Government Test 3 Study Questions

What is the philosophy of the Green Party?

Political party that favors increased environmental control and increased government spending on social entitlement programs such as education and healthcare.

What is the philosophy of the Constitution Party?

Political party that favors the elimination of all implied powers such as a national minimum wage law and civil rights laws.

What is the philosophy of the Libertarian Party?

Political party that supports only those government activities that protect human life and property and therefor favors the elimination of all drug, prostitution, and gambling laws, social entitlement programs such as Social Security and welfare, and government regulations on businesses.

What is straight-ticket voting?

Practice of voting candidates of only one political party.

What are the eleven steps of a presidential campaign?

Pre-nomination stage(1 to 2 years before the presidential election year) 1. The successful candidate must be seen as a serious candidate by the media and through polls. 2. The successful candidate must solicit enough money to carry on a nationwide campaign. 3. The successful candidate tries to receive as much free positive media attention as possible. Nomination Stage(spring of the presidential election year) 4. The successful candidate must win either the Iowa caucus(first caucus) or the New Hampshire primary(first presidential primary) 5. The successful candidate must have enough momentum, money, and organization to win the large populated states' presidential primaries. 6. The successful nominee must keep his party unified. Convention Stage(summer of the presidential election year) 7. The successful nominee must unify the various groups of the party behind his or her campaign. 8. The successful nominee must have a party platform and give an acceptance speech to appease these groups. 9. The successful nominee must select a vice-presidential nominee to either project an image or appease groups of the party. Fall Campaign(fall of the presidential election year) 10. The successful nominee must maintain his support in solid states(states he or she leads in polls) 11. The successful nominee must focus on winning large swing states(states in which the candidates are even), through rallies, advertising, fundraising, and phone and mail solicitation.

What is a political action committee?(PAC)

Private group that raises and disburses funds for use in electoral campaigns.

What is a media consultant?

Professional who produces political candidate's television, radio, and print advertisements.

What is voter turnout?

Proportion of the voting-age population that casts a ballot.

What is suffrage?

Right to vote.

What are public opinion polls?

Scientific instruments for measuring public opinions.

What is the Electoral College?

Set of electors who meet after the popular election to vote for President and Vice-President.

What is fundraising?

Solicit an adequate amount of campaign contributions to run a competitive campaign.

What is the mass media?

The entire array of organizations through which information is collected and disseminated to the general public.

What are Social Groups?

The individual's socioeconomic status such as income level, educational attainment, and occupational prestige that influences an individual's political socialization.

What is grassroots mobilization?

The intent of these activities is to encourage the public to contact their government officials indicating their overwhelming support of the interest group's position.

What is political socialization?

The learning process by which people acquire their political opinions, beliefs, and values.

What is framing?

The power of the mass media to influence how events and issues are interpreted.

What is partisan polarization?

The presence of increasingly conflicting and divided viewpoints between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.

What is electioneering?

The process of an interest group attempting the outcome of an election by supporting a candidate sympathetic to the interest group's philosophy.

What is lobbying?

The process of an interest group representative called a lobbyist making direct contact with government officials in hope of influencing that official.

What is litigation?

The process used by interest groups to influence the government and its policies by filing a lawsuit against the government.

What is a political party?

An organization that attempts to influence the government and its policies by having its members elected to important government offices.

What is an independent?

Any candidate not affiliated with a political party which must submit a petition to get on the general election ballot.

What is Generational Effect?

A time period such as the Great Depression, World War 2, and the Vietnam War that influences an individual's political socialization.

What are the steps of an electoral campaign?

1. Organizing the campaign. 2. Fundraising. 3. Coalition Building. 4. Issue Orientation. 5. Voter Canvassing. What is fundraising? Solicit an adequate amount of campaign contributions to run a competitive campaign.

What are the planks of the Republican Party?

1. Favors a stronger national defense(increased military spending). 2. Pro-life in abortion(abolition of abortion) 3. Favors educational vouchers. 4. Favors a cut in social programs. 5. Favors decreased regulations on businesses. 6. Favors tax incentives for businesses. 7. Favors eliminating affirmative action programs. 8. Opposes Gun Licensing. 9. Opposes stem-cell research. 10. Favors stronger border enforcement. 11. Favors amendment banning gay marriages. 12. Favors traditional family values, including the return of prayer to public schools.

What are the planks of the Democratic Party?

