Political Science Exam 3 Study Guide
Liberals
- Democratic - MSNBC - Huffington's Posts
partisan function
- Efforts by media actors to influence public response to a particular party, leader, issue, or viewpoint. - Act as advocates for particular viewpoints
Super PACs
- Independent-expenditure-only committees - Election committees that are unrestricted in their fundraising and spending as long as they do not coordinate their campaign efforts with that of a candidate. - They can take advantage of loopholes in the law to delay or not report the sources of their money -
Government organizations
- Interest groups that represent state and local governments; also called SLIGs, for state and local interest groups
1970s media influence
- More than 50 million viewers watched the network news each evening - Roughly 60 million newspapers in circulation
partisan outlets
- On television, radio, the Internet, and social medial, this outlet becomes available - Some Americans rely on this source as their primary information source - They are outnumbered by those who prefer traditional news media
Closed primaries
- Participation is limited to voters registered with the party - Registered voters of the other party are not allowed o "cross over" to vote in the primary - Party's voters should have the power to choose its general election candidate
Inattentive audience
- People who only will tune into the news when something momentous occurs - Ex: The spread of COVID-19 in 2020
Conservative
- Republican - FOX News - Breitbart News
Taxpayers
- Spend around tens of millions of dollars - They could be enormously powerful if they all joined together in a single, cohesive group - However, most of them don't want to pay the dues to groups that would lobby on their behalf
The Texas Farm Bureau
- The largest farm organization in the state, represents large agricultural producers
Texas Farmers Union
- The oldest farm organization in the state, represents family farms and ranches
lobbying
- The practice of trying to influence members of the legislature, originally by catching legislators in the lobby of the Capitol - Direct communication with members of the legislature or executive branch of state government to influence legislation or administrative action - The most common technique used by interest groups to promote their interests
signaling (signaler) function
- The responsibility of the media to alert the public to important developments as soon as possible after they happen or are discovered
Fox News
- The second cable news channel - Conservative - Big republican audience
Black Lives Matter Movement
- an international activist movement, originating in the African-American community, that campaigns against violence, police brutality, and systemic racism toward black people. - emerged strongly after the death of George Floyd in 2020
Membership organizations
- they are private interest groups that have individual citizens or businesses as members
less likely than
Adults under 30 years of age are ______ those over 50 to follow the news.
- leaning toward particular ideologies - identifying with political parties
Americans' opinions about politics are formed in large measure through which of the following frames of reference?
Salience
An opinion dimension; how highly people rank an issue relative to other issues
Fake news
Entirely fictional stories that originate on the Internet that are aimed to undermine a political opponent
Multiparty political system
Is made up of at least three political parties
Twenty-sixth Amendment (1971)
Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18
Democrats
Opponents of voter ID laws tend to be
rent-seeking behavior
The actions by persons, firms, or unions to gain special benefits from government at the taxpayers' or someone else's expense.
The Texas Legislative Council
They provide excellent staff assistance in research and information
Their steps towards democracy
What were Eastern Europe's first steps toward building democracy after gaining freedom from the Soviet Union?
Freedom of Association
Which of the following constitutional rights most protect the role of interest groups in the U.S. political system?
The Northeast and West Coast
Which region delivers most of its electoral votes to the Democratic presidential nominee?
- Younger adults are more likely to change their residence from one election to the next, which requires them to register in order to retain their eligibility to vote.
Why are young adults substantially less likely than middle-aged and older citizens to vote?
