POLS 2301 Final Exam

Jungle:

"top-two primary" For state-level office nominations, or the nomination of a U.S. Senator or House member pits all candidates against each other, regardless of party affiliation two candidates with the most votes become the final candidates for the general election

Classical liberalism

Believes in individual liberties and rights People are born equal with the right to make decisions without government intervention

Representative Sample:

Consists of a group whose demographic distribution is similar to that of the overall population

Random Sample:

Consists of a limited number of people from the overall population, selected in such a way that each has an equal chance of being chosen.

Majority Party:

Controls more than half of the seats in congress

Smith v. Allwright

Court ruled that parties were agents of the state and excluding people from membership in the party based on race was a violation of the United States Constitution After the Smith decision, the conservative state party leadership stepped up its use of the poll tax in an attempt to deter black voters from participating in primary elections

Margin of error:

A number that states how far the poll results may be from the actual opinion of the total population of citizens The lower, the better

Party Realignment:

Each generation has become more socially liberal The electorate's economic preferences have changed, and different social groups are likely to become more engaged in politics now than they did in the past

Single Member District:

Each geographical district is controlled by one legislative member

Two-Party System:

Electoral college: the total of the state's electoral votes go to the candidate who wins the plurality of the popular vote in that state Demobilized ethnicity: none of its regions is dominated by mobilized ethnic minorities that have created political parties in order to defend and to address concerns solely of interest to that ethnic group Campaign and election laws: some states create significant burdens for candidates who wish to run as independents or who choose to represent new parties

Features of the Electoral College:

Electors cannot be elected officials nor can they work for the federal government

George W. Bush:

George W. Bush's gubernatorial victory over popular incumbent Ann Richards in the 1994 election marked the second time a Republican held the governor's office since Reconstruction

New Progressive Party

Henry Wallace in 1948 Little in common with the old progressive party favored racial desegregation and believed that the United States should have closer ties to the Soviet Union Vanished because people thought it was like communism

Representation and Interest Groups

Hugh Heclo of George Mason University has sketched a more open pattern he calls an issue network that includes a number of different interests and political actors that work together in support of a single issue or policy

Individuals may contribute up to $2,700 per candidate per election

Individuals may also give $5,000 to political action committees and $33,400 to a national party committee

Grassroots Movements:

Interest groups can amplify the voices of such individuals through proper organization and allow them to participate in ways that would be less effective or even impossible alone or in small numbers

Revolving Door Policy:

Members of the House of Representatives cannot register to lobby for a year after they leave office, while senators have a two-year "cooling off" period before they can officially lobby

Ann Richards:

Members of the Republican Party held about 1/3 of the seats in both chambers of the Texas legislature by the time Democrat Ann Richards was elected governor in 1990.

Progressive party:

Middle-class called upon states to pass laws allowing voters to vote directly on proposed legislation, propose new laws, and recall from office incompetent or corrupt elected officials

Features of the Electoral College:

Once the electoral votes have been read by the president of the Senate (i.e., the vice president of the United States) during a special joint session of Congress in January, the presidential candidate who received the majority of electoral votes is officially named president

Party Realignment:

One of the best-known party realignments occurred when Democrats moved to include African Americans and other minorities into their national coalition during the Great Depression.

Two-Party System:

One representative per geographic district

Most polling occurs through the internet

Other organizations, like Gallup, use random-digit-dialing (RDD), in which a computer randomly generates phone numbers with desired area codes CATI system calls random telephone numbers until it reaches a live person and then connects the potential respondent with a trained interviewer

State's Rights Democrats (Dixiecrats):

Other third parties: American Independent Party, the Libertarian Party, United We Stand America, the Reform Party, and the Green Party many third parties have brought important issues to the attention of the major parties, which then incorporated these issues into their platforms

PACs that contribute to more than one candidate are permitted to contribute $5,000 per candidate per election, and up to $15,000 to a national party

PACs created to give money to only one candidate are limited to only $2,700 per candidate

Political Efficacy:

People with low levels of efficacy are less likely to participate in politics, including voting and joining interest groups

Representation and Interest Groups

People with low levels of efficacy are less likely to participate in politics, including voting and joining interest groups. Therefore, they are often underrepresented in the political arena

Pluralism

Pluralist theorists assume that citizens who want to get involved in the system do so because of the great number of access points to government

politicians may change positions to match the public mood

Politicians who frequently seek to win office, like House members, will pay attention to the long- and short-term changes in opinion public opinion has an inconsistent effect on presidents' decisions

Sample vs. Population:

Population: The collection of all individuals under consideration Sample

24th Amendment:

Prohibited the poll tax

Public Interest Group:

Promote public goods

Communism

Promotes government ownership of all property, means of production, and materials

Fascism

Promotes total control of the country by the ruling party or political leader Run the economy, the military, society, and culture, and often tries to control the private lives of citizens

Party Polarization:

Republicans and Democrats have become increasingly dissimilar from one another

1896-1932 Fourth Party System:

Republicans control the presidency. Only one Democrat, Woodrow Wilson, is elected president (1912, 1916). Challenges to major parties are raised by Populists and Progressives

1860-1892 Third Party System: Republicans (former Whigs plus African Americans) control the presidency. Only one Democrat, Grover Cleveland, is elected president (1884, 1892).

