Government - KSU
grassroots lobbying
Lobbying activities performed by rank-and-file interest group members and other supporters. Letter writing, emails, calls to Congressman are examples. Can be corporate leaders or civil leaders in the effort and they have influence.
citizen groups
Lobbying organization built around policy concerns unrelated to members' vocational interest Members of the Natural Resources Defense Council do so because they care about the environment, not because it lobbies on issues related to their profession
what is a citizen group?
Lobbying organization built around policy concerns unrelated to members' vocational interests. For example members of the Natural Resources Defense Council do so because they care about the environment, not because it lobbies on issues related to their profession
At the national level, each major party has four main organizational components. What are they?
National convention (every 4 years to nominate a candidate for president), national committee, party conference, congressional campaign
U.S. Turnout versus Turnout in Other Countries
Nearly every other democratic country places the burden of registration on the government rather than on the individual voter. This is important. Voting in the United States is a two-stage process, and the first stage
Do you have to be a member of an interest group to benefit from it's lobbying?
No. For instance, if the U.S. Chamber of Commerce convinces Congress to enact a policy benefiting busi- ness, all businesses will benefit, not just those that actually pay the membership dues of the lobbying group.
sociotropic responses
Opinions about how the country as a whole is doing affect political preferences more strongly than one's own per- sonal circumstance.
Ideology Types in US
Our ideological typology classifies people as Liberals if they favor freedom over order and equality over freedom. Conversely, Conservatives favor freedom over equality and order over freedom. Libertarians favor freedom over both equality and order—the opposite of Communitarians, who favor equality and order over freedom.
Socioeconomic Status
Position in society, based on a combination of education, occupational status, and income.
Terriorism
Premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clan- destine agents.
What is the history of the Two Party System that we know today?
Preparty Period The First Party Sytem: Federalists and Democratic Republicans The Second Part - Democrats and Whigs (national conventions started) Current Party: Republications and Democrats
conventional participation
Relatively routine political behavior that uses institutional channels and is acceptable to the dominant culture.
unconventional participation
Relatively uncommon political behavior that challenges or defies established institutions and dominant norms
front-loading
States' practice of moving delegate selection primaries and caucuses earlier in the calendar year to gain media and candidate attention.
What is the American Bar Association
The American Bar Association (ABA), the biggest organization of lawyers in the United States, has been involved in screening candidates for the federal bench
Enfranchisement of Blacks
The Fifteenth Amendment, prohibited the states from denying the right to vote "on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude."(poll taxes, literacy tests) that worked primarily against blacks. . The extension of full voting rights to blacks came in two phases, separated by twenty years. In 1944, the Court decided in Smith v. Allwright that laws preventing blacks from voting in primary elections were unconstitutional, The Voting Rights Act of 1965 further supported the Fifteenth Amendment Rights.
original jurisdiction
The authority of a court to hear a case before any other court does.
Public Opinion
The collective attitudes of citizens concerning a given issue or question. Capable of massive change over time.
political socialization
The complex process by which people acquire their political values.
primary election
The distinguishing feature of the nomination process in American party politics is that it usually involves an election by party voters. National party leaders do not choose their party's nominee for president or even its candidates for House and Senate seats. Virtually no other political parties in the world nominate candidates to national legislatures through party elections. primary election A preliminary election conducted within a political party to select candidates who will run for public office in a subsequent election.
Business and Corporations are well represented by lobbies in Washington? True or False.
The health-care industry illustrates the level of involvement by business in Washington lobbying. There are more business lobbies, composed of both corporations and trade associations, than any other type
self interest principle
The implication that people choose what benefits them personally.
Explaining Political Participation
The only substantial dip in participation occurred in voter turnout during the 1970s and 1980s. Turnout did increase to 1960s levels in 2004 and 2008, but even then voter turnout was much lower than in most European countries. Not only is voter turnout in the United States relatively low, but also turnout over two decades has decreased. Voter turnout has declined in most established democracies since the 1980s, but not as much as in the United States.
voter turnout
The percentage of eligible citizens who actually vote in a given election.
Recall
The process for removing an elected official from office.
Suffrage / Franchise
The right to vote. The United States initially restricted voting rights to white male taxpayers or property owners, and wealth requirements lasted until the 1850s.
Free Rider Program
The situation in which people benefit from the activities of an organization (such as an interest group) but do not contribute to those activities. A group's most significant resources are its members, lobbyists, and money, including funds that can be contributed to political candidates. Although we've seen that most interest groups do not have memberships, those that do possess a unique advantage. One of the most valuable resources an interest group can have is a large, politically active membership
Issue Framing
The way that politicians or interest group leaders define an issue when presenting it to others.
