Exam 2

What is a Political Action Committee?

A Political Action Committee (PAC) is a type of organization that raises and spends money to influence elections and public policy. PACs can be affiliated with a particular interest group or corporation, and can make contributions to political candidates and parties.

Amicus curiae brief:

A legal document filed by a third party who has an interest in a case, but is not directly involved in it, to provide additional information or arguments to the court.

Issue networks:

A loose grouping of individuals and organizations who come together around a common policy issue, but may not have a formal organizational structure.

What is a party (electoral) realignment?

A party realignment is a dramatic shift in the political loyalties of voters that leads to a lasting change in the balance of power between political parties.

Economic conservative:

A political ideology that emphasizes fiscal responsibility, low taxes, and limited government regulation of the economy.

Economic liberal:

A political ideology that emphasizes free markets, individual liberty, and limited government intervention in the economy.

Social liberal:

A political ideology that emphasizes individual rights and freedoms, social justice, and government intervention to promote equality.

Social conservative:

A political ideology that emphasizes traditional values, law and order, and limited government intervention in social issues.

Partially-open primary:

A primary election in which registered members of a political party can vote only in their own party's primary, but unaffiliated voters can choose to participate in either party's primary.

Probability sampling:

A statistical technique for selecting a representative sample from a population.

What are the principal types (categories) of interest groups? Give examples of each.

economic interest groups (such as labor unions and business associations) environmental interest groups (such as the Sierra Club and Greenpeace) public interest groups (such as Common Cause and the League of Women Voters) single-issue interest groups (such as the National Rifle Association and Planned Parenthood).

What are some of the major influences on your political beliefs? provide some specific examples to show why and how these influences affect your views about politics and our political system.

family, friends, education, religion, and the media. For example, growing up in a conservative family may lead to conservative political beliefs, while attending a liberal college may lead to more liberal political beliefs. Additionally, exposure to certain media sources may reinforce or challenge existing political beliefs.

Agenda-setting

refers to the media's ability to influence the importance of certain issues in the public's mind.

The signaling function

refers to the media's ability to signal to the public which issues are most important and deserving of attention.

Priming

refers to the process by which the media can influence the salience of certain issues in the minds of the public.

Framing

refers to the way in which the media presents a story, which can influence how people interpret the information.

The fairness doctrine

requires broadcasters to provide balanced coverage of controversial issues.

The common-carrier function

requires broadcasters to provide equal access to all parties interested in broadcasting their views.

The equal-time rule

requires broadcasters to provide equal airtime to all candidates running for public office.

Litigation:

The process of taking legal action to resolve a dispute.

Iron triangles:

The term used to describe the mutually beneficial relationships between interest groups, government agencies, and congressional committees that share a common interest in a particular policy area.

What are the 4 factors journalists use for selecting news stories?

Timeliness, Proximity, Conflict, Relevance

In the U.S., why is voter turnout relatively low?

Voter turnout is relatively low in the U.S. due to a variety of factors, including voter apathy, a lack of trust in the political system, difficulties with voter registration, and the inconvenience of voting on Election Day.

Does the media influence citizens' behavior and attitudes? Why or why not?

Yes, the media can influence citizens' behavior and attitudes through the information they provide and how they present it. The media can shape public opinion by selectively reporting certain stories and using language that promotes particular views. This can impact how people perceive political events and issues, as well as influence their voting behavior.

Why are there so many interest groups?

because of the country's democratic system, which allows for the free expression of ideas and the formation of groups to advocate for those ideas.

What are some factors that tend to suppress voter turnout?

Factors that tend to suppress voter turnout include voter ID laws, long lines at polling stations, a lack of information about candidates and issues, and restrictions on early voting or voting by mail.

What are the four principal roles the national press plays when it comes to reporting political information? Describe the differences between them.

News gathering and reporting: involves collecting and disseminating information about political events and issues. Interpretation and analysis: involves providing context and analysis of political events and issues. Agenda setting: involves determining what issues are important and should be covered by the media. watchdog function: involves investigating and exposing government wrongdoing and holding politicians accountable for their actions.

Name and describe the different types of primaries.

Open primaries: allow any registered voter to participate Closed primaries: only allow registered party members to participate. Semi-closed primaries: allow registered party members and unaffiliated voters to participate, top-two primaries: allow all candidates to run and the top two vote-getters to advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation.

Are interest groups good or bad for democracy? Why?

Opinions on the impact of interest groups on democracy are mixed. Some argue that interest groups provide important representation for groups that might otherwise be overlooked, while others argue that interest groups can distort the political process and give undue influence to narrow interests over the broader public interest.

Political action committees (PACs):

Organizations that raise and spend money to influence political campaigns and elections. Super PACs: Independent expenditure-only committees that can raise unlimited funds from individuals, corporations, and unions to support or oppose political candidates.

Why do PAC's tend to spend more money on incumbents rather than challengers?

PACs tend to spend more money on incumbents because they are seen as more likely to win reelection and thus more likely to have influence over policy decisions.

When in our history have party realignments occurred?

Party realignments have occurred several times in U.S. history, including during the Civil War and Reconstruction era, the Great Depression and New Deal era, and the 1960s and 1970s.

What is political culture?

Political culture refers to the shared beliefs, values, and attitudes that shape the way a society views politics and government. It includes attitudes towards democracy, individual rights, and the role of government in society.