Republicans opposition to the expansion of slavery, and their role in helping to stabilize the Union during Reconstruction, made them the dominant player in national politics

Party Polarization:

Results: Party factions Congress has become less effective

Common U.S. Ideologies:

Right side of spectrum prioritize government control over personal freedoms

Texas Model

Texas maintains low taxes, smart regulations, and fair courts, and that the state has "created three out of every ten jobs in America over the last ten years Employment in Texas grew by over 2.2 million between December 2000 and January 2015 The legacy of Republicans dominating Texas for roughly the past two decades has included a strategy referred to as the "Texas Model

Expansions of Suffrage:

The Fifteenth Amendment gave men the right to vote regardless of race or color the Nineteenth Amendment finally gave women the right to vote in 1920

Unionist Party:

held strong anti-secessionist sentiment and supported Texas remaining in the Union in 1859, Unionist Party candidates swept the majority of the statewide elections - including the party's candidate for governor, Sam Houston, who had since returned to Texas and declared allegiance to the Unionist Party Collapsed after secession

Campaign Finance Reforms:

history of campaign finance monitoring has its roots in a federal law written in 1867, which prohibited government employees from asking Naval Yard employees for donations

Issue Networks:

includes a number of different interests and political actors that work together in support of a single issue or policy

Membership Organization:

individuals join voluntarily and to which they usually pay dues

Contract Lobbyist:

individuals who work for firms that represent a multitude of clients and are often hired because of their resources and their ability to contact and lobby lawmakers, to represent them before the legislature.

Measures of Public Opinion Straw polls:

informally collect opinions of a non-random population

Face-to-face polling

is expensive and time-consuming

Modern public opinion polling

is relatively new, only eighty years old. These polls are far more sophisticated than straw polls and are carefully designed to probe what we think, want, and value

Astroturf Movements

it is not, strictly speaking, a grassroots movement

Political Action Committees (PACS):

limited in the amount of money that they can contribute to individual candidates or to national party organizations they can contribute no more than $5,000 per candidate per election no more than $15,000 a year to a national political party. Individual contributions to PACs are also limited to $5,000 a year

Party Platform:

list of issues that concern local party members, like limiting abortions in a state or removing restrictions on gun ownership, are called planks, and they will be discussed and voted upon by the delegates and party leadership at the convention The planks make up the party platform Guide members in congress on how to vote for issues Positions on critical issues adopted at each party's presidential nominating convention every four years

Primary Elections:

most common method of picking a party nominee for state, local, and presidential contests

Inside Lobbying:

nearly all report that they contact lawmakers, testify before the legislature, help draft legislation, and contact executive agencies

Neopluralist:

neopluralist scholars argue that certainly some interests are in a privileged position, but these interests do not always get what they want their influence depends on a number of factors in the political environment such as public opinion, political culture, competition for access, and the relevance of the issue

Features of the Electoral College:

number of Electoral College votes granted to each state equals the total number of representatives and senators that state has in the U.S. Congress or, in the case of Washington, DC, as many electors as it would have if it were a state

Issue advocacy

nvolves spending by interest groups, individuals, and corporations to promote a specific campaign issue rather than a particular candidate.

Newspapers:

party press era (1780s) partisanship and political party loyalty dominated the choice of editorial content Created in Boston Between 1830 and 1860, machines and manufacturing made the production of newspapers faster and less expensive Roads and waterways were expanded, decreasing the costs of distributing printed materials to subscribers Yellow journalism: tabloid-style paper that included editorial pages, cartoons, and pictures, while the front-page news was sensational and scandalous muckraking: the writing and publishing of news coverage that exposed corrupt business and government practices In the twenty-first century, newspapers have struggled to stay financially stable

Party in Government

party whip ensures that members are present when a piece of legislation is to be voted on and directs them how to vote. The whip is the second highest ranking member of the party in each chamber

Representation and Interest Groups

people do not often participate because they lack the political skill to do so or believe that it is impossible to influence government actions

Pluralism

political power rests with competing interest groups who share influence in government

Representation and Interest Groups

poor may not have the same opportunities to join groups

public opinion has an inconsistent effect on presidents' decisions

presidents try to move public opinion towards personal positions rather than moving themselves towards the public's opinion

Revolving Door Policy:

prevent lawmakers from lobbying government immediately after leaving public office

