Unit 2 Government

Governing

- Congress and state legislatures are organized on party lines, and they conduct much of their business on the basis of partisanship the strong support of their party and its policy stands. - Parties provide a basis for the conduct of government

Party organization Party in the electorate Party in government

3 components of the party (roles of its members)

propaganda

A technique of persuasion aimed at influencing individual or group behaviors. disregards info that doesn't support its conclusion. It is not objective. It is presents only one side of an issue. Relies on name calling and inflammatory labels.

Some people cannot actually vote. Resident aliens who are barred from the polls in every state. Citizens are too ill or physically disabled. People were travelling suddenly and unexpectedly. People are in mental health facilities or under some form of legal restraint because of their mental condition. Some are in jails or prisons. Some cannot vote because of religious beliefs. Resident alien citizenship status

Actual non-voters could have voted but did not. Why?

decentralized

Even though parties may look very organized they are really ? meaning disjointed

1. To supply the public with information an organization thinks the people should have. This information is presented to support that group's interests 2. To build a positive image for a group. 3. To promote a particular public policy - purpose of most interest groups.

Explain Interest Groups' three major goals in influencing public opinion.

ideological parties single-issue parties economic protest parties splinter parties

Four distinct types of minor(third) parties

1)chosen on the basis of party 2)Conduct business on basis of partisanship 3)provide basis for the conduct of govt. 4)provide channels through which two branches are able to work together 5) constitutional change

Governing (Govt in the U.S. is govt by party) how do parties perform these functions?

Some groups keep close ties with one or the other of the major parties. Most hope to secure the support of both of them. Several urge their members to become active in party affairs and try to win posts in party organizations.

How do Interest Groups try to influence Political Parties and Elections?

They see that articles, reports, and all sorts of other information favorable to their causes reach those officeholders. Many testify before legislative committees

How do Lobbyists try to persuade Legislators and other policy makers to share their point of view?

"pressure groups", "special interests", or "organized interests."

Interest groups are sometimes called?

Historical basis force of tradition election system american ideological consensus

List 4 reasons why the US is a two party system?

soft money

Money given to State and local party organizations for party-building activities" that is filtered to presidential or congressional campaigns. $500 million was given to campaigns in this way in 2000. (not regulated)

hard money

Money that is regulated by federal election committee (FEC)

Parties in power

Parties that are out of power keep a close eye on the actions of the ___ for a blunder to use against them in the next election

independent

People who have no party affiliation.

split-ticket voting

Practice of voting for the candidates of more than one party in an election

1. Any person whom a State allows to vote for members of the "most numerous branch" of its own legislature must also be allowed to vote for representatives and senators in Congress. 2. No State can deprive any person of the right to vote "on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." 3. No State can deprive any person of the right to vote on account of sex. 4. No State can require payment of any tax as a condition for voting 5. No State can deprive any person who is at least 18 years of age of the right to vote because of age. (26th amendment)

The Constitution left the power to set suffrage qualifications to the States. But it does place FIVE restrictions on how the States use that power. These restrictions are

candidate selection

The Nominating Process is the process of___?

straight-ticket voting

The practice of voting for candidates of only one party in an election.

1) self-announcement 2) caucus 3) convention 4) direct primary 4) petition

There are FIVE ways in which nominations are made

lobbying

Those activities by which group pressures are brought to bear on legislators and the legislative process. carries beyond legislature. It is brought into government agencies, the executive branch, and even the courts. All organized interest groups maintain lobbyist in DC

1) Few people follow international, national, or ever local political events very closely. In the typical election only about 10 percent of those who can vote and only about 15 percent of those who do vote are well informed on the man candidates and issues under consideration in that election 2) Most people who do pay attention to politics are likely to be selective about it. They most often watch, listen to, and read those sources that generally agree with their own viewpoints. They ignore those sources with which they disagree 3) The content the media carries. (radio and television) most television programs have little or nothing to do with public affairs. Radio and television "skim" the news. Only report what their news editors judge to be the most important and/or the most interesting stories of the day 4) Much of the content of most newspapers is nonpolitical. Newspapers depend on their advertising revenues, which in turn depend on producing a product with the widest possible appeal

What FOUR factors limit the impact of the Mass Media on American Politics?

election-oriented

What are american parties? -?oriented

1. Some have an influences far out of proportion to their size, or to their importance or contribution to the public good. 2. It is sometimes hard to tell just who or how many people a group really represents. 3. Do not represent the views of all of the people for whom they claim to speak for. 4. Some use tactics that would undermine the whole political system. Bribery, threats and so on

What are the FOUR CRITICISMS of Interest Groups?

1)Television- all persuasive; 2)Newspapers-most newspapers are local papers. Regularly carried political news 3)Radio- remains a major source of news and other political information. Today, most radios spend little time on public affairs 4)Magazines- several magazines devoted to public affairs, most of them vehicles of opinion

What are the MAJOR sources of political information in the United States?