Random Sampling
a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion
Conservatives
people who generally favor limited government and are cautious about change (small government)
Two distinguishing characteristics of political socialization
- 1. Although socialization continues throughout life, most people's political outlook in influenced by childhood learning - 2. The cumulative process. Early learning affects later learning because people's prior beliefs serve as a psychological screen though which new information is filtered
importance of frame of reference
- 1. They provide an indication of how people think politically - 2. When citizens share a frame of reference, they find it easier to work together
Local parties
- 95% of party activists work within this - They concentrate on elections (campaign periods) that coincide with local boundaries, such as races for mayor, city council, state legislature, and country offices - Take part in the congressional, statewide, and presidential contests, but in these cases, their role is typically secondary to that of candidates' personal campaign organizations - They also conduct their own get-out-to-vote operations, making use of computer technology and information collected through telephone and door-to-door efforts to construct their contact lists
Geographic Distribution of Interest Groups
- A characteristic of some interest groups is that they have members in all regions of the state - It allows groups to command the interest of more legislators. - Having members that are geographically distributed across the state is a key advantage for interest groups
Apathy
- A feeling of personal disinterest in or lack of concern. - This is a feeling that some Americans get because they could care so little about politics that they would not bother to vote even if a ballot were delivered to their door
Outside lobbying
- A form of lobbying in which an interest group seeks to use public pressure as a means of influencing officials. - Ex: Letter-writing campaigns or public demonstrations - All are aimed at convincing lawmakers that a group's policy position has popular support
Peak Business Association
- A interesting group devoted to statewide business interests - They try to primarily promote their member's interests, and they use a variety of means - They would support the legislation that would foster a "good business climate" in Texas - They present a united front against policies they view as harmful to business and business owners - They are most active at the state level and are well financed - Ex: Chamber of Commerce, Texas Association of Manufacturers, and the National Federation of Independent Business
Public Relations Activities
- A method in which interest groups try to influence policy by trying to influence an opinion in a particular issue and create a favorable public image for the group - To achieve this goal, organization might sponsor an educational program or other forum where people discuss policy issues
objective journalism
- A model of news reporting that is based on the communication of "facts" rather than opinions and that is "fair" in that it presents all sides of partisan debate. - Became the dominant reporting model in a few decades - Was promoted through newly formed journalism schools such as Columbia University and the University of Missouri
astroturf organizations
- A political term for an interest group that appears to have many grassroots members but does not have individual citizens as members; rather, it is sponsored by an organization such as a corporation or business association - It lacks a grassroots organization
Party competition
- A process in which conflict over society's goals is transformed by political parties into electoral competition in which the winner gains the power to govern. - It narrows voters' opinion to two and, in the process, enables people with different backgrounds and opinions to act in unison
Iron triangle
- A small and informal but relatively stable group of well-positioned legislators, executives (bureaucrats), and lobbyists who seek to promote policies beneficial to a particular interest. - Interest groups, congressional committees, and executive agencies - They have an inside track to well-positioned legislatures and bureaucrats - They can count on getting a full hearing on issues affecting them - Consists of like-minded interests - The relationship is "solid and enduring" - The groups provide lobbying support for agency programs and campagin contributions to members of Congress
Political Action Committee (PAC)
- A spin-off of an interest group that collects money for campaign contributions and other activities - They are organizations that collect and distribute money to candidates and, as such, are a more specialized kind of interest group - They are required to register with the Federal Election Commission at the time they are formed
Two-party system
- A system in which only two political parties have a chance of acquiring control of the government. - This is what the U.S. has
James Madison
- Address the perennial issue of the power of interest groups states in the Federalist papers - Warned against the "dangers of faction" - Acknowledged that society has a obligation to protect the rights of groups to freely organize but also said that society is harmed when groups are overly powerful - He thought that the implication of a check and balances, with a seperation of powers at its core, would prevent a majority faction from trampling in the interest of smaller groups -
Agents of Socialization
- Agents, such as the family and the media, that have a significant impact on citizens' political socialization.
Open primaries
- Allow independents and sometimes voters of the other party to vote in the party's primary (although they cannot vote simultaneously in both parties' primaries) - It gives all voters a say in the choices they will have in the general election
Citizens groups
- Also called noneconomic groups, organized interests formed by individuals drawn together by opportunities to promote a cause in which they believe but that does not provide them significant individual economic benefits. - Is joined together by purposive incentive - They are "groups anyone can join" - They have to deal with the free riders
Political movements
- Also called social movements, active and sustained efforts to achieve social and political change by groups of people who feel that government has not been properly responsive to their concerns. - a way for disenchanted citizens to voice their displeasure with government policy
Low-choice media system
- America's OLDER system of media - A media system in which people have a small number of news outlets available to them, which limits their choices. - Ex: Having only three: ABC, CBS, NBC
Issue network
- An informal and relatively open network of public officials and lobbyists who come together in response to a proposed policy in an area of interest to each of them. Unlike an iron triangle, an issue network disbands after the issue is resolved. - They're a result of the increasing complexity of policy problems - Is built around specialized knowledge - Participants must understand the issue in question in order to engage it in a meaningful way - Participants must come from a variety of executive agencies, congressional committees, interests groups, and institutions such as universities or think tanks - Participants can choose to drop while others can join - They include opposing interests
Political party
- An ongoing coalition of interests joined together to try to get their candidates for public office elected under a common label. - Give the chance to directly influence the direction of the government
Interest group
- An organization of individuals sharing common goals that try to influence government decision - They are distinct from political parties in which their members are NOT trying to gain election to public office - Play a huge role in the democratic society - They are capable of exerting positive and negative effects on political processes and outcomes
Interest Groups (Factions, pressure groups, special interest, lobbying group)
- Any organization that actively seeks to influence public policy. - Are similar and different to political parties - They are a linkage mechanism: they connect citizens with governing officials - Unlike political parties, which address a range of issue in order to attract a coalition broad enough to win elections, this organization focus narrowly on issues of direct concern - Can get involved in elections - Main job: To influence the policies that affect the elections
Religious organizations
- Are a powerful childhood socialization agent - Religion can have a formative influence on children's attitudes, including beliefs about society's obligations to the poor and the unborn
Smaller interest groups
- Are ordinarily more united on policy issues and often have more resources, enabling them to win out against larger groups
Trade Associations
- Are represented in Washington and collectively spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually on lobbying - A type of interest group that represents business firms of a particular kind, such as insurance companies? - Ex: National Mining Association and PhRMA (Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America)
Positions of authority
- Are sources of opinion - Few developments illustrate that type of response more clearly than how Americans reacted to the advice of public officials and healthcare experts on how to protect themselves from the threat posed by COVID-19. They responded by engaging in social distancing and foregoing unnecessary travel outside the home.