Solidarity Incentive:

provide the benefit of joining with others who have the same concerns or are similar in other ways

Role of Public Opinion in Democracy:

public opinion has a less powerful effect on the courts than on the other branches and on politicians

Reasons for Low Turnout

reasons range from the obvious excuse of being too busy (19 percent) to more complex answers, such as transportation problems (3.3 percent) and restrictive registration laws (5.5 percent) Participation is not mandated Some citizens are not allowed to vote polling places may be open only on Election Day Some people avoid voting because their vote is unlikely to make a difference some voters may view non-voting as a means of social protest or may see volunteering as a better way to spend their time

Conference committee:

reconciles different bills passed in both the house and senate

Political Efficacy:

refers to the conviction that you can make a difference or that government cares about you and your views

Dark Money:

refers to the funds donated to nonprofit organizations that in turn spend it in order to influence elections

Equal Time Doctrine:

registered candidates running for office must be given equal opportunities for airtime and advertisements at non-cable television and radio stations beginning forty-five days before a primary election and sixty days before a general election

Lobbying Disclosure Act:

requires the registration of lobbyists representing any interest group and devoting more than 20 percent of their time to it

State Organizations:

responsible for key party functions, such as statewide candidate recruitment and campaign mobilization Most efforts focus on electing high-ranking officials such as the governor or occupants of other statewide offices as well as candidates to represent the state and its residents in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives

McCain-Feingold Act (BCRA 2002)

restricts the amount of money given to political parties, which had become a way for companies and PACs to exert influence placed limits on total contributions to political parties, prohibited coordination between candidates and PAC campaigns, and required candidates to include personal endorsements on their political ads also limited advertisements run by unions and corporations thirty days before a primary election and sixty days before a general election

Private Interest Group:

seek particularized benefits from government that favor either a single interest or a narrow set of interests

Ticket Splitting:

select candidates from different political parties

straight-ticket voting:

simple and requires the voter to merely show up at the polls and punch their party's straight-ticket option at the top of the ballot, thereby casting an automatic vote for all of their party's candidates in every race Tx is one of only 9 states to allow this

Regulation of the Media:

slander: speak false information with an intent to harm a person or entity libel: print false information with an intent to harm a person or entity If a newspaper or media outlet obtains classified material, or if a journalist is witness to information that is classified, the government may request certain material be redacted or removed from the article

Public Goods:

some goods are provided by the government. Such goods or services that are available to all without charge (ex. fire department, police department, etc)

Free-Rider Problem:

some individuals can receive benefits (get a free ride) without helping to bear the cost

Lobbyist

someone who represents the interest organization before government, is usually compensated for doing so, and is required to register with the government in which he or she lobbies, whether state or federal

Why Join Interest Groups? - Types of Benefits

stay updated in particular issues Social reasons: people want to meet and be around others with similar views Want to be apart in trying to achieve the goal of the interest group Get incentives such as material items or discounts

Outside Lobbying:

tactics include issuing press releases, placing stories and articles in the media, entering coalitions with other groups, and contacting interest group members, hoping that they will individually pressure lawmakers to support or oppose legislation

Inside Lobbying:

tactics include testifying in legislative hearings and helping to draft legislation

Local Organizations:

takes on many of the most basic responsibilities of a democratic system, including identifying and mobilizing potential voters and donors, identifying and training potential candidates for public office, and recruiting new members for the party also often responsible for finding rank and file members to serve as volunteers on Election Day may also hold regular meetings to provide members the opportunity to meet potential candidates and coordinate strategy

Inside Lobbying:

takes the interest group's message directly to a government official such as a lawmaker

Material Incentive:

tangible benefits of joining a group

Agenda-Setting:

the act of choosing which issues or topics deserve public discussion

National Committee:

the chief executive agency of a political party usually consisting of members chosen by the national convention to represent geographical areas or constituent elements in the party and having general supervisory powers over the organization of national conventions and the planning of campaigns

Standing committees:

the core committees 20 in house and 16 in senate First call for proposed bills

Local Organizations:

the county-level organization is in many ways the workhorse of the party system, especially around election time

Party Organization:

The formal structure of the party active members are responsible for coordinating party behavior and supporting party candidates

Socialism

The government uses its authority to promote social and economic equality within the country Believes government should provide everyone with expanded services and public programs (ex. Health care, inexpensive college tuition) Citizens receive equal opportunities and equal outcomes Expects the wealthy to contribute more to the state's revenue through higher taxes that pay for the services Higher minimum wages

Open Seat Elections:

The incumbent is not running for reelection

Representation and Interest Groups

The iron triangle is a hypothetical arrangement among three elements: an interest group, a congressional committee member or chair, and an agency within the bureaucracy

Secretary of State:

the nation's chief diplomat, serves in the president's cabinet, and oversees the Foreign Service

James Madison - Factions:

the natural way to control factions was to let them flourish and compete against each other

Public View of the Media:

the number of Americans with some or a great deal of trust in the press has dropped 30 percentage points since the late 1970s

Reapportionment:

the number of House seats given to each state is adjusted to account for population changes.

