POLI 2051 Exam 2 Review
Most powerful religious forces in American society?
-"religious right" -consists mostly of white Evangelical Protestants
in which years, did presidential candidates win without the popular vote?
-1824 -1876 -2000 -2016
Reforming the Electoral College: 5 plans
-Direct Election Plan -Interstate Compact -Proportional Plan -District Plan -Bonus Plan
Who were candidates for the 2016 Presidential election?
-Donald Trump* -Hillary Clinton -Gary Johnson -Jill Stein
Who were candidates for the 2000 Presidential election?
-George Bush* -Al Gore -Ralph Nader -Patrick J. Buchanan
Groups influence public policy by giving elected officials things they need. What are these things?
-Information -Public support -Money and PACs -Absence of trouble
Who were candidates for the 1824 Presidential election?
-John Quincy Adams* -Andrew Jackson -William Crawford -Henry Clay
What do parties do?
-Nominate candidates for office -Structure the voting choice in elections -Propose alternative government programs -Coordinate the actions of government officials -Link people together and link people to the institutions of government
3 different meanings in the term "political parties"
-Party in the electorate -party organization -party in government
How does general election (E.C.) work?
-Pres. general elections are characterized by the electoral college system. -Electors are chosen within each state (# of electors = # of senators and reps each state has). -These electors then cast votes for the president. -Today, they merely rubber stamp the popular vote decision within each state.
Who were candidates for the 1876 Presidential election?
-Rutherford B. Hayes* -Samuel J. Tilden
Why do people join groups?
-Selective vs. collective incentives to join: what type of groups are most likely to be working for selective vs. collective benefits (occupational vs. non-occupational). -the free-rider problem
Why only 2 parties in the U.S.
-The plurality (single-member districts) system of election -two major parties discriminate against third parties: ballot access and money
Some features of the Electoral College:
-exagerates the margin of victory -can lead to the defeat of the candidate with he most votes (1824, 1876, 1888, 2000, 2016) -benefits the two major parties & hurts the minor parties
Voter registration
-must occur before you can vote (mainly two prevent voting more than once a day) -placed burden on honest voters, since they now have to go out and register -turnout declined as a result of required registration
How are surveys put together?
-question wording -survey responses on "welfare" and "assisting the poor" -leading questions -social desirability -question clarity -double-barreled question -question require knowledge that person doesn't have -question ordering ^^I.E. survey responses on question about where reporters should be able to report news that we did in class.
Our class survey showed:
-students say parents are much more extreme in their ideologies than themselves -SIGNIFICANTLY LOW correlation in party identification with men and fathers. (Girls and Moms are highest) -Most of our class is Republican/conservative than democrat/liberal
General Election part of elections:
-the Electoral College -must win a majority of electoral votes
Why did government grant the right to vote to these groups (blacks, women, 18-year olds) at this time?
-to get them off the streets: blacks and 18 year olds -to get support for government programs: women in WWI
How do we know what public opinion is?
-used to have to guess, now we do polls
What determines the accuracy in a poll (public opinion)?
-way sample is selected -size of sample -way survey is put together
four ideologies
1.) Economic liberals 2.) Economic Conservatives 3.) Cultural (social) liberals 4.)Cultural (social) conservatives
Since the 1960s, the level of turnout in presidential elections has averaged about ________ percent.
60
What percentage of states hold their gubernatorial elections in nonpresidential years?
75 percent
About ________ percent of people who regularly listen to National Public Radio do not donate money to their local station.
90
describe the proportional plan
A proposed reform where each presidential candidate would receive the percent of electoral votes that they win from each state
Members of the ________ generate more mail to Congress than any other group.
AARP
a feeling of personal powerlessness that includes the notion that government does not care about the opinions of people like oneself
Alienation
a written document in which a group explains to a court its position on a legal dispute the court is handling.
An amicus brief
a feeling of personal disinterest in or lack of concern with politics
Apathy
Why is public opinion important?
Because in a democracy, there must be some link between what the public thinks, and what the government does. The nature of that link can vary greatly.
In the 2016 Presidential election, who won with lack of popular votes?
Donald Trump
________ was the only Republican elected president from 1932 to 1964.
Dwight Eisenhower
believe gov. should leave distribution of economic benefits largely tot he working of free market.