Private (individual) goods
- Benefits that a group (most often an economic group) can grant directly and exclusively to individual members of the group. - Ex: Jobs and positions - These goods can be held back - If an individual is unwilling to pay organizational dues, the group can withhold the benefit
Top-two primaries
- California, Louisiana, Nebraska, and Washington conduct this primary - Candidates are listen on the primary ballot without regard to party; the top two finishers become the general election candidates
Leadership and Organization of Interest Groups
- Can be important regarding the power of interest groups - Many interest groups hire former legislators to help them - Some groups are decentralized with a loose-knit membership, which makes mobilization difficult - Other groups, such as TML are highly organized, monitor legislation being considered, and can easily contact select members to influence bills while they are still on the committee
Judicial Branch Lobbying
- Can sometimes achieve their policy goals through the courts - They can influence the selection of federal judge - Lawsuits can also be implemented - They sometimes can get involved though amicus curiae
News Media
- Candidates use this to get their point across, although the amount of coverage they get varies widely by location and office - Many candidates of the House are often ignored by the local news media
Reasons for low voter turnout
- Demanding registration requirement (we as people are individually responsible) - Moving to another address requires someone to register all over again - Voter identification laws (Ex: requirement of a government-issued ID like a driver's license or passport)
AARP (American Association of Retired Persons)
- Demonstrated that strength can be in numbers - Congress ranked this organization as the nation's most powerful lobbying group
Economic class
- Does influence American's opinions on some issues (health care) - Particularly relating to upper and lower class relations on things such as work
State Party Organizations
- Each party is headed by a central committee made up of members of local party organizations and state officeholders - Are relatively small, having fewer than 20 full time employers - Engage in activities, such as fundraising and voter registration that can improve their candidates for success - They play a smaller role in campaigns for national and local offices, and in most states, do not endorse candidates in statewide primaries
Candidate-Centered Campaigns
- Election campaigns and other political processes in which candidates, not political parties, have most of the initiative and influence - Individual candidates devise their own strategies, choose their own issues, and form their own campaign organizations
Party-Centered Campaigns
- Election campaigns and other political processes in which political parties, not individual candidates, hold most of the initiative and influence. - The Republic and Democratic parties compete across the country, election after election
Party Realignments
- Elections or sets of elections in which the electorate responds strongly to an extraordinarily powerful issue that has disrupted the established political order. It has a lasting impact on public policy, popular support for the parties, and the composition of the party coalitions. - The parties organize themselves
revolving door
- Employment cycle in which individuals who work for governmental agencies that regulate interests eventually end up working for interest groups or businesses with the same policy concern. - Many members upon retirement join firms - Its prohibited by law from lobbying Congress for a set period of time after leaving office, they are free to do so thereafter and usually lobby in the policy areas that they worked on while in Congress
Lobbyists strategies to avoid
- Giving misinformation and misleading information to congressional members - Bullying (threatening, violence, etc)
Broadcaster requirements
- Had to be licensed by the FCC - Licenses were limited by number - Licenses were required to be impartial in their political coverage and were prohibited from selling or giving airtime to a political candidate without offering to sell or give an equal amount to their candidates for the same office
CNN
- Has been one of the most fully treats the news as a form of entertainment
Region
- Has been the defining issue of American politics - The North and South were deeply divided over questions of race and state rights which persisted for a century after their bitter civil war - Red states are clustered in the South, Great Plains, and Rocky Mountains, whereas the blue state are clustered in the North east and West Coast
The NRA (National Rifle Association)
- Has caused the U.S. to lag behind other Western societies in its gun control laws, despite opinion polls indicating that most Americans would like to see stricter controls on guns - Has both lots of money and a committed membership - Most of the money has been spent on election campaigns - Has 3 million members whom many of them can be counted on to support pro-gun candidates and oppose those who seek stricker gun laws
Incumbents
- Have a distinct advantage in fundraising - They have contributor lists from past campaigns and, because they are in office, they have the policy influence that donors are seeking - They outraise challengers more than two to one
Schools
- Have a influence on the child's basic political beliefs - Teachers at the elementary level particularly praise the country's political institutions and mark the birthdays of national heroes such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King.