Political Socialization:

the process by which we are trained to understand and join a country's political world Starts when we are very young

Voter Suffrage:

the right to vote in public, political elections

Disturbance Theory:

the theory that an external event can lead to interest group mobilization

Role of Public Opinion in Democracy:

theory of delegate representation assumes the politician is in office to be the voice of the people Others believe polling has increased because politicians, like the president, operate in permanent campaign mode media use public opinion polls to decide which candidates are ahead of the others and therefore of interest to voters and worthy of interview Public opinion polls also affect how much money candidates receive in campaign donations

Features of the Electoral College:

there are a total of 538 electors in the Electoral College, and a majority of 270 electoral votes is required to win the presidency

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission:

there is no limit to how much money unions or corporations can donate to super PACs overturned the soft money ban of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act and allowed corporations and unions to spend unlimited amounts of money on elections

Grange

was a powerful farmers' organization in the late nineteenth century that played important roles in both the Constitutional Convention of 1876 and encouraging legislators to pass legislation after the constitution was ratified Over half of the membership of the constitutional convention were Grangers articles in our current state Constitution requiring low salaries for public officers, homestead protection, railway regulation, and restrictions on the state's taxing power are all due to Grange influence on the document dedication to improving education in the state including free and uniform textbooks, nine-month school terms, consolidated rural schools, a scholastic age of eighteen, and the availability of vocational courses

Fairness Doctrine:

was instituted in 1949 and required licensed stations to cover controversial issues in a balanced manner by providing listeners with information about all perspectives on any controversial issue ended in the 1980s, after a succession of court cases led to its repeal by the FCC in 1987

Divided Government:

when one or more houses of the legislature are controlled by the party in opposition to the executive Can be a threat to government operations

Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA)

which outlined how candidates would report all contributions and expenditures related to their campaigns (1971) created rules governing the way organizations and companies could contribute to federal campaigns, which allowed for the creation of political action committees a 1974 amendment to the act created the Federal Election Commission (FEC), which operates independently of government and enforces the elections laws.

In-House Lobbyist:

work for one interest group or firm and represent their organization in a lobbying capacity

Campaign Finance Reforms:

Tillman Act (1907) was passed by Congress, which prohibited corporations from contributing money to candidates running in federal elections (roosevelt)

Radio act of 1927:

written to organize the rapidly expanding number of radio stations and the overuse of frequencies Communications Act of 1934 replaced the Radio Act and created a more powerful entity to monitor the airwaves—a seven-member Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to oversee both radio and telephone communication requires radio stations to apply for licenses, granted only if stations follow rules about limiting advertising, providing a public forum for discussion, and serving local and minority communities enforces ownership limits to avoid monopolies and censors materials deemed inappropriate

Agents of Socialization:

a source of political information intended to help citizens understand how to act in their political system and how to make decisions on political matters Family and school

Soft Money:

a way in which interests could spend money on behalf of candidates without being restricted by federal law

Referendums:

a yes or no vote by citizens on a law or candidate proposed by the state government

"Dirty Thirty":

a bipartisan group of Texas legislators that pressed for an investigation of the Sharpstown Stock-Fraud Scandal Texas Speaker of the House Gus Mutscher, who had been named in the scandal, retaliated against the "Dirty Thirty" by blocking legislation introduced by the group's members

Public Opinion:

a collection of opinions of an individual or a group of individuals on a topic, person, or event

Interest Group-Capture:

a form of government failure which occurs when a regulatory agency, created to act in the public interest, instead advances the commercial or political concerns of special interest groups that dominate the industry or sector it is charged with regulating the interests of firms, organizations, or political groups are prioritized over the interests of the public, leading to a net loss for societ

Caucus:

a form of town hall meeting at which voters in a precinct get together to voice their preferences, rather than voting individually throughout the day

Off Year Election:

a general election in the United States which is held when neither a presidential election nor a midterm election takes place

Party Polarization:

a growing number of moderate voters aren't participating in party politics they are becoming independents, or they are participating only in the general election and are therefore not helping select party candidates in primaries.

Congressional Committees:

a legislative sub-organization in the United States Congress that handles a specific duty Over 200

Caucus

a meeting of party members in which nominees are selected informally less expensive than primaries because they rely on voting methods such as dropping marbles in a jar, placing names in a hat, standing under a sign bearing the candidate's name, or taking a voice vote party members at the caucus also help select delegates, who represent their choice at the party's state- or national-level nominating convention.