Economic Conservatives
believe gov. should use it's power to help people economically at a disadvantage
Economic liberals
describe the district plan
Electors would represent congressional districts and support the popular vote winner in their district.
In the 2000 Presidential election, who won with lack of popular votes?
George Bush
The major emerging voting blocs are
Hispanics and young people.
the direct exchange of information between a group representative and a public official
Inside lobbying
also called "faction," "pressure group," "special interest," "organized interest," or "lobbying group"
Interest groups
any organization that actively seeks to influence public policy
Interest groups
_______________ argued for regulation of interests through a governing system of checks and balances.
James Madison
________ is associated with the Era of Good Feeling.
James Monroe
In the 1824 Presidential election, who won with lack of popular votes?
John Quincy Adams
The People are interested in public opinion because
May be motivated to become active in politics
examples of non-occupational interest groups
NAACP; NOW; ACU
behavior based on biology
Nature vs Nurture
How do you tell if you are a liberal, conservative, etc. (from last exam)?
Nolan chart (economical issues/social issues)
History of 3rd party voting in the U.S.
Not always the same; sometimes third parties do well, other times they get almost nothing
refers to childhood/ how you were raised
Nurture
-political action committee -a limited amount of money that can be used on candidates to support their campaign funding.
PAC money
Elected Officials are interested in Public opinions because
PO may influence government decision making
one; two; multi-party systems
Party systems
the recognition and affirmation of diversity within a political body, which permits the peaceful coexistence of different interests, convictions, and lifestyles.
Pluralism
a general belief about the role and purpose of government.
Political Ideology
Conventional vs. Unconventional
Political Participation
An organization that sponsors candidates for public office under the organization's name.
Political parties
________ elections tend to draw the largest percentage of voters in the U.S.
Presidential
Elections = 2 parts (what are they?)
Presidential level and general elections
interact closely and regularly with the individual, usually early in life (family, school, church)
Primary agents
-form of representation in which seats in legislature are allocated proportionally according to each political party's share of the popular vote. This system enables smaller parties to compete successfully for seats
Proportional representation
-Direct Election Plan -Interstate Compact -Proportional Plan -District Plan -Bonus Plan
Reforming the Electoral College: 5 plans
What party has made big gains in recent decades among white fundamentalist Christians, based on its positions on topics like abortion and school prayer?
Republican
Our class survey showed, Most of our class is __________.
Republican/conservative than democrat/liberal
Voter identification cards find the most support among
Republicans.
________ is based on judgment about the past performance of an elected official or political party.
Retrospective voting
In the 1876 Presidential election, who won with lack of popular votes?
Rutherford B. Hayes
Our class survey showed, ________________ correlation in party identification with men and fathers. (Girls and Moms are highest)
SIGNIFICANTLY LOW
the error caused by observing a sample instead of the whole population.
Sampling error
have a less intimate connection with individual and usually more important in later life (work, friends, media)
Secondary agents
Academics are interested in Public opinions because
Seek to understand why people behave the way they do
The main battleground for votes is
TV
What is public opinion?
The collected attitudes of citizens on a given issue or question.
relatively uncommon behavior that challenges or defies government channels
Unconventional
-must occur before you can vote (mainly two prevent voting more than once a day) -placed burden on honest voters, since they now have to go out and register -turnout declined as a result of required registration
Voter registration
the most common and most studied form of participation
Voting
Journalist ________ suggested that effective government cannot be run by politicians that base their public opinions on poll results.
Walter Lippmann
(plurality) candidate who gets most votes in an election district is elected to office from that district
Winner-take-all
__________________ said it was an intangible thing that exists in assessment indirectly (polls, letters, crowds,etc.)
Woodrow Wilson
As distinct from alienation, apathy is
a general lack of interest in politics.
A member of Congress who wants to act on what the majority of his or her constituency thinks on a particular issue would be advised to respond to which of the following indicators?
a poll based on a random sample of constituents
The term iron triangle refers to
a small and informal but relatively stable set of bureaucrats, legislators, and lobbyists who are concerned with promoting a particular interest.
An amicus brief is _____.
a written document in which a group explains to a court its position on a legal dispute the court is handling.