National Party Organizations
- Have organizational units although these is no chain of command that connects the local, state, and national organizations - This organization cannot tell the state organizations what to do, and in turn, the states cannot either
Andrew Jackson
- He wanted to take political power from the entrenched elites - Sought a grassroots party - Saw a reorganized Democratic Party as the vehicle for reform - Because of the efforts of his Democratic Party, such efforts, along with the extension of voting rights to citizens without property, contributed to a nearly fourfold rise in election turnout during the 1830s
Federal Targets for Interest Groups
- House of Representatives - The Senate - Executive Branch - The Courts - Each of the 50 states (specific POIs for a group)
Conservative and Liberal Similarities
- How they speak which includes: - Name-calling, misrepresentation, mockery, character assassination, belittling, and imagined catastrophe are but only a few
Outrage
- IS the selling card of conservative and liberal talk shows alike - The approach of most partisan Internet sites - They seek to inflame the partisan divide by nearly every conceivable means, including, in some cases, outright lies and distortions
Difference between Iron triangles and Issue Networks
- In an iron triangle, a common interest brings the participants together in a long-lasting and mutually relationship - In an issue network, an immediate brings together the participants in a temporary network that is based on their ability to knowledgably address the issue and where they voice seperate interests before disbanding once the issue is settled
Packing
- In modern campaigning, the process of recasting a candidate's record into an appealing image. - Highlighting those aspects of the candidate's policy positions and personality that are thought to be most attractive to voters - Ex: Andrew Jackson's self-portrayal in the 19th century as the "champion of the people"
Group Crosscutting
- In which multiple group loyalties diminish a person's identification with a single group? - Each group includes individuals who also belong to other groups, where they can encounter different opinions - Has long been a unifying force in the nations politics, but this influence is weakening - Americans are increasingly divided by how they look, and where they live contributing to the rise of identity politics, which puts groups against each other politically.
Court System
- Interest groups can advance their cause and influence their policy by funding lawsuits and suining individuals, organizations, or government entities. - They also can file amicus curiae to try yo influence courts decisions
Money of Interest Groups
- Interest groups need this to fund their lobbying, electioneering and public relations efforts - Its also an important resource for other less obvious reasons like: - Hiring of full-time staff - Traveling - Astroturf organizations
Economic groups
- Interest groups that are organized primarily for economic reasons but that engage in political activity in order to seek favorable policies from government - Consist of: Corporations, labor unions, farm groups, and professional associations, among others that exist primarily for economic purposes-to make profits, provide jobs, improve pay, or protect an occupation - The organizational muscle in American politics primarily rests with this group
Nonmembership organizations
- Interest groups that represent corporations and businesses and do not have broad-based citizen support - These include individuals, single corporations, businesses, law firms, or freelance hobbies; their membership is not open to the general public - Its the largest category of interest group
Retail Trade Associations
- Interest groups that represent more specific business interests than peak business associations do - Ex: Texas has a Texas and Gas Association, which represents oil and gas producers, and the Texas Trucking Association, which represents the trucking industry
State and local interests groups (SLIGs)
- Interest groups that represent state and local governments, such as the Texas Association of Counties - Consists of government employees and officials that represent the organization - The goal of these groups is to protect the local government's interest from the action of the state legislature, the governor, and state agencies Ex: Texas Municipal League, Texas Police Chiefs Association, the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas, etc.
Family
- Is a powerful primary agent because it has a near-monopoly on the attention of a young child, who trust what a parent says - By the time children reach adulthood, many of the beliefs and values that will stay with them throughout life are firmly in place
Mass Media
- Is a powerful socializing agent - Politics for the average citizen is a secondhand affair, observed mainly through the media rather than directly - Things that we watch can influence our beliefs on certain things and ideals
Executive Branch lobbying
- Is directed at the president and presidential staff, but the are less accessible than top officials in the agencies, who are the chief targets - group influence is particularly strong in the regulatory agencies that oversee the nation's business sectors
Large Interest groups
- It has a large staff that lobbies the federal government. - It can generate a large amount of mail to members of Congress. - It is well-financed, even though individual members' dues are low.