The Media:

a number of different communication formats from television media, which share information through broadcast airwaves, to print media, which rely on printed documents

Unified government:

a political situation in which both chambers of the state legislature as well as the governorship are controlled by members of the same party. allows the party in control to more easily pass laws that fit their legislative agenda

Elitism:

a set of elite citizens is really in charge of government in the United States and that others have no influence

Internet:

availability of the Internet and social media has moved some control of the message back into the presidents' and candidates' hands citizen journalism occurs when citizens use their personal recording devices and cell phones to capture events and post them on the Internet

Populist party:

called for the regulation of railroads, an income tax, and the popular election of U.S. senators

Sharpstown Stock-Fraud Scandal:

centered on charges that state officials had made profitable bank-financed stock purchases in return for passing legislation desired by the financier, Houston businessman Frank W. Sharp a number of state Democratic officials had been charged with numerous other offenses including nepotism and the use of state-owned funds to buy a pickup truck

County executive committee:

comprised of the county chair and all precinct chairs. The committee works to promote the party's candidates and interests at the county level

Shivercrats:

conservative Democrats, termed "Shivercrats," filed in both primaries thereby enabling them to vote for Democrats at the local level and the Republican presidential candidate, Dwight D. Eisenhower, at the national level

Super PAC

corporations and unions can spend virtually unlimited amounts of money on behalf of political candidates cannot contribute money directly to individual candidates

John G. Tower:

defeated conservative Democrat William A. Blakley who had been appointed to fill Johnson's Senate seat until an election could be held the beginning of two-party politics in Texas. Tower was re-elected to the United States Senate in 1966, 1972, and 1978 His years in the Senate allowed him to connect the Texas Republican Party to the national party, and the state party to local Republican candidates.

Ideologies:

depend on attitudes and beliefs, and on the way we prioritize each belief over the others

Blue dog Democrats:

describe Democrats who had crossed over party lines and voted for Reagan and his policies in the 1980s

Revolving Door Policy:

designed to restrict former lawmakers from using their connections in government to give them an advantage when lobbying

Progressive party:

disappeared after 1916, and most members returned to the Republican Party a brief resurgence in 1924, when Robert "Fighting Bob" La Follette ran unsuccessfully Pulled enough votes away from the Republicans to hand the 1912 election to the Democrats

Precinct chair:

elected for a two-year term during the party's precinct meeting, usually held after the party's primary election in March of even-numbered years. organizes party voters in the precinct; encourages interested party members to register to vote; attempts to increase party member turnout on Election Day; and in some Texas counties serves as an election judge.

State party chair:

elected to lead the state executive committee and provides state leadership for the party. The state party chair and executive committee are leadership and policy-making positions

County chairs:

elected to two-year terms during the party's primary election. The tasks of county chairs resemble those of precinct chairs only at the county level, and they are also responsible in most counties for fundraising and receiving formal filings for candidates to appear on the ballot. run their party's primary elections and organize the precinct and county/senate district conventions in order to turn out their party's voters in the general election

State executive committee:

election of each party's state executive committee occurs at the party's state convention usually held in June of even-numbered election years. Delegates to the state convention convene in meetings based on state senatorial districts (Democrat) or state representative districts (Republican). The district caucuses then select one man and one woman from among their districts to serve on the state executive committee, and the entire state convention must ratify their choices

Multimember District:

electoral districts that send two or more members to a legislative chamber

Plurality System:

electoral process in which the candidate who polls more votes than any other candidate is elected

Features of the Electoral College:

electors of the Electoral College travel to their respective state capitols and cast their votes in mid-December, often by signing a certificate recording their vote

Representation and Interest Groups

elite critique suggests that certain interests, typically businesses and the wealthy, are advantaged and that policies more often reflect their wishes than anyone else's

Texas Constitutional Convention of 1974

failed by three votes to approve a proposed new constitution for Texas voters to consider.

TV:

first official broadcast in the United States was President Franklin Roosevelt's speech at the opening of the 1939 World's Fair in New York when Edward R. Murrow made the move to television in 1951 with his news show See It Now, television journalism gained its foothold also useful to combat scandals and accusations of impropriety

Purposive Incentives:

focus on the issues or causes promoted by the group

Private Goods:

food, clothing, and housing are provided in ample supply by private businesses that earn a profit in return

National Convention:

formal nomination of the party nominees for the office of president and vice president mark the official beginning of the presidential competition between the two parties

Greenback Party

formed in Texas in response to what its members saw as a growing "cult of the Confederacy" and adherence to a lost cause Frustrated with the Democratic Party's post-Civil War leadership sought to focus political attention on pressing social and economic issues such as legal tender, the establishment of a tax-supported education system, and curbing the power of the railroads dissolved after farmers and laborers shifted their allegiances in the 1880 and 1890s to the Texas People's Party