Political Parties 1. Parties nominate candidates for public office. 2. Interested in winning elections and controlling government. 3. Concerned with the whole range of public affairs, with everything of concern to voters. Interest Groups 1. interest groups do not themselves pick candidates who then run under their labels 2. Concerned with controlling or influencing policies of government. 3. Concentrate only on those issues that most directly affect the interests of their members.

What are the THREE main differences between Political Parties and Interest Groups?

Nominating candidates informing and activating supporters bonding agent function governing act as a watchdog

What are the major functions of parties?

1. Small contributors: those who give $5 or $10 occasionally. 2. Wealthy individuals and families: "fat cats" who make large donations. 3. Candidates: incumbents and challengers, their families, and people who hole and want to keep appointive public offices 4. Various non-party groups: PAC's 5. Temporary organizations: groups formed for the immediate purposes of a campaign, including fundraising.

What are the public and private sources of funding elections

Seek to affect the making of public policy and especially the outcome of elections in the united states.

What is the role of PACs

1. Help to stimulate interest in public affairs (issues and events that concern the people at large). 2. Represent their members on the basis of shared attitudes rather than geography. - What their members think as opposed to where they live. 3. Provide useful, specialized, and detailed information to government. 4. Vehicles for political participation. - Means through which like-minded citizens can pool their resources and cannel their energies into collective political action. 5. Add another element to the checks-and-balances feature of the political process. - Make sure that they perform their tasks in responsible and effective ways. 6. Regularly compete with one another in the public arena.

What valuable SIX FUNCTIONS do Interest Groups perform?

Tuesday after the first Monday in November

When are the General Elections held?

Two party system

Where republicans and democrats dominate American politics

FEDERALISM- The basic goal of the major parties is to gain control of govt. by winning elective offices NOMINATING PROCESS-Nominations are made within the party; nominating process can be a divisive one; done within parties; both parties have to nominate a candidate; this causing fighting within the parties

Why are parties decentralized?

consensus

a general agreement among carious groups-on fundamental matters

caucus

a group of like-minded people who meet to select the candidates they will support in an upcoming election. Originally was a private meeting consisting of a few influential figures in the community

Political Party

a group of persons who seek to control government through the winning of elections and the holding of public office.

independent

a person who does not belong to a political party

precinct

a voting district. Are the smallest geographic units for the conduct of elections

Bonding agent function

acts as bonding agent to ensure the good performance of candidates and officeholders. Guarantee that their candidate is worthy of the office

public policy

all of the goals that a government pursues in the many areas of human affairs in which it is involved.

party column ballot

also known as the Indian ballot, from its early use in that State. Lists each party's candidates in a column under the party's name

direct primary

an intra-party election. Held within a party to pick that party's candidates for the general election. Two basic forms of the direct primary are in use today: i. The closed primary- a party's nominating election in which only declared party members can vote ii. The open primary- a party's nominating election in which any qualified voter can cast a ballot

interests groups

are private (not part of Gov) organizations whose members share certain views and work to shape public policy

party orginization

are the party leaders, its activists, and its hangers-on-all those who give their time, money, and skills to the party i. Thos who run and control the party

party in government

are the party office holder's, those who hold elective and appointive offices in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches at the federal, state and local levels of govt. Those who hold office in the government

public affairs

are those events and issues that concern the public at large. In its proper sense, public opinion includes only those views that relate to public affairs * Examples: health care, school uniform

public opinion

can be described as those attitudes held by a significant number of people on matters of government and politics

petition

candidates for public office are nominated by means of petitions signed by a certain required number of qualified voters in the election district. Nomination by petition is found most widely at the local level

economic protest parties

come around when the country is going through hard economic times. Come around because they feel the government is not doing their best by solving the economy. Rooted in periods of discontent. Often have been sectional parties. Fade away when economy improves EX: Wall street bankers, railroads or foreign imports

National convention

described as party's national voice, meets in summer of every presidential election year to pick the party's presidential and vice presidential candidates. Has little authority. Has no control over the selection of the party's candidates for other offices nor over the policy stands those nominees take. The last time they met-2008

Bi-partisan

favoring both parties; they agree with each other

partisanship

firm allegiance to a party

single-issue parties

focuses on a single issue, concentrate on onle on public-policy matter. EX: American party(opposed Irish-catholic immigration), "Know nothings" & Free soil party(not around anymore- opposed spread of slavery)

ideological parties

focuses on a whole issue of ideas, based on a particular set of beliefs. Have been long-lived but have never won many votes EX: socialist, socialist labor, socialist worker, and communist parties

force of tradition

has always been with the two-arty system. american has a two party system b/c it always has had one

party in electorate

includes the party's loyalists who regularly vote the straight party ticket, and those other voters who call themselves party members and who usually vote for its candidates i. Those who always or almost always vote for party candidates ii. Largest group

ballot

is the device by which a voter registers a choice in an election. Can take a number of different forms, it is clearly important and sensitive part of the election process

national chairperson

is the leader of the national committee. Directs the work of the party's headquarters and its small staff in Washington.