Fairness Doctrine (1949)
- It required radio and television broadcasters to "afford reasonable opportunity for the discussion of conflicting views of public importance." - Prohibited broadcasters from using their news coverage to promote one party or issue position at the expense of another
Message Abundance
- It tends to create information overload, reducing people's ability on concentrating on any particular tasks - Our digital tools magnify this effect (phone, laptop, etc)
2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act
- It was passed and individual taxpayers clearly benefited, receiving an average annual tax cut of nearly $1,300, increasing their after-tax income by 1.7 percent. - Corporations got a significantly larger cut, having their income tax rate reduced from 35 percent to 21 percent
grassroots lobbying
- It's defined as communication with the general public that attempts to influence specific legislation by expressing a view about that legislation and urging the public to act - Goal: to mobilize supporters to advocate for their organization
Yellow Journalism
- Journalism exploits, distorts, or exaggerates the news to create sensations and attract readers. - Sensationalized
Interest Groups ways of Influence
- Lobbying - Public Relation Activities - Grassroots Lobbying - Public Officials
Interest Group Domination Causes
- Low levels of voter turnout - Traditionalistic/individualistic political culture - Decentralized Administrative Structure
Adolph Ochs
- Made the new model of objective journalism - Bought The New York Times in 1896 which became one of the best newspapers in the world
Republican party representation
- Made up of non-Hispanic white Americans - White evangelical or born-again Christians are the largest part of this political party - Smaller margins are mostly older adults and higher-income Americans
Hard News
- Media coverage focused on facts and important issues surrounding a campaign - Breaking events involving public figures, major issues, or significant disruption to daily routines)
Soft News
- Media coverage that aims to entertain or shock, often through sensationalized reporting or by focusing on a candidate or politician's personality. - Celebrity gossip, hard-luck stories, good-luck tales, sensational crimes, scandals in high places, and other human interest stories
Gender
- Men and Women think alike on many issues, they also diverge on others - Polls have found for example, that women have more liberal opinions than men on educated and social welfare issues, reflecting their greater economic vulnerability and greater role in child care - Women also differ from men on issues of national defense
Democratic party representation
- More Diverse - White voters make up the majority - 2/5ths of the parties votes are from minority-group members - Black Americans vote roughly nine-to-one in this political party - Hispanic and Asians vote two-to-one in this political party
Collective (public) goods
- Most noneconomic groups offer this type of goods - Benefits that are offered by groups (usually citizens' groups) as an incentive for membership but that are nondivisible (such as a clean environment) and therefore are available to nonmembers as well as members of the particular group. - The goods belong to all; they cannot be granted or withheld on a individual basis (people can choose to pay dues or not) - Ex: The air people breath and the national forests people visit
Misinformation
- One of the main causes of the public's weak understanding of political issues and topics - When citizens lose touch with reality, lawmakers face impossible tasks
Group Reinforcement
- Opinions are intensified by personal interactions
Professional Associations
- Organizations promoting the interests of individuals who generally must hold a state-issued license to engage in their profession - Members must hold a professional license by the state, and the state regulates their scope of practice - Single-head business people - Ex: Special interest in - athletic trainers, cosmetologists, plumbers, engineers, dentists, etc.
Retail trade Associations
- Organizations seeking to protect and promote the interests of member businesses involved in the sales of goods and services - Primary goal: To protect their trades from state regulations that the group deem undesirable and to support regulation and policies favorable to the groups' interests
Minor (Third) Parties
- Over 1000 of them in history - If they start to gain following on an issue, one of the major parties likely picks up the issue, at which time it will begin to take support away from them - The only one that has received majority status is the Republican Party - They were single-issue parties that were formed around an issue of overriding interest to their followers - Have anti-parties (they arose out of a belief that partisan politics is a corrupting influence)
PACs requirements to the Texas Ethics Commission
- PACs must create complete reports identifying every donor who contributed at least $50 to the campaign. - PACs cannot contribute to candidates during a window that begins 30 days prior to the legislative session and ends 20 days after the session ends. - PACs are required to designate a campaign treasurer
Americans recognition of protest
- People realized that protest are a part of America's tradition of free expression, they do not embrace them as fully as the do voting. - Many Americans would prefer that people voice their discontent at the ballot box rather than by taking to the streets. - In this sense, most Americans see protest as something to be accepted, but not always something to be admired.
Private sectors
- Privately owned by an individual, partners or a group of people called shareholders. The aim is to make a profit. - Medical, legal, and other aforementioned professions
Effect's of the FCC eliminating the Fairness Doctrine (1987)
- Radio stations quickly responded to this change in policy - They had previously been required to air public affairs content, which meant that radio stations that featured rock or country music carried brief newscasts each hour - Most of them dropped their newscasts - It also spawned partisan radio talk shows - Station owners no longer had to worry about carrying programs that ran counter to their political beliefs - Most of these stations were conservative slant
Campaigning
- Referred to as the election game - Requires lots of money - In this day, almost 2 billion dollars has been spent for this along amongst the House and Senate
Ku Klux Klan (KKK)
- Religious hatred sparked the rebirth of this group, which resurrected itself in the early 1900s as anti-Catholic, as well as anti-Jewish, anti-Mormon, and anti-Black - At the peak of the 1920s, one in every six Protestant adult members was a Klan member - It took the nation's all-out effort in WWII to convince the Protestant majority that Catholics weren't their enemy
Texas Municipal League (TML)
- Represents Texas city officials, has a comparatively smaller membership of 1,160 out of about 1,200 Texas cities - Its processes are so organized that it functions efficiently without constant contact with its members. - Includes membership of influential public officials, such as mayors and council members - Has focused committees - Has a list of representatives and senators keyed with local officials - They contact local officials and ask them, in turn, to contact representatives and senators regarding legislation
Souths tricks pertaining to voting of African Americans
- Required a literacy test as a precondition for eligibility to vote - They purposely made the test as difficult (it was so hard the examiner had to look up the answers) as possible and only administered it to Black people - For the people who would pass the test, their names would be sometimes posted in the local newspaper where employers, local police, and KKK members could know the names of the "troublemakers." - In Mississippi in the late 1950s only about 1 in 25 of it's Black citizens were registered to vote.