All of the following use top-two primaries EXCEPT a.)New York b.)Washington c.)California d.)Nebraska
a.) New York
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, what was roughly the amount spent on lobbying in the United States in 2009? a.)$250 billion b.) $10 billion c.) $350 million d.) $35 billion e.) $3.5 billion
e.) $3.5 billion
All of the following ideological types are prevalent in the United States EXCEPT a.)liberals b.)conservatives c.)populists d.)libertarians e.)communists
e.) communists
Each of the following statements could be considered true of either economic or social liberals, EXCEPT that: a.) they favor government activism in the area of distribution of economic benefits. b.) they prefer a smaller role for government in upholding social and cultural traditions. c.) they favor more government spending for the poor. d.) they believe lifestyle choices should be left to the individual. e.) they believe that government should be used to promote traditional values.
e.) they believe that government should be used to promote traditional values.
Which of the following organizations is NOT an example of a single-issue group? a.)Sierra Club b.)National Rifle Association c.)Climate change groups d.)Right to life groups. e.)American Conservative Union
e.)American Conservative Union
Who is most interested in public opinion?
elected officials, academics, the people
a poll taken by voters after they have voted; asking specifically who they voted for
exit polls
Political socialization & the agents of socialization
family; community; education; peers; etc.
-exagerates the margin of victory -can lead to the defeat of the candidate with he most votes (1824, 1876, 1888, 2000, 2016) -benefits the two major parties & hurts the minor parties
features of the Electoral College
James Madison argued
for regulation of interests through a governing system of checks and balances.
1.) Economic liberals 2.) Economic Conservatives 3.) Cultural (social) liberals 4.)Cultural (social) conservatives
four ideologies
Which of the following groups is NOT typically a part of the Democratic coalition?
fundamentalist Christians
-Pres. general elections are characterized by the electoral college system. -Electors are chosen within each state (# of electors = # of senators and reps each state has). -These electors then cast votes for the president. -Today, they merely rubber stamp the popular vote decision within each state.
general election (E.C.) work
What party system are we considered to be?
generally a 2-party system
We learn these things; they occur throughout our lives
generational effects; life cycle effects; period effects
describe the bonus plan
gives every single state 2 votes
The Tea Party
has been backed by wealthy conservative donors.
What are period effects?
historical events affect everyone (end of cold war caused everyone to want to spend less on defense)
Which candidates get the most PAC money?
incumbents
three-pronged relationships that are used between interest groups
iron triangles
an alliance of various interest groups and individuals who unite in order to promote a common cause or agenda in a way that influences government policy
issue networks
What is one of the main differences between iron triangles and issue networks?
issue networks are generally free-forming groups of people in the public sector who form a coalition together, not through a congressional committee, or a Federal Agency but are bound together to accomplish a task at hand. These groups, most often, once the goal has been accomplished either A, break up and only form if the issue is brought back up, or B, find another issue similar in scope which they want to tackle.
A main difference between iron triangles and issue networks is that
issue networks are generally less stable than iron triangles, in that the members of an issue network may change as the issue develops.
Examples of occupational interest groups
labor unions; farm groups; etc.
a group of voters chosen as most "likely" o vote, based on multiple factors. Typically registered; and has voted in last few elections.
likely voters
Voting rights act of 1965 ended
literacy tests
In the dynamics of an iron triangle, what benefit do interest groups provide to friendly government agencies?
lobbying support for agency programs
Where does public opinion come from?
many different factors, such as religious beliefs, families, etc.
presidential level of elections: Caucuses=
meeting of interested party members
Our class survey showed, students say parents are __________.
much more extreme in their ideologies than themselves
personal experiences; Your genes/born and raised
nature
-also referred to as "non economical groups," or "citizens' groups" -joined together by a purposive incentive; returning prayer to school; feed the poor; etc.)
non-occupational interest groups
What term do scholars use for a purported opinion offered by a respondent who is unfamiliar with the specific issue?
non-opinion
Popularity of protest activity
not as popular as some would believe based on history of rights activism
When it comes to protest activities, a majority of Americans are
not highly supportive of such activities, despite America's tradition of free expression.