1. Favors expanding social programs to help the poor and disadvantaged. 2. Favors increased teacher's salaries. 3. Pro-choice in abortion. 4. Favors increased government regulation of businesses. 5. Favors decreased military budget. 6. Favors increased environment protections. 7. Favors an active government role in protecting the civil rights of all minority groups. 8. Favors affirmative action programs. 9. Favors ban on assault weapons. 10. Favors stem-cell research. 11. Favors separation of church and state-opposes prayers in public school.

Which social groups tend to support the Republican Party?

1. Management/Business Owners. 2. Licensed Professionals(Doctors, Realtors, Architects). 3. Military Personnel 4. Oil producers. 5. High-Income Individuals(Wealthy) 6. Anglo Americans(White) 7. Cuban Americans. 8. Vietnamese Americans. 9. Conservative, Evangelical Protestants. 10. Conservatives. 11. Gun Owners.

What are the functions of a political party?

1. Nominate candidates for government offices. 2. Emphasize issues important to their potential voters. 3. Mobilize potential voters to vote for their nominees. 4. Run the government if their nominees are elected to government offices.

What are the characteristics of American political parties?

1. Pragmatism- American Political Parties judged ideas on the basis of their practical results such as winning the elections rather than their ideological basis. 2. Decentralization- American Political Parties are fragmented into many states and local party organizations. 3. Two-Partyism- Political Competition usually comes down to competition between the two major American Political Parties, Democratic Party and Republican Party.

Which social groups tend to support the Democratic Party?

1. Public School Teachers 2. Union Members 3. Low-income individuals(poor) 4. African Americans 5. Latinos(except Cuban Americans) 6. Asian Americans(except Vietnamese Americans) 7. Arab Americans) 8. Jews 9. Muslims 10. Liberals 11. Gays(Homosexuals)

What is an incumbent?

A candidate running for re-election.

What is party identification?

A citizen's attachment to a political party based on issues, ideology, past experience, and upbringing.

What is public opinion?

A citizen's attitude about political issues, leaders, institutions, and events.

What is political ideology?

A consistent set of values and beliefs about the proper purpose and scope of government.

What is a party caucus?

A meeting of party supporters to select delegates pledged to a presidential candidate.

What is a campaign manager?

A paid professional who travels with the candidate and coordinates the many different aspects of the campaign.

What is a delegate?

A party activist selected to vote at the national convention.

What is a plank?

A political party's philosophy on specific issues.

What is a primary election?

A preliminary election conducted within a political party to nominate candidates for the general elections.

What is a campaign consultant?

A professional or firm who sells to a candidate the technologies, services, and strategies required to get that candidate elected.

What is the party platform?

A statement of general philosophy of a political party.

What is an electoral campaign?

An effort by a political candidate to win a government office.

What is a general election?

An election held in November to select the officeholders.

What is Political Culture?

Broadly shared values, beliefs, and attitudes about the purpose and scope of the government within a limited geographical area.

What is coalition-building?

Build a coalition of groups to support the campaign.

What is issue orientation?

Emphasize issues important to those groups through television, radio, and newspaper ads, pamphlets, and rallies.

What are the agents of political socialization?

Groups or institutions that influence an individual's political socialization.

What are Primary Groups?

Groups such as family members, friends, and co-workers that influence an individual's political socialization through direct contact with the individual.

What are communitarians?

Individuals who favor government programs that promote equality and government programs that promote order.

What are liberals?

Individuals who favor government programs that promote equality, but they oppose government programs that promote order.

What are libertarians?

Individuals who oppose government programs that promote equality and government programs that promote order.

What are conservatives?

Individuals who oppose government programs that promote equality, but they favor government programs that promote order.

What are Secondary Groups?

Institutions such as clubs, churches, and labor unions that influence an individual's political socialization through the individual's association with the groups.

What is voter targeting/canvassing?

Mobilize the potential voters of those groups to vote by using soft-sell phone solicitation or direct contact.

What is the presidential primary?

Most common method of selecting delegates to the national convention, is an election to elect delegates pledged to a presidential candidate.

What is an interest group?

Organizations that attempt to influence government and its policies.

What is a national convention?

Party meeting held in presidential election years for the purpose of nominating presidential and vice-presidential candidates and adopting the party platform.

What is prospective voting?

Voting based on imagined future performance of a candidate.

What is retrospective voting?

Voting based on the past performance of a candidate.