1980 media influence
- Roughly 25 million viewers watched the network news each evening - Roughly 30 million newspapers in circulation
Main qualities for participation in interest groups
- Skills - Money - Contacts - Time to participate
The reason for the failure of political movements
- Some past movements (anarchist and communist movements) had goals that were so at odds with American values that they failed to attract sizable followings - Others failed because they lacked the resources to sustain the effort - They can also fail if they are unable to find ways to institutionalize their goals
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commision
- Supreme Court ruled, that federal laws restricting campagin spending by corporations and unions violated their right of free expression. - The Court held that corporations and unions can spend an unlimited amount of their funds on election, as long as the spending is not directly coordinated with that of the candidate or party they're supporting - This made Super PACs
Right-to-work laws
- Texas IS one of the 27 states with these laws - Legislation stipulating that a person cannot be denied employment because of membership or nonmembership in a labor union or other labor organization - Among other things, these laws prohibited union shops where all workers are required to join the union within 90 days of being employed as a condition of keeping their jobs - It also prohibits compulsory union dues or membership
High-choice media system
- The PRESENT system of media - A media system in which people have a small number of news outlets available to them, which limits their choices.
Watchdog function
- The accepted responsibility of the media to protect the public from incompetent or corrupt officials by standing ready to expose any official who violates accepted legal, ethical, or performance standards. - American press takes responsibility for exposing incompetent, hypocritical, and corrupt officials - Ex: Watergate scandal
Voter fatigue
- The condition in which voters grow tired of all candidates by the time Election Day arrives, and may thus be less likely to vote. - results from a high frequency of elections, such as having primary, general, and referenda elections?
Nineteenth Amendment
- The constitutional amendment adopted in 1920 that guarantees women the right to vote (women were not allowed to vote until this amendment was passed).
Television's impact
- The intro to this device in the 1950s provided candidates with the tool they needed to take greater control of their campaigns - These ads proved to be an effective way to promote their candidacies, and it quickly became the principal medium of election campaigning - Candidates spend lots of money on these specific ads (accounts for half of a candidate's spending) - Helped them communicate directly with the supporters
Media Outlets
- The key intermediary between American citizens and their leaders - They seek to attract an audience by meeting people's information needs, playing to their partisan bias, or feeding their desire to be entertained
Common-carries function
- The media function as an open channel through which political leaders can communicate with the public - Leaders at all levels of government relied on the media to get their messages out - Leaders need news coverage to get their public's attention and support, and citizens need to know what the government is doing
Presidential race
- The most expensive campaign - Several billion dollars was spent on the 2020 election alone which was spent on the candidates, party organizations,a nd independent groups
Movement Against Gun Violence
- The movement had a relatively low profile until the 2018 mass killing at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The school's students responded with an impassioned please for an end to school shootings. The movement sought to pressure lawmakers at the national, state, and local levels to enact tougher gun control measures, including rigorous background checks on gun buyers and a ban on military-style assault rifles, which had been used in several mass killings.
Television
- The number one source of political media - By the late 1950s nearly 90% of families had one - Fairness Doctrine
Political action committee (PAC)
- The organization through which an interest group raises and distributes funds for election purposes. By law, the funds must be raised through voluntary contributions. - A groups contributions to candidates are funneled through here - Can solicit voluntary contributions from members or employees and then donate this money to candidates - The ceiling is 10,000 per candidate - There are roughly around 4,000 PACs and more than 60 percent of them are associated with business - Contribute roughly seven times as much money to incumbents as to their challengers - They recognize that incumbents are likely to win and this to remain in a position of power
Party identification
- The personal sense of loyalty that an individual may feel toward a particular political party. - Is not formal membership in a party but rather an emotional attachment to it - the feeling that "I am a Democrat" or "I am Republican." -
Registration
- The practice of placing citizens' names on an official list of voters before they are eligible to exercise their right to vote. - It was a way to limit casters to only one vote - Is controlled by the state governments
Framing
- The process by which the media play up certain aspects of a situation while downplaying other aspects, thereby providing a particular interpretation of the situation - Journalists select a particular aspect of the situation and build their story around it
Priming
- The process in which the media highlight certain aspects of an issue or event and not other aspects, thereby affecting how people respond to the issue or event. - Its the way in which framing of a message affects how people interpret it
Modern Inside lobbying
- The process rests primarily on the skillful use of information - Lobbyist concentrate on providing lawmakers with arguments and evidence that support their position - The goal is to persuade officials with what the groups wants done is the best course of action - Is typically directed at policymakers who are inclined to support the group rather than those who have opposed it in the past (this reflects both difficulty of persuading opponents to change their long-held views and the advantage of working through sympathetic officials)
Free-rider problem
- The situation in which the benefits offered by a group to its members are also available to nonmembers. The incentive to join the group and to promote its cause is reduced because nonmembers receive the benefits (for example, a cleaner environment) without having to pay any of the group's costs. - Individuals can obtain the goods even if they don't contribute to the group - Ex: National Public Radio (NPR) programs are funded primarily through listeners donations, those who do not contribute are able to listen for free to its programs.