types of interest groups
occupational and non-occupational
-also referred to as "economic groups" -groups looking to make profits, provide jobs, improve pay, or protect occupation
occupational interest groups
What do groups do to overcome this problem?
offer selective benefits: -material -purposive -solidary
Party systems
one; two; multi-party systems
When the nation was founded, who was eligible to vote?
only males who owned property
The Tea Party's key initial issue was
opposition to high taxes.
communicating with public officials through their constituents
outside lobbying
the personal sense of loyalty that an individual may feel toward a particular political party
party identification
As an agent of political socialization, the American family has its greatest effect on individuals'
party identification.
an election or set of elections in which the electorate responds strongly to an extraordinarily powerful issue that has disrupted the established political order. A realignment has a lasting impact on public policy, popular support for parties, and the composition of the party coalitions
party realignments
The theory that society's interests are most effectively represented through group action is
pluralist theory.
-Nominate candidates for office -Structure the voting choice in elections -Propose alternative government programs -Coordinate the actions of government officials -Link people together and link people to the institutions of government
political parties
-Party in the electorate -party organization -party in government
political parties
How are political parties different from interest groups
political parties address a broad range of issues so as to appeal to diverse blocs of voters & are in business to win elections. Interest groups concentrate on policies affecting their interests
political parties address a broad range of issues so as to appeal to diverse blocs of voters & are in business to win elections. Interest groups concentrate on policies affecting their interests
political parties vs. interest groups
The history of democratic government is virtually synonymous with the history of
political parties.
The process by which individuals acquire their political opinions is called
political socialization.
What are life cycle effects?
political views change as you get older, influenced by maturation
Sources of _________ can include: question order; unrepresentative samples; respondents' lack of knowledge or interest in the issue; question wording.
polling error
Describe the direct election plan
popular vote winner wins
Which elections have the highest turnout
presidential elections; followed by midterm; then local
Voter registration in the United States began as a way of ________.
preventing voters from casting more than one ballot on election day.
agents of socialization
primary vs. secondary
seats allocated in legislature according to political party's share of popular vote
proportional
how do primaries on presidential level of elections differ?
proportional and Winner-take-all
At the state level the central committees __________.
provide only general policy guidance for the state organizations.
Effective inside lobbying is based upon
providing useful and persuasive information to key officials.
The collected attitudes of citizens on a given issue or question
public opinion
an individual or organization attempts to influence or alter the view of respondents under the guise of conducting a legitimate poll
push polls
Sources of polling error can include
question order; unrepresentative samples; respondents' lack of knowledge or interest in the issue; question wording.
The most powerful religious force in contemporary American society is the
religious right.
James Madison's solution to the problem of factions (special interests) has, in the modern policy process, actually contributed to the problem by
resulting in a fragmentation of authority among policymakers, thereby providing groups more opportunities to get their way.
examples of solidary benefits
satisfactions gained through friendship and fraternity among people in interest groups
What are generational effects?
specific age group uniquely affected by set of historical events
How do polls work to determine what public opinion is?
statistical theory of sampling
-question wording -responses on "welfare" and "assisting the poor" -leading questions -social desirability -question clarity -double-barreled question -question require knowledge that person doesn't have -question ordering ^^ex. responses on question about where reporters should be able to report news that we did in class.
surveys
examples of material benefits
tangible rewards that people gain through membership of an interest group
Which citizens' group did a Fortune magazine survey rank as the nation's most powerful lobbying group?
the AARP
-way sample is selected -size of sample -way survey is put together
the accuracy in a poll (public opinion
Pros of interest group politics
the education, agenda building, participation facilitation they do
Cons of interest group politics
the mischiefs of factions (Federalist #10) and the upper class bias of groups.
To accurately poll the citizens of the United States as opposed to the citizens of a single state,
the sample requirements will be nearly the same.
In the United States, voter registration requirements have usually been set by _____________.
the states.
Citizens' interest groups are distinguished from economic interest groups by the fact that
their members receive no direct economic benefit from attainment of the group's goals.
presidential level of elections: Conventions=
where the nominee is actually chosen
presidential level of elections: Nominations=
winning a majority of delegates to become your party's nominee
Ticket splitting was MOST prominent during which decade? a.) 1990s b.) 1980s c.)1970s d.)1960s
C.) 1970s
When democratic governments came into existence, tax and food riots and other forms of protest greatly diminished. Why?