How do political parties in the U.S. compare to those in many Western European democracies?

Political parties in the U.S. tend to be more ideologically diverse and less organized than those in many Western European democracies, which often have more clearly defined ideological positions and party structures.

What is meant by the term, "political socialization"?

Political socialization refers to the process through which individuals acquire political attitudes, values, and beliefs. This process occurs through various means, including family, school, peers, and the media.

What is the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971?

The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971 is a U.S. federal law that regulates the financing of federal elections.

Describe the factors that help to explain why the U.S. has a two-party system.

The U.S. has a two-party system due to several factors, including winner-takes-all elections, single-member districts, and the absence of proportional representation. The dominance of the two major parties also makes it difficult for third parties to gain a foothold.

Lobbying:

The act of attempting to influence the decisions of policymakers, typically through personal contacts and persuasion.

In a federal election, if you are running as a candidate for a third party, what are your chances of winning?

The chances of winning for a third-party candidate in a federal election are typically low due to the dominance of the two major parties.

Sampling error:

The degree to which a sample differs from the population being studied.

Political vs. economic equality:

The difference between political equality, which refers to the equal right to participate in the political process, and economic equality, which refers to the equal distribution of wealth and resources in society.

What are some of the most serious problems about current campaign finance laws?

The include the influence of money in politics, the lack of transparency and accountability in campaign spending, and the impact of wealthy donors on the political process.

Candidate-centered campaigns vs. party-centered campaigns:

Candidate-centered campaigns focus on the personal qualities and platform of a specific candidate, while party-centered campaigns focus on the broader platform and ideology of a political party.

People who vote in primaries tend to be party activists. What might this imply for a candidate during the time of the general election?

Candidates who appeal to the party base may have an advantage in the primaries but may struggle to appeal to a broader electorate in the general election.

Which parties were dominant during those periods?

During the Civil War and Reconstruction era, the Republican Party was dominant. During the Great Depression and New Deal era, the Democratic Party was dominant. During the 1960s and 1970s, the Democratic Party became the dominant party in many areas of the country.

Explain how the Electoral College works. Defend why it should or shouldn't be replaced by the direct election of the President?

Each state is assigned a number of electors equal to the number of its representatives in Congress. The electors then vote for the President, and the candidate who receives a majority of the electoral votes (270 or more) becomes the President. One argument in favor of the Electoral College is that it ensures that candidates must win support across a broad geographic area, rather than just focusing on densely populated urban areas. Another argument is that it helps to preserve the balance of power between small and large states. However, critics argue that the Electoral College can result in candidates winning the presidency even if they do not win the popular vote, as happened in the 2000 and 2016 elections. They also argue that the Electoral College can discourage voter turnout in non-swing states, where voters may feel that their votes do not matter.

Single member districts:

Electoral districts in which only one representative is elected to a legislative body.

What are some indicators that a realignment has occurred?

Indicators that a realignment has occurred include changes in voter demographics, shifts in party platforms and policies, and significant changes in election outcomes at the national and state levels.

What are the four key dimensions to public opinion? Explain each.

Intensity: refers to the strength of an individual's feelings or beliefs about a particular issue. Stability: refers to the consistency of an individual's beliefs over time. Direction: refers to whether an individual's beliefs are positive or negative on a particular issue. Salience: refers to the importance of an issue to an individual.

What kinds of activities do they engage in?

Interest groups engage in a variety of activities, including lobbying lawmakers, organizing protests and rallies, running advertisements, and providing information and research on policy issues.

What gives interest groups their power? In other words, what are their most important resources they possess that enable them to exercise influence?

Interest groups' most important resources include money, membership, access to policymakers, and the ability to mobilize voters.

What was the significance of the Supreme Court case, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)?

It removed restrictions on corporate and union spending in political campaigns, leading to an increase in the influence of money in politics.

Prospective versus retrospective voting:

Prospective voting is when voters base their choices on the promises and policies of candidates, while retrospective voting is when voters base their choices on the performance of incumbents.

What are the differences between a realignment, split-level realignment, and de-alignment?

Realignment: refers to a significant and lasting shift in voter loyalty from one political party to another, split-level realignment: occurs when there is a realignment at the presidential level but not at the state or local level. De-alignment: refers to a decline in the influence of political parties and an increase in the number of independent or non-affiliated voters.

Agency capture:

The phenomenon in which regulatory agencies come to be dominated by the industries or interest groups they are supposed to regulate.

What types of factors may limit the media's ability to influence our political beliefs?

Some factors that may limit the media's ability to influence political beliefs include the diversity of news sources available, individual differences in cognitive processing, and pre-existing beliefs and values. Additionally, people may be more likely to seek out news that confirms their existing beliefs, and therefore be less influenced by contradictory information.

What are some of the key components of our political culture?

Some key components of American political culture include a belief in individualism, a commitment to democracy and the rule of law, and a sense of national identity and patriotism.

What are some of the shortcomings when trying to assess public opinion?

Some of the shortcomings when trying to assess public opinion include issues with the accuracy of polling methods, the difficulty of measuring attitudes and beliefs accurately, and the impact of social desirability bias, where people may give socially acceptable answers rather than their true beliefs.

What kinds of limits do the FECA impose on individual and PAC contributions?

The FECA imposes limits on the amount of money that individuals and PACs can contribute to political candidates and parties.