Agency Capture
- The situation where a regulatory agency sides with the industry it is supposed to regulate rather than with the public that it is supposed to protect - Ex: The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved of the marketing of Vioxx which generated $2.5 billion a year. However, the product was very unsafe and causes users to suffer a high number of strokes and heart attacks
Texas Ethics Commission (TEC)
- The state agency responsible for enforcing requirements for interest groups and candidates for public office to report information on money collected and activities - They administer and enforce laws related to lobbying, political fundraising and spending, and financial disclosure by state officials (among other duties) - They enforce laws relating to lobbying, campaign finance, registration for certain interest groups
Political Party Competition of Interest Groups
- The strength of political parties in the state can influence the strength of interest groups - States with two strong, competitive parties that recruit and support candidates for office can offset the influence of interest groups attempting to put their candidate forward - A history of weak party structure has contributed to the power of interest groups
Populists
- The strongest ideological party - Had a presidential nominee names James B. Weaver who won 9 percent of the national vote and carried six western states on a radical platform that included a call for government takeover of the railroads
Progressive Party
- The strongest of the reform parties - A group in the early 1900s that successfully pressured a number of states and localities into adopting primarily elections, recall elections, nonpartisan elections, initiatives, and popular referendums
Religious right
- The strongest religious group in today's politics - Consists mostly of white evangelical Protestants - Their opinions on social issues differ sharply from those of the public as a whole - These people mostly support conservative values
MSNBC
- The third cable news channel - Liberal
Citizens groups
- They do not have inherent advantages - They do not generate profits or fees as a result of economic activity
The Contribution of Groups to Self-Government: Pluralism
- They notes the promotion of a special interest often benefits others interests as well - Interest groups expand the range of issues that get lawmakers attention - Political parties sometimes avoid controversial issues and, in any case, concentrate on the most important prominent issues, which leaves hundred's of issues unaddressed through the party system - Interest groups advocate against many of these ideas
Problems with polls
- They rarely have a list of all individuals in the population from which to sample - Some Americans don't have phones, and many of them who are called will not be come or refuse to participate - The refusal rate has increased sharply in recent decades - Some citizens responses cannot be regarded as valid - Respondents are not always truthful
Inadverted viewers
- They watched less out of a keen interest in the news and more because they were addicted to watching television - Prodomitly children - They are few in number
Economic Diversity of Interest Groups
- This can affect the strength of an interest group operating within that state - No single industry or group can completely dominate the economy - Many interest cancel each other out
The #MeToo Movement
- This movement virtually spread as a social medial hashtag to show the extent to which women are subjected to sexual assault and harassment - It contribute to the firing or resignation of a large number of powerful men, including Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, television host Charlie Rose, casino magnate Steve Wynn, and U.S. Representative John Conyers. - The movement's larger goal was to raise awareness of the level of sexual misconduct, show its devastating effect on victims, and pressure firms and organizations to take steps to stop it.
Internet
- To to the lower cost of entry, freedom of press is actively enjoyed by a larger number of Americans than ever before - The news on this is called "the long tail"
U.S. Frequency of Elections
- U.S. holds more elections than other nations - U.S. holds elections for the lower chamber more often as every two years compared to other democracies - No democracy schedules the election of the chief executive more frequently than every four years compared to the U.S. - The U.S. uses primary electors to select the party nominees
Impact of major events (political socialization)
- Vietnam War - World War II - 911 - Great Depression - These are examples of attacks and events that had a lasting influence in Americans' opinions. Youngest citizens were the main ones affected
American news media
- Was initially tied to the nation's political party system (the partisan press) but gradually developed an independent position (the objective press) - Shifted from a political orientation, which emphasizes political values and ideas, to a journalistic orientation, which stresses newsworthy information and events
Fiftheenth Amendment (1870)
- Was passed after the Civil War - African Americans benefited on this the most - States that, "a state cannot abridge the right to vote on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude."