National Party Organization:

fundraising army for presidential candidates and also serves a key role in trying to coordinate and direct the efforts of the House and Senate National party conventions culminate in the formal nomination of the party nominees for the offices of president and vice president, and they mark the official beginning of the presidential competition between the two parties

Private Interest Group:

goal is to promote private goods

Factions

groups of self-interested individuals who join together to promote their common interests

Political Action Committees (PACS):

groups that collect funds from donors and distribute them to candidates who support their issues

Periods of Party Dominance and Realignment:

1796-1824 First Party System: Federalists (urban elites, southern planters, New England, first pres. was Adams) oppose Democratic-Republicans (rural, small farmers and artisans, the South and the West, first pres. Was Jefferson).

Radio:

1920s Comedy programs, such as Amos 'n' Andy, The Adventures of Gracie, and Easy Aces, also became popular during the 1930s, as listeners were trying to find humor during the Depression Almost 83 percent of households had a radio by 1940, and most tuned in regularly politicians realized that the medium offered a way to reach the public in a personal manner Followed by FDR The need and desire for frequent news updates about the constantly evolving war made newspapers, with their once-a-day printing, too slow (1940s) Radio Act (1927) created the Federal Radio Commission (FRC), which made the first effort to set standards, frequencies, and license stations Communications Act of 1934 ended the FRC and created the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which continued to work with radio stations to assign frequencies and set national standards, as well as oversee other forms of broadcasting and telephones Prior to WWII, radio frequencies were broadcast using amplitude modulation (AM). After WWII, frequency modulation (FM) broadcasting . By the 1990s, talk shows had gone national In 1990, Sirius Satellite Radio began a campaign for FCC approval of satellite radio By 2001, two satellite stations had been approved for broadcasting generally subscription-based and offers a larger area of coverage, even to remote areas such as deserts and oceans exempt from many of the FCC regulations that govern regular radio stations

State's Rights Democrats (Dixiecrats):

1948 White, southern Democrats who split from the Democratic Party when Harry Truman, who favored civil rights for African Americans, became the party's nominee for president

Robo-polls:

A computer dials random or pre-programmed numbers and a prerecorded electronic voice administers the survey

Two-Party System:

Abandoning plurality voting, even if the winner-take-all election were kept, would almost certainly increase the number of parties from which voters could choose Majoritarian voting: a candidate wins only if he or she enjoys the support of a majority of voters If no candidate wins a majority in the first round of voting, a run-off election is held among the top contenders

Two-Party System:

Abandoning the winner-take-all system would increase the number of parties Proportional representation: legislative seats are allocated to competing parties based on the total share of votes they receive in the election One possible way to implement is to allocate legislative seats based on the national level of support for each party's presidential candidate, rather than on the results of individual races

State Organizations:

Accept fundraising responsibilities Creates a sense of unity among members helps the party's candidates prepare for state primary elections or caucuses that allow voters to choose a nominee to run for public office at either the state or national level

Third Parties:

Alternatives to democratic and republican parties

Federalist #10:

Americans need not fear the power of factions or special interests for the republic was too big and the interests of its people too diverse to allow the development of large, powerful political parties.

Modern conservatism

Assuming elected government will guard individual liberties and provide laws Prefers smaller government that stays out of the economy, allowing the market and business to determine prices, wages, and supply

Conservative

Attempt to hold tight to the traditions of a nation by balancing individual rights with the good of the community. Traditional conservatism

Two-Party System:

Came to be because the structure of US elections tends to lead to the dominance of 2 parties

Majority System:

Candidate must receive at least 50% of the votes

Two-Party System:

Causes of the 2 party system: Winner-take-all system: require that the winner receive either the majority of votes or a plurality of the votes Plurality voting (first-past-the-post)

Party Polarization:

Causes: Sorting of the voting public Technology Gerrymandering

William "Bill" Clements

Clements' victory as the first Republican Governor of Texas since Reconstruction was due in part to a split in the Texas Democratic Party after Attorney General John Hill, Jr. defeated the incumbent governor, Dolph Briscoe, Jr. in the Democratic primary won the governor's race in 1978

Sound Bites:

Clips from speeches

Midterm Elections:

Congressional elections occurring between the presidential elections held because all members of the House of Representatives and one-third of the senators come up for reelection every two years coattail effect: gives members of a popular presidential candidate's party an increase in popularity and raises their odds of retaining office (during a presidential election year) Representatives and senators from the sitting president's party are more likely to lose their seats during a midterm election year

State Organizations:

Drafts a state party platform hold a statewide convention at which delegates from the various county organizations come together to discuss the needs of their areas. responsible for selecting delegates to the national convention.

1828-1856 Second Party System: Democrats (the South, cities, farmers and artisans, immigrants) oppose Whigs (former Federalists, the North, middle class, native-born Americans).

