Unit 5 Review

Open Primary

A primary election in which all eligible voters may vote, regardless of their party affiliation

Describe the facts and holding of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)

Citizens United sough an inductions against the Federal Election Commission in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia to prevent the application of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) to its film Hillary: The Movie. The Movie expressed opinions about whether Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton would make a good president

Identify the federal commission in charge of regulating campaign finance laws

Federal Election Commission

Describe who is unlimited in their outside spending on an election

Super PACs

17th Amendment

The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in each State shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the State legislatures.

24th Amendment

The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.

15th Amendment

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

19th Amendment

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation

26th Amendment

The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.

Rational Choice Voting

Voting based on what is perceived to be in the citizen's individual interest

Political Efficacy

a citizens belief that their vote matter and can influence government policies

Critical Election

a major national election that signals a change in the balance of power between the two parties

Closed Primary

a primary election in which only those who have registered as a member of a political party may vote

Winner-take-all

a system of elections in which the candidate who wins the plurality of votes within a state receives all of the state's votes in the Electoral College

Political Action Committee (PAC)

an organization that raises money for candidates and campaigns

Political Party

an organized group of party leaders, officeholders, and voter who work together to elect candidates to political office

Describe how the Electoral College facilitates democracy (as opposed to a straight popular vote)

balances the power between the more populous and less populous states

Describe how media can influence political participation

calling races early; use of Horserace journalism; telling constituency the race is decided

Describe how voting incentives/penalties/fines can impact voter turnout

can increase voter turnout, but hurt informed voting practices

Describe how parties have adapted to candidate-centered campaigns

candidates are developing their own strategies and raising money independently so elites are losing influence

Define linkage institution. Include three examples of linkage institutions in your definition

channels that connect individuals with government including elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media

Proportional System

citizens vote for parties rather than individuals and parties are represented in the legislature according to the percentage of vote they receive

Explain the benefits and potential problems of interest group influence on elections and policy making

collective action and collective good; free riders - those who receive the benefit without doing the work required

Iron Triangle

coordinated and mutually beneficial activities of the bureaucracy, Congress, and interest groups to achieve shared policy goals

House Race Journalism

coverage of political campaigns that focuses more on the drama of the campaign than police issues

Describe the function of political parties in government

create a party platform and define a general stance on issues; enacts policy positions of its members and acts as an opposition to the majority party when in the minority

Describe how the American electoral system represents federalism

delegates to select national leaders are chosen by votes within the state

Describe the purpose behind the national convention

delegates vote to election the party's nominee and the delegates write the party platform on the issues

Describe how the winner-take-all system is a barrier for third parties (and independent candidates)

democrats or republicans win almost every election because it promotes stability

Describe the purpose of third parties in American politics

focus on the single issue that major parties are not addressing which eventually become incorporated into the major party's platforms

Describe how voter registration laws and procedures is an example of federalism andhow they can serve as a barrier

in some states you must show ID or proof of residency; may disenfranchise those without these College Students; can they use college ID as proof of residency?

Describe who is limited in their contribution to candidate campaigns.

individuals and corporations

Incumbency Advantage

institutional advantages held by those already in office who are trying to fend off challengers in an election

Describe lobbying and the impact it has on policy

interacting with government officials to advocate a groups foal; looks to influence how legislation is written, how it is enforced, and how it is interpreted

Describe how a state's electoral votes are awarded

it is based on the popular vote of each state

Describe how a state's electoral count is calculated

it is based on the total number of representatives added to the number of senators

Describe the intent/major provisions of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002.

limited campaign contributions by individuals and PACs; intended to limit the impact of money on politics

Describe how the media's use of polling impacts elections

manipulation of polling data impacts the perception of issues and candidates

Describe how interest groups use litigation to achieve their goal

may file lawsuits but that is time consuming and expensive; more likely to file an amicus curiae brief; attempting to influence how the laws in their policy are will be interpreted in the future