What are the three basic strategies (overall scheme) and tactics (conduct) of wining an election?
Three basic strategies, which campaigns may blend in different mixes, are as follows: ● A party-centered strategy, which relies heavily on voters' partisan identification as well as on the party's organization to provide the resources necessary to wage the campaign. .● An issue-oriented strategy, which seeks support from groups that feel strongly about various policies. Bernie Sanders clearly followed this strategy, as he cam- paigned against Wall Street and wealth inequality. So did Ted Cruz, who touted conservative Christian values. ● A candidate-oriented strategy, which depends on the candidate's perceived personal qualities, such as experience, leadership ability, integrity, independence, and trustworthiness. Donald Trump employed a candidate-oriented strategy, but one that emphasized his business background, financial independence, and ability to make a deal.
How do candidates learn what the electorate knows and thinks about politics, and how can they use this information?
Through Polling Packages that can include:: A benchmark poll, which provides "campaign information about the voting preferences and issue concerns of various groups in the electorate Trend Poll - "to determine the success of the campaigns in altering candidate images and voting preferences"; Tracking polls that begin in early October, "conducting short nightly interviews with a small number of respondents, keyed to the variables that have assumed importance." Focus groups, consisting of ten to twenty people "chosen to represent particular target groups (e.g., Latinos) the campaign wants to reinforce or persuade
Trade Association
Trade association - An organization that represents firms within a particular industry.
Membership in interest groups are better for those financially well off? True of False
True. One survey found that "the 10 percent of adults who work in an executive, managerial, or administrative capacity are represented by 82 percent" of the organizations that in one way or another engage in advocacy on economic issues. In contrast, "organizations of or for the economically needy are a rarity." Thus, in terms of membership in interest groups, there is a profound bias in favor of those who are well-off financially.
Evaluating the Expansion of Suffrage in America.
Twenty Sixth Amendment lowered the right to vote to 18.
U.S. district courts U.S. courts of appeals
U.S. district courts - Courts within the lowest tier of the three-tiered federal court system; courts where litigation begins. U.S. courts of appeals Courts within the second tier of the three-tiered federal court system, to which decisions of the district courts and federal agencies may be appealed for review.
direct action
Unconventional participation that involves assembling crowds to confront businesses and local governments to demand a hearing.
The Enfranchisement of Women.
Wyoming was first state anywhere in the world to give women the right to vote in 1869. Other states followed. Only 46% compared to 75% of women voted in 1923 election. Nineteenth Amendment gave all people regardless of gender the right to vote.
Do PAC's influence public policy?
Yes, and critics think that PAC's contributions to candidates elections can influence policy.
Are lobbyists paid?
Yes, some of the money from interest groups is set aside to pay lobbyists. Lobbyists make sure that people in government know what their members want and that their organizations know what the government is doing. Lobbyists know there way around Washington and how it works.
Does the First Amendment give people the right to petition government?
Yes. James Madison foresaw, limiting interest group activity is difficult without limiting fundamental freedoms. The First Amendment guarantees Americans the right to petition their government, and lobbying, at its most basic level, is a form of organized petitioning Some critics charge that a system of campaign finance that relies so heavily on PACs undermines our democratic system Some sectors of the interest group community may enjoy advantages that are unacceptable.
Do pluralists believe interest groups are a good thing?
Yes. Pluralists believe interest groups are a good thing—that they contribute to democracy by broadening representation within the system.
appellate jurisdiction . federal question docket
appellate jurisdiction - The authority of a court to hear cases that have been tried, decided, or reexamined in other courts. federal question - An issue covered by the U.S. Constitution, national laws, or U.S. treaties. docket - A court's agenda.
What are four major types of primary elections
closed primaries - Primary elections in which voters must declare their party affiliation before they are given the primary ballot containing that party's potential nominees. open primaries - Primary elections in which voters need not declare their party affiliation and can choose one party's primary ballot to take into the voting booth. modified closed primaries - Primary elections that allow individual state parties to decide whether they permit independents to vote in their primaries and, if so, for which offices. modified open primaries - Primary elections that entitle independent voters to vote in a party's primary.
coalition building
coalition building - The banding together of several interest groups for the purpose of lobbying.
critical election electoral realignment
critical election - An election that produces a sharp change in the existing pattern of party loyalties among groups of voters. electoral realignment - The change in voting patterns that occurs after a critical election.