Democratic party advocated for the common people by championing westward expansion and opposing a national bank Whigs believed that the national government should encourage economic (primarily industrial) development Jackson won in 1828 The growing power of industrialists, who preferred greater national authority, combined with increasing tensions between the northern and southern states over slavery, led to the rise of the Republican Party and its leader Abraham Lincoln

1932-1964 Fifth Party System.

Democrats control the presidency. Only one Republican, Dwight Eisenhower, is elected president (1952, 1956). Major party realignment as African Americans become part of the Democratic coalition.

Yellow dog Democrat

Democrats who were so loyal to the party they would vote for Democratic candidates even if they disliked their views and political positions

Populist party:

Disappeared after 1908 Similar to the progressive party farmers

Periods of Party Dominance and Realignment:

Federalist party collapsed and the Democrat-republican party was left divided In the election of 1824, 4 dem-reps ran for presidency and Jackson lost against John Q Adams in the corrupt bargain The democratic-republicans split into the Democratic Party (party of Jackson) and the whig party

Two-Party System:

Federalists and the Jeffersonian Republicans disagreed about how much power should be given to the federal government these parties evolved into others by inheriting, for the most part, the general ideological positions and constituents of their predecessors

Modern liberalism

Focuses on equality and supports government intervention in society and the economy if it promotes equality Expect government to provide basic social and educational programs to help everyone have a chance to succeed

Progressive party:

Formed by Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 women's suffrage, an eight-hour workday, and workers' compensation, direct election of U.S. senators and an income tax

Populist party:

Formed in 1892 in opposition to the dominance of society by big business and a decline in the power of farmers

Revolving Door Policy:

Former cabinet secretaries must wait the same period of time after leaving their positions before lobbying the department of which they had been the head

Features of the Electoral College:

In most cases, electors cast their ballots for the candidate who won the majority of votes in their state. The states then forward the certificates to the U.S. Senate

Features of the Electoral College:

Occasionally there are examples of faithless electors

Federalist #10:

James Madison

Authoritarianism

Leaders control the politics, military, government of the country, and often the economy

Party in Government

Leaders serve as party managers and are the highest ranking members of the party in each chamber of Congress

Common U.S. Values:

Liberty: personal and economic freedom Equality: political equality and socioeconomic freedom Democracy: voting

Precincts:

Lowest level of party organization

Public Opinion:

Most citizens base their political opinions on their beliefs and their attitudes, both of which begin to form in childhood

Media Ownership:

Most media are controlled by a limited number of conglomerates. A conglomerate is a corporation made up of a number of companies, organizations, and media networks By 2011, six conglomerates controlled most of the broadcast media in the United States: CBS Corporation, Comcast, Time Warner, 21st Century Fox (formerly News Corporation), Viacom, and The Walt Disney Company

Measures of Public Opinion

Most polling companies employ statisticians and methodologists trained in conducting polls and analyzing data

Minority Party:

Must occasionally work with the opposition on some issues Less than half the seats in congress

1964-present Sixth Party System:

No one party controls the presidency. Ongoing realignment as southern whites and many northern members of the working class begin to vote for Republicans. Latinos and Asians immigrate, most of whom vote for Democrats.

Fireside Chats:

Roosevelt would sit down and explain his ideas and actions directly to the people on a regular basis through the radio Convince voters of their value An important way for him to promote his New Deal agenda needed to quiet public fears about the economy and prevent people from removing their money from the bank

Sample vs. Population:

Sample: Data set that contains part of the population

Party Realignment:

Shifting of party allegiance within the electorate

Features of the Electoral College:

Should a tie occur, the sitting House of Representatives elects the president, with each state receiving one vote

Representation and Interest Groups

Some institutions, including large corporations, are more likely to participate in the political process than others, simply because they have tremendous resources. And with these resources, they can write a check to a political campaign or hire a lobbyist to represent their organization

Whig Party:

Texas sided with Lamar and strongly opposed annexation After Texas joined the Union in 1845, the Whig Party dissolved and the issue of annexation was replaced with the issue of secession

Representation and Interest Groups

Structural barriers like voter identification laws may also disproportionately affect people with low socioeconomic status

Traditional conservatism

Supports the authority of the monary and the church, believing government provides the rule of law and maintains a society that is safe and organized

Buckley v. Valeo:

Supreme Court upheld Congress's right to regulate elections by restricting contributions to campaigns and candidates.

Membership Organization:

Type of interest group

indecency regulations over television, radio, and other broadcasters, which limit indecent material and keep the public airwaves free of obscene material

Under the Miller test, obscenity is something that appeals to deviants, breaks local or state laws, and lacks value broadcasters can show indecent programming or air profane language between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m

Presidential Approval:

Young people are less likely to vote: Low socioeconomic class Lower education Caucasions are more likely to vote More women vote then men

Rick Perry:

assumed the governorship of Texas when Governor George W. Bush was elected President of the United States in 2001 longest serving governor in Texas history - a period stretching continuously from 2001 until 2015.