self announcement

is the oldest form of the nominating process. A person who wants to run for office simply announces that fact. Sometimes used by someone who failed to win a regular party nomination or by someone unhappy with the party's choice

For Voters: i. More people are unwilling to label themselves as Democrats or Republicans 2) A big increase in split-ticket voting- voting for candidates of different parties for different offices at the same election For Candidates: i. Structural changes have increased conflict and disorganization within parties i. Changes in the technology of campaigning, especially the use of television and the Internet, have made candidates more independent of the party organization i. The growth of single-issue organizations provides candidates with another source of financial support

list and explain the 5 factors contributing to the weakness to political parties

straw vote

most earlier polling efforts. Polls that sought to read the public's mind simply by asking the same question of a large number of people. Are still fairly common, but highly unreliable

- Voting is in some way inconvenient - They do not believe that their vote will make a difference - They distrust politics and political candidates

most non-voters do not vote because?

random sample

most professional pollsters draw a random sample, also called a probability sample. The pollster interviews a certain number of randomly selected people who live in a certain number of randomly selected place. A sample in which each member of the universe and each geographic area within it have a mathematically equal chance of being included

Non-partisan

no party affiliation at all; not favoring any party

pluralistic society

one consisting of several distinct cultures and groups. The U.S. is this

Minor Party

one of the many political parties without wide voter support in this country

Acting as a watchdog

over the conduct of the public's business. Criticizes the policies and behavior of party in power.

Informing and activating supporters

parties inform people and inspire and activate their interest and participation in public affairs. Campaign, define issues, and criticize other candidates

Nominating candidates

parties select candidates and then present them to the voters. Then parties work to help their candidates win. Recruit, choose, and present candidates for public office

opinion polls

public opinion is best measured by public opinion polls, devices that attempt to collect information by asking people questions.

splinter parties

split away and center around one person. Break away from one of the major parties. Often form around strong personalities and fade away when leaders step aside EX: bull-moose party (focuses on teddy roosevelt)

American ideological consensus

the american people have shared many of the same ideals, the same basic principles, and the same patterns of belief. Americans have general agreement on fundamental matters. Conditions that would spark several strong rival parties do not exist in U.S.

plurality

the largest number of voters cast for the office

office-group ballot

the original form of the Australian Ballot. Sometimes called the Massachusetts ballot because of its early use there. The candidates for an office are grouped together under the title of that office.

national committee

the party's affairs are handled by the national committee and by national chairperson

polling place

the place where the voters who live in a precinct actually vote- is located somewhere in or near each precinct

electorate

the potential voting population

suffrage

the right to vote

political right

the right to vote(suffrage) is not a civil right but a___?

historical basis

the two party system is rooted in the beginnings of the nation itself. The nation started out with two parties: federalists& Anti federalists

convention

took the place of the Caucus method when it collapsed. The first national convention to nominate a presidential candidate was held by a minor party, the Anti-Masons, in Baltimore in 1831

national convention national committee national chairperson congressional campaign committee

what are the 4 basic elements on the national level

family, schools and mass media

what are the major factors that shape public opinion

Family(b/c they are the most influential), major events(civil war, depression), and economic status'

what are the two major reasons why individuals identify themselves with a party?

Single-member districts, plurality/majority, election laws are designed to favor 2 major parties

what aspects of our Electoral system maintains the two-party system

public policy

what do interest groups seek to influence?

To create a particular belief that could be true or false.

what is propaganda's goal?

democratic-republican party; thomas jefferson

what party was founded by thomas jefferson who led the opposition

Federalist party; alexander hamilton

what party was the first party to appear? and who was its founder

idiots were those Citizens who did not vote or otherwise take part in public life and knew nothing about politics

who are idiots?

Because they have an impact on american politics and major parties

why are minor parties important

- Both parties are highly decentralized and fragmented ○ The party out of power lacks a strong leader ○ The federal system distributes powers widely, in turn causing the parties o be decentralized ○ The nominating process pits party members against one another because only one person can be chosen to be the party's presidential candidate

why are parties decentralized?

Because minor party presidential candidates were nominated more than one party and appeared on ballots of at least one state

why have minor parties failed to win elections?

congressional campaign commitee

work to reelect incumbents and to make sure that seats given up by retiring party members remain in the party. Also takes a hand in selected campaigns to unseat incumbents in the other party

What are Political Action Committees (PAC)?

• Part of an interest group which collect money from their members and give to candidates and parties that support their position