Social Groups and Political Values
each individual experiences a unique process of political socialization and forms a unique set of political values. income, education, religion, race impact your political view.
Electoral College Caucus
electoral college A body of electors chosen by voters to cast ballots for president and vice president. caucus A closed meeting of the members of a political party to decide questions of policy and the selection of candidates for office.
general election
general election - A national election held by law in November of every even numbered year. president and vp win based on electoral college and winner takes all (except a couple states who split the votes). electors are defined as "a body of persons having a common purpose or shared duties."
information campaign
information campaign An organized effort to gain public backing by bringing a group's views to public attention. *FACT: Public support helps lobbyists push through their interests.
interest group lobby lobbyist
interest group - An organization that tries to influence public policy decisions. Also called a lobby. lobby See interest group. lobbyist - A representative of an interest group. *FACT: Writing in the Federalist papers, James Madison warned of the dangers of "factions," (this is what we could call interest groups today". For instance the oil industry is influential and could impact how laws are passed because they give a lot of money to Republican candidates.
judgment argument concurrence dissent
judgment - The judicial decision in a court case. argument - The heart of a judicial opinion; its logical content separated from facts, rhetoric, and procedure. concurrence - The agreement of a judge with the Supreme Court's majority decision, for a reason other than the majority reason. dissent - The disagreement of a judge with a majority decision.
judicial restraint judicial activism
judicial restraint - A judicial philosophy by which judges tend to defer to deci- sions of the elected branches of government. judicial activism - A judicial philosophy by which judges tend not to defer to de- cisions of the elected branches of government, resulting in the invalidation or emasculation of those decisions.
judicial review
judicial review—the power to declare congressional acts invalid if they violate the Constitution.Subsequent cases extended the power to cover presidential acts as well.
majority representation proportional representation
majority representation - The system by which one office, contested by two or more candidates, is won by the single candidate who collects the most votes. proportional representation - The system by which legislative seats are awarded to a party in proportion to the vote that party wins in an election.
national committee party conferences congressional campaign committee
national committee - A committee of a political party composed of party chairpersons and party officials from every state. party conferences - A meeting to select party leaders and decide committee assignments, held at the begin- ning of a session of Congress by Republicans or Democrats in each chamber. congressional campaign - A committee An organization maintained by a political party to raise funds to support its own candidates in congressional elections.
national convention party platform
national convention - A gathering of delegates of a single political party from across the country to choose candidates for president and vice president and to adopt a party platform. party platform - The statement of policies of a national political party.
party identification
party identification - A voter's sense of psychological attachment to a party. -The proportion of Republicans and Democrats combined has exceeded that of independents in every year. -The proportion of Democrats has consistently exceeded that of Republicans but has shrunk over time. -The proportion of independents has nearly doubled over the period.
Pluralist
pluralists argue that the public as a whole seldom demonstrates clear, consistent opinions on the day-to-day issues of government. model requires that government institutions allow the free expression of opinions by these "minority pub- lics." believes that people are uniformed and ambivalent on specific issues.
political party nomination
political party An organization that sponsors candidates for political office under the organization's name. nomination Designation as an official can- didate of a political party.
precedent stare decisis
precedent - A judicial ruling that serves as the basis for the ruling in a subsequent case. stare decisis - Literally, "let the decision stand"; decision making according to precedent
presidential primary caucus/convention
presidential primary - A special primary election used to select delegates to attend the party's national convention, which in turn nominates the presidential candidate. caucus/convention - A method used to select delegates to attend a party's national convention. Generally, a local meeting selects delegates for a county-level meeting, which in turn selects delegates for a higher-level meeting; the process culminates in a state convention that actually selects the national convention delegates. *No national legislation on how delegates are chosen. Bewildering variety at the state level.
senatorial courtesy blue slip
senatorial courtesy - A norm under which a nomination must be acceptable to the home state senator from the president's party. blue slip - The failure of a senator to return a blue slip signals the end of the road for a judicial nomination.
solicitor general amicus curiae brief
solicitor general - The third highest official of the U.S. Department of Justice, and the one who represents the national government before the Supreme Court. amicus curiae brief - A brief filed (with the per- mission of the court) by an individual or group that is not a party to a legal action but has an interest in it.
straight ticket split ticket
straight ticket Voting for a single party's candidates for all the offices. split ticket Voting for candidates from different parties for different offices.
Majoritarian
the government should do what a majority of the public wants. Americans tend to prefer this perspective. it assumes the majority of the population holds clear and consistent opinions about government policy.