Citizens had less-disruptive ways to express themselves.
relatively routine, non-threatening behavior that uses the channels of representative government
Conventional
use government to promote tradition values (banning abortion & marijuana)
Cultural (social) conservatives
lifestyle choices to individuals (abortion, marijuana, etc.)
Cultural (social) liberals
Which of the following is true of the relationship between public opinion and shifts in major government policies? a.) On high-profile issues particularly, public opinion tends to affect policy to a greater degree than policymakers' agendas affect public opinion. b.) Leaders' opinions ultimately affect most policy issues more than the larger public opinion. c.) Linguist Noam Chomsky claimed that democracy consistently preserved the will of the people over the will of elite interests. d.) Analysts have found a pattern consistent with the claim that "public opinion has little influence over policy." e.) All of these answers are correct.
a.) On high-profile issues particularly, public opinion tends to affect policy to a greater degree than policymakers' agendas affect public opinion.
In the recent elections, which voting demographic has become a more cohesive voting bloc and has sided heavily with the Democratic Party, seeing it as more closely aligned with their interests? a.) Hispanics b.) African Americans c.) middle class d.)the affluent e.) seniors
a.) hispanics
PACs tend to contribute the most money to a.)incumbents b.)challengers c.)independents d.)liberal democrats e.)liberal republicans
a.) incumbents.
presidential level of elections: Primaries=
actual elections
primary vs. secondary
agents of socialization
party realignments
an election or set of elections in which the electorate responds strongly to an extraordinarily powerful issue that has disrupted the established political order. A realignment has a lasting impact on public policy, popular support for parties, and the composition of the party coalitions
Party identification refers to
an emotional attachment to a political party.
A general belief about the role and purpose of government is called
an ideology.
Which of the following was NOT part of the 2016 Republican Party platform? a.)stimulating the business sector b.)cuts in military spending c.)lower taxes d.)cuts in overall government spending e.) strengthening the armed forces
b.) cuts in military spending
How do polls affect opinion?
bandwagon and underdog effects, they affect candidates, politicians, media coverage, and even election results
How many electoral votes does each state get?
based on # of senators and reps each state has (I.E- Cali is way more than Idaho)
Nature vs Nurture
behavior based on biology
examples of purposive benefits
benefits derived from feeling good about contributing to a worthy cause
Our behavior may also be based on our
biology
Our record of enfranchisement- Know the 3 constitutional amendments and that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 ended literacy tests.
blacks, women, 18 year olds
Which of the following countries has had the LOWEST estimated voter turnout in major national elections in recent decades? a.)Denmark b.) Germany c.) U.S d.) Belgium e.) Canada
c.) U.S
benefits gained by all members of an interest group (both potential, and actual group members)
collective goods
describe the interstate compact(s)
contracts between states to facilitate laws
Political Participation
conventional vs unconventional
Our class survey showed, SIGNIFICANTLY LOW ____________.
correlation in party identification with men and fathers. (Girls and Moms are highest)
Which of the following countries has the HIGHEST estimated voter turnout in major national elections in recent decades? a.) Denamark b.) Germany c.) United States d.)Belgium e.) France
d.) Belgium
Which of the following would NOT be considered a secondary socializing agent? a.)leaders b.) the media c.)peers d.)church e.)none are correct, b/c they all represent a secondary socializing agent
d.) Church
Citizens in which of the following countries are MOST likely to talk to people about politics? a.) Germany b.) France c.) Great Britian d.) U.s
d.) U.S
Which of the following states is solidly Democratic? a.) Idaho b.) Georgia c.)Utah d.) Washington e.) Texas
d.) Washington
If a minor party gains a large following, it is almost certain that a.) the major parties will join together to attack the minor party. b.) Congress will enact legislation to make it difficult for the minor party to get on the ballot. c.) party in-fighting will tear it apart. d.) one or both major parties will absorb its issues, and the minor party will lose support. e.) the media will attack the minor party.
d.) one or both major parties will absorb its issues, and the minor party will lose support.
Organizationally, the U.S. major parties are
decentralized and fragmented.