Explain the media's role as a linkage institution (think how has media influenced how citizens acquire political information)

media controls the narrative shared with voters; these voters then use that information in their decision making

Describe how the following have impacted the level of political knowledge among citizens increased media choices

more access to informational more inaccurate information available

Describe how the national convention has become more democratic over the years

party elites no longer control the outcome, delegates are awarded based on popular vote

Describe how the following have impacted the level of political knowledge among citizens ideologically oriented programming

people live in an echo chamber and house programs that reinforce beliefs

Describe why campaign finance laws were put in place

people were concerned about the powerful role money plays in politics

Describe how these two things have caused changes in political parties over time.

polarization has grown and parties are trying to remain relevant; the party's status quo has to shift with the changing demographics of their supporters

Caucus

process through which a state's eligible voters meet to select delegates to represent their preferences in the nomination process

Describe how the Electoral College was a compromise for the Founding Fathers

provided a check on the power of the voters; allowed for an elite check on an "excess of democracy"

Describe the function of political parties for the electorate (voters)

recruit; nominate, and support candidates for public office; provide labels that voters can sue as shortcuts in identifying candidates closer to their own political ideologies

Describe how parties have modified their policies and messaging to appeal to various demographic coalitions

republicans: becoming more diverse and accepting; democrats: push fiscal responsibility and reduced foreign intervention

Describe demographic characteristics that can be used to predict the likelihood of whether an individual will vote

socioeconomic status; political efficacy; life; racial and ethnic identities; gender

Party-Line Voting Behavior

supporting a party by voting for candidates from one political party for all public offices at the same level of government

Describe how interest groups useelectioneering to achieve their goal

take part actively and energetically in the activities of an election campaign; they convince voters to cast ballots for or against particular candidates, parties, or issues

Describe how political efficacy can be used to predict the likelihood of whether an individual will vote

the higher efficacy, the more likely a person is to vote

Suffrage

the right to vote

Describe how the Electoral College impedes democracy (as opposed to a straight popular vote)

the winner of the presidential election does not have to be the winner of the popularr votes

Describe how party identification and ideological orientation impact whoa voter chooses to vote for

those with a political affiliation are more likely to vote than those without; they are more likely to vote a party-line ticket

Describe the purpose of the presidential primary/caucus

to choose delegates who support a particular presidential candidate

Interest Groups

voluntary associations of people who come together with the goal of getting the policies they favor enacted

Describe current structural barriers that impact voter turnout in the U.S.

voter ID; lack of language access; polling place closure/consolidations; reduced voting hours; partisan adminstrators

Describe how election type (mid-term or presidential) can impact voter turnout

voter turnout in a presidential election year is higher than midterms; voters in midterm election tend to be more politically polarized

Describe how candidate characteristics impact whoa voter chooses to vote for

voters are more likely to vote for those espousing and demonstrating values similar to their own; the candidate's demographic profile also influences whether people turn out

Describe how race and ethnicity impact whoa voter chooses to vote for

voters are more likely to vote for those espousing and demonstrating values similar to their own; the candidate's demographic profile also influences whether people turn out

Describe how the following have impacted the level of political knowledge among citizens uncertainty over the credibility of news sources/information

voters do not know what is true; may doubt all information presented

Describe how the national election leads to the decisions made by the Electoral College

voters in the Electoral College are awarded based on the popular vote in each state

Prospective Voting

voting based on predictions of how a party or candidate will perform in the future

Retrospective Voting

voting to decide whether the party or the candidate in power should be re-elected based on the recent pass

Issue Network

webs of influence between interest groups, policymakers, and policy advocates

Realignment

when the groups of people who support a political party shift their allegiance to a different political party

Describe how gender impacts whoa voter chooses to vote for

women: more democratic; men: more republican

Describe how the Electoral College is an example of majoritarianism. (Hint: how many votes do you need to win)

you only need one more vote than the other candidate to receive all of the votes