Agents of early political socialization
the primary principle - what is learned first the structured principle - what is learned first has an impact on future learning. family, school, friends, communities and other socialization influence here.
the rule of four
the rule of four - An unwritten rule that requires at least four justices to agree that a case warrants consideration before it is reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court.
what are the consequences of caucus states
●When no incumbent in the White House is seeking reelection, the presidential nominating process becomes contested in both parties. ● An incumbent president usually encounters little or no opposition for renomination ● In the non-incumbent party, numerous hopefuls seek the presidential nomination. ● When there is no incumbent president, multiple candidates in both parties will run. ● Candidates eventually favored by most party identifiers usually win parties nomination ● Candidates who win the nomination do so largely on their own and owe little or nothing to the national party organization, which usually does not promote a candidate.
Measuring the Distribution of Public Opinion
(1) Must be a random sample often don't by computerized telephone dialing includes cell phones/ internet is also used. (2) size of the sample. The larger the sample is, the more accurately it represents the population. (3) the amount of variation in the population. The greater the variation is within the population, the greater is the chance that one random sample will be different from another
first-past-the-post elections
A British term for elections conducted in single-member districts that award victory to the candidate with the most votes.Version
Polling Package
A benchmark poll, which provides "campaign information about the voting preferences and issue concerns of various groups in the electorate and a detailed reading of the image voters have of the candidates in the race"; ● Focus groups, consisting of ten to twenty people "chosen to represent particular target groups (e.g., Latinos)53 the campaign wants to reinforce or persuade ... led in their discussion by persons trained in small-group dynamics," A trend poll "to determine the success of the campaigns in altering candidate images and voting preferences"; ● Tracking polls that begin in early October, "conducting short nightly interviews with a small number of respondents, keyed to the variables that have assumed importance."
party machine
A centralized party organization that dominates local politics by controlling elections sometimes by illegal means, often by providing jobs and social services to urban workers in return for their votes.
stable distribution
A distribution (of opinions) that shows little change over time. peoples ideologies and partisan ideologies tend to represent fairly stable dis- tributions.
bimodal distribution
A distribution (of opinions) that shows two responses being chosen about as frequently as each other.
class action suit
A legal action brought by a person or group on behalf of a number of people in similar circumstances.
electoral dealignment .
A lessening of the importance of party loyalties in voting decisions. The Democrats' national coalition of blue-collar workers and ethnic minorities has col- lapsed, while rural voters have become decidedly more Republican.1
Progressivism
A philosophy of political reform based on the goodness and wisdom of the individual citizen as opposed to special interests and political institutions.
Direct Primary
A preliminary election, run by the state government, in which the voters choose each party's candidates for the general election.
Initiative
A procedure by which voters can propose an issue to be decided by the legislature or by the people in a referendum. It requires gathering a specified number of signatures and submitting a petition to a designated agency.
standard socioeconomic model
A relationship between socioeconomic status and conventional political involvement: people with higher status and more education are more likely to participate than those with lower status.
political system
A set of interrelated institutions that link people with government.
pollical system
A set of interrelated institutions that link people with government. includes nominating candidates, structuring the voting choice, proposing alternative government programs, coordinating the actions of government officials
responsible party government
A set of principles formalizing the ideal role of parties in a majoritarian democracy. 1. Parties should present clear and coherent programs to voters. 2. Voters should choose candidates on the basis of party programs. 3. The winning party should carry out its program once in office. 4. Voters should hold the governing party responsible at the next election for executing its program.
normal distribution
A symmetrical bell-shaped distribution (of opinions) centered on a single mode, or most frequent response.
How many electoral college votes are there?
According to the Constitution (Article II, Section 1) each of the fifty states is entitled to one elector for each of its senators (100 total) and one for each of its representatives (435 votes total), totaling 535 electoral votes. In addition, the Twenty-third Amendment to the Constitution awarded three electoral votes (the minimum for any state) to the District of Columbia, although it elects no voting members of Congress. The total number of electoral votes therefore is 538.
supporter behavior
Action that expresses allegiance to government and country.
Political Participation
Actions of private citizens by which they seek to influence or support government and politics.
skewed distribution
An asymmetrical but generally bell-shaped distribution (of opinions); its mode, or most frequent response, lies off to one side called its "tail"
Referendum
An election on a policy issue.
open election
An election that lacks an incumbent. The two most important structural factors that face each candidate planning a campaign are the office the candidate is seeking and whether he or she is the incumbent (the current officeholder running for reelection) or the challenger (who seeks to replace the incumbent). Incumbents usually enjoy great advantages over challengers
interest group entrepreneur
An interest group organizer or leader. Cesar Chavez is example of Mexican American farmer that helped organized the Farm Union. Interest groups had a hard time forming without a strong leader. Many reasons, including distrust of union organizers, intimidation by employers, and lack of money, uneducated or undereducated, and politically inexperienced can influence why people don't come together.
Political Action Committee (PAC)
An organization that pools campaign contributions from group members and donates those funds to candidates for political office. FACT: A PAC can be the campaign-wing affiliate of an existing interest group or a wholly independent or nonconnected group. Super PACs tend to be strictly campaign instruments and are discussed in Chapter 9. The majority of conventional PACs are small and donate only modest amounts, but the largest fifty PACs contributing to congressional campaigns gave a minimum of at least $2.3 million in aggregate donations
Election Campaign
An organized effort to persuade voters to choose one candidate over others competing for the same office. Perhaps the most important change in American elections is that candidates don't campaign just to get elected anymore. Due to the Progressive movement in the 1920s that championed use of the direct primary to select party candidates, candidates must campaign for nomination as well.
Is our political system pluralist or majoritarian?
As we noted in Chapter 2, our political system is more pluralist than majoritarian. Policymaking is determined more by the interaction of groups with the government than by elections. United States is one of the most pluralistic governments. What the government does is determined by what most of the people want.
direct lobbying
Attempts to influence a policymaker through personal contact with that individual. Can be within any branch of government. "Vote for this bill, or our people in the district will vote against you in the next election
influencing behavior
Behavior that seeks to modify or reverse government policy to serve political interests.
Minor Parties in America
Bolter Farmer Labor Parties of ideological protest Single Issue Parties *Know the different and examples
criminal cases and civil cases
Civil cases - stem from disputed claims to Court cases that involve a private dispute arising from such matters as accidents, contractual obligations, and divorce. Criminal cases - Maintaining public order through the criminal law Court cases involving a crime, or violation of public order.
Class Action
Class action - A procedure by which similarly situated litigants may be heard in a single lawsuit.
common, or judge-made, law
Common, or judge-made, law on in future, similar cases. We call this body of rules the common, or judge-made, law. Legal precedents derived from previous judicial decisions.
Differences in Party Ideology
Democrats are more disposed to government spending to advance social welfare (and hence to promote equality) than are Republicans. And social welfare programs cost money, a lot of money. Republicans decry massive social spending, but they are not averse to spending billions of dollars for the projects they consider important, among them national defen
What are the Positive Roles of Interest Groups?
Education. As part of their efforts to lobby government and increase their membership, interest groups help educate their members, the public at large, and government officials. Participation. Banding together makes it easier to get things done in legislation. Representation. Interest groups represent people before their government. Agenda Building. interest groups bring new issues into the political limelight through a process called agenda building. Labor unions, for example, have historically played a critical role in gaining attention for problems that were being systematically ignored. Program Monitoring. Finally, interest groups engage in program monitoring. Lobbies follow government programs that are important to their constituents. *FACT: Labor union membership has gone down over the years in US. Good for consumer products (cheaper labor) but not great for work force protections.
In what ways can election campaigns can be analyzed?
Election campaigns can be analyzed according to their political context, the financial resources available for conducting the campaign, and the strategies and tactics that underlie the dissemination of information about the candidate.
The poor have no special interest groups working for them because they don't have money? True or False.
False. There are many groups supporting those on welfare and in poverty. The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities and the Children's Defense Fund is an example and has been effective long-term advocates working on behalf of the poor. Poverty groups gain their financial support from philanthropic foundations, government grants, corporations, and wealthy individuals.
Federal Election Commission (FEC) Political action committee (PAC)
Federal Election Commission (FEC) - A bipartisan federal agency of six members that oversees the Political action committee (PAC) - An organization that collects campaign contributions from group members and donates them to candidates for poli
What are the major BCRA limitations for 2015-2016 contributions by individuals, adjusted for inflation:
Here are the major BCRA limitations for 2015-2016 con- tributions by individuals, adjusted for inflation: ● $2,700 to a specific candidate in a separate election during a two-year cycle (prima- ries, general, and runoff elections count as separate elections); ● $10,000 per year to each state party or political committee; ● $33,400 per year to any national party committee; ● $5,000 per year to any PAC.
What two states were the test ground and now the most important presidential primaries?
Iowa and New Hampshire Over 1,700 individuals filed statements of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to run for president in 2016.
