

a survey of people scientifically selected to provide opinions about something

exit poll

a survey of randomly selected fraction of voters after they have voted

one party system

a system of government in which a single political party controls government

mulitparty system

a system of government in which several political parties compete for control of the government

two party system

a system of government in which two political parties compete for control of the government

types of interest groups:

agriculture group - rep nations farmers and agricultural industry ex:national potato council business groups- rep industry ex:NFIB labor groups- rep health care workers, public service jobs ex: SEIU cause based- rep/promote a cause rather than interest ex MADD societal groups - rep religion social racial ex: NOW, MALDEF professional groups - rep specific profession ex: AMA, ABA

special interest groups

an organization of people with common interests that tries to influence government and its policies

mass media

any means of communication that provides info to a larger audience including magazines, radio, TV new and web news

third party

any political party in a two party system besides the two major ones -Over time Third Parties have formed in an effort to challenge the Dems and Repubs

what are interest groups

associations of people who hold similar views and goals

what type of interest group is MAAD- mothers against drunk driving

cause- based

{T/F} since our nations founding third parties have not successfully influenced election outcomes

false

objectivity

freedom from bias and outside factors that may influence the result of a poll

problems with interest groups

have too much influence focus on one narrow issue ignoring social needs and policies

the practice of interest groups contacting public officials to persuade them to support the groups positions is known as

lobbying

write in candidates

political candidates who announce that they are running for office and ask voters to write in their names on the ballot

liberal

support gov action to change social political or economic policies that are believed to be unfair , big gov, gun control, economic equality through high taxes , social services, welfare programs The role of the state should be wider to protect individual liberties and economic equality •Democratic Party

conservative

support limited gov lower taxes and traditional social values right to bear arms, American dream, religion, tax cuts , no gov interference w/ business , military defense, homeland security, small gov Role of government in peacetime should be limited -Protect life, liberty, and property •Republican Party

public opinion

the aggression of view shared by a segment of society on issues of interest or concern to people

electorate

the body of people entitles to vote

public policy

the choices the government makes an the actions it takes in response to a particular issue or problem

political spectrum

the difference in political views held by the different political parties

{T/F} critics argue that political parties lack unity because parties try to appeal to too many different types of voters

true

{T/F} political parties take positions on major issues, provide candidates with a "brand name" that voters can recognize, helpthe electoate engage in the political process and watch how office holders in both parties perform

true

{T/F} the purpose of an interest group is to provide info to legislators an help shape policy

true

plurality

when a candidate in an election has more votes than any other candidate

{T/F} political parties are unifies and are well known for following through with their policy promises

false

propaganda

info designed to shape public opinion

grass roots

the lowest level of an organization or society

precinct

the smallest unit of area for administering elections and local voting

endorse

to publicly declare support for a particular candidate in an election

{T/F} brown vs board of education was heard because of the work of the NAACP

true

republicans

-In 1853 the Republican Party grew from the abolition movement. -The abolition movement was a started to end slavery. -In 1860 Abraham Lincoln became the 1st Republican president. He ran on the issue to end slavery.