Features of the Electoral College:

Works by a winner-take-all system

C. Wright Mills

argued that government was controlled by a combination of business, military, and political elites.Most are highly educated, often graduating from prestigious universities wealthy use their power to control the nation's economy in such a way that those below them cannot advance economically

People's Party (populists):

agrarian reform movement that evolved from the Greenback Party, the Grange, and the Farmers' Alliance most successful third-party movement in Texas history platform included demands for the preservation of land from large landowners, regulation of transportation, and an increase of the amount of money in circulation became ineffective in the early 1900s largely due to the return of economic prosperity after 1896 and the development of a Democratic Party platform more in line with the interests of farmers and laborers represent a successful coalition of Anglo small farmers, blacks, and labor that proved important to Texas politics at the turn of the century and instrumental to the rise of other reform groups in Texas in the twentieth century

Ruled unconstitutional by Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

allowed corporations to place unlimited money into super PACs

Open:

allows all voters to vote

Labor Unions:

an organized association of workers, often in a trade or profession, formed to protect and further their rights and interests.

Independent Media

any form of media, such as radio, television, newspapers or the Internet, that is free of influence by government or corporate interests

Interest Group:

any formal association of individuals or organizations that attempt to influence government decision-making and/or the making of public policy

Joint committee:

appointed from both house and senate and explore a few key issues Informational only

Exit polls

are conducted in person, with an interviewer standing near a polling location and requesting information as voters leave the polls

Two-Party System:

based on the principle that the individual candidate with the most votes wins, whether or not he or she gains a majority (51 percent or greater) of the total votes cast simplest and most cost-effective method

Third parties:

been able to influence politics and government by redirecting political attention toward issues that the dominant parties have ignored, overlooked, or downplayed especially during times of economic crisis or transition

James Madison - Factions:

believed limiting these factions was worse than facing the evils they might produce, because such limitations would violate individual freedoms

Collective Goods:

benefits—tangible or intangible—that help most or all citizens (ex. Public safety, public education)

Gerrymandering

manipulation of legislative districts in an attempt to favor a particular candidate

National Convention:

media circus at which high-ranking politicians, party elites, and sometimes celebrities, along with individuals may consider to be the future leaders of the party are brought before the public so the party can make its best case of being the one to direct the future of the country

Party-in-the-electorate:

members of the voting public who consider themselves to be part of a political party and/or who consistently prefer the candidates of one party over the other.

Elections

offer American voters the opportunity to participate in their government with little investment of time or personal effort When candidates run for office, they are most likely to choose local or state office first

Grassroots Movements:

often begin from the bottom up among a small number of people at the local level

Membership Organization:

often consist of people who have common issues or concerns, or who want to be with others who share their views

Collective Goods:

often produced collectively, and because they may not be profitable and everyone may not agree on what public goods are best for society, they are often underfunded and thus will be underproduced unless there is government involvement

Critical Elections:

one that represents a sudden, clear, and long-term shift in voter allegiances Election of 1932: FDR appeals to racial minorities and low-class citizens by providing economic assistance during the Great Depression

Closed:

only members of the political party selecting nominees may vote

Closed primary system:

only voters who have registered with a specific party in advance of Election Day may vote in that party's primary

State's Rights Democrats (Dixiecrats):

opposed all attempts by the federal government to end segregation, extend voting rights, prohibit discrimination in employment, or otherwise promote social equality among races remained a significant party that threatened Democratic unity throughout the 1950s and 1960s

Party Machines:

organizations that secured votes for the party's candidates or supported the party in other ways sought to maintain power by creating a broader coalition and thereby expanding the range of issues upon which the party was constructed

National Convention:

organized and sponsored by the national level party

Buckley v. Valeo:

overturned restrictions on expenditures by candidates and their families, as well as total expenditures by campaigns

Party Realignment:

parties may be unable or unwilling to adapt their positions to broader socio-demographic or economic forces groups that have felt that the party has served their causes in the past may decide to look elsewhere if they feel their needs are no longer being met

Party in Government

party identifiers who have been elected or appointed to hold public office

Party Identifier:

usually represent themselves in public as being members of a party, and they may attend some party events or functions more likely to provide financial support for the candidates of their party during election season. Make up the majority of the voting public

Straight party voting:

vote one-by-one for candidates and select candidates from the same political part

Open primary system:

voters must register to vote but they are not required to register with a specific party prior to the primary election

James Madison - Factions:

warned of the dangers of "factions," minorities who would organize around issues they felt strongly about, possibly to the detriment of the majority