Professionalism of the State Legislature of Interest Groups
- Well-paid legislatures with professional staffs depend less on information supplied by interest groups, and the information exchange between lobbyists and legislatures is reduced - The Texas Legislature has improved staff quality in recent years; most members have full-time staff in Austin and their local offices - The Texas Legislature Council provides excellent staff assistance in research and information
Tea Party Movement
- Were expressing their opposition to taxes - The advocates of this political movement called for sharp reductions in federal spending, saying in their "Contract for America," "Our moral, political, and economic liberties are inherent, not granted by our government. It is essential to the practice of these liberties that we be free from restriction over our political expression and free from excessive control over economic choices." - Most successful movements of recent history
Older Americans
- What age group makes up the largest share of the traditional news audience - They came out of the age during broadcast era and developed a habit of reading the print newspaper and watching newscasts at a scheduled time
Call to action
- Words that urge the reader, listener, or viewer of a sales promotion message to take an immediate action - They take several forms: - Asking individuals to contact their elected officials, providing their names and contact information for pertinent representatives, or providing a means of communicating with representatives such as a postcard that can be mailed or an email link that can be used to send a message to a representative
Distraction of media
- Works against an informed public and affects even those who pay attention to the news - It results from the accelerated pace of media messages - The typical citizen in the U.S. spends around 10 hours a day on media - Americans are exposed to hundreds of discrete messages each day, everything from the ads they see on TV to social media messages they receive to the images and statements they encounter in news stories (Message abundance)
Business groups
- are usually few in number and have an incentive to work together to influence government on issues of joint interests - they exemplify the advantage of small size groups - Ex: General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler (U.S. automobile industry) - Their sector is divided into numerous industries, most of which include only a small number of major firms
Candidate-centered campaigns
- encouraged national officeholders to respond to local issues - made it easier for political newcomers to win high office - have disadvantages: - they provide abundant opportunities for powerful interest groups to shower money on candidate's - they also have weak accountability by making it easier for officeholders to deny personal responsibility for government failings
Party loyalty
- loyalty of people to a political party - because of this people with this trait are heightened pertaining to the interest of voting
Public sectors
- part of the economy controlled by the government - public school educators - Ex: TSTA (Texas State Teachers Association)
lobbying
- refers broadly to efforts by groups to influence public policy through contact with public officials. - the process by which interest-group members and lobbyists attempt to influence public policy through contacts with public officials.
Limits on Public Influence
-Inconsistencies in citizens' policy preferences -Citizens' lack of understanding of issues -Mastery of issues not necessary for opinion to be of value, but some issues require understanding - Contradictions in what citizens say that want
Three basic elements of a realignment
1. The emergence of unusually powerful and divisive issues 2. Election contests in which the voters shift their partisan support 3. An enduring change in the parties' policies and coalitions
Voter turnout for State Elections
42% of people in U.S.
Voter turnout for Local Elections
6% of people in the U.S.
Voter turnout for Federal Elections
60% of people in U.S.
The Spanish-American War
A circulation battle between William Randolph Hearst's New York Journal and Joseph Pulitzer's New York World may have contributed to what? (It had largely inaccurate reports on the Spanish rule in Cuba)
public opinion poll
A device for measuring public opinion whereby a relatively small number of individuals (the sample) are interviewed for the purpose of estimating the opinions of a whole community (the population).
Alienation
A feeling of personal powerlessness that includes the notion that government does not care about the opinions of people like oneself.
Ideology
A general belief about the role and purpose of government.
sampling error
A measure of the accuracy of a public opinion poll, mainly a function of sample size and usually expressed in percentage terms. (plus or minus percentage)
Grassroots party
A political party organized at the level of the voters and dependent on their support for its strength.
Multiparty system
A system in which three or more political parties have the capacity to gain control of government, separately or in coalition.
the use of military force
According to recent polls, which of the following are men much more likely to support than women?
The nation settled into the pattern of competition between the Republican and Democratic PArties that has lasted through this day in age
After the Civil War, what happened pertaining to political parties?
True
All media outlets, including those on the Internet, that are in the business of creating and reporting original news stories are part of the news media. (True or False)
News Media
All media outlets, whether broadcast, print, cable, or on the Internet, that are in the business of creating and reporting original news stories
build support among voters
All party organizations have a responsibility to Blank______.
800
All the states that border Mexico all have over how many registered lobbyists?
Partially open primaries
Allow independents but not registered voters of the other party to participate
Primary election
Also called a direct primary, a form of election in which voters choose a party's nominees for public office. In most states, eligibility to vote in a primary election is limited to voters who designated themselves as party members when they registered to vote.
Single-member system
Also called a winner-take-all system or a plurality system, an electoral system in which the candidate who gets the most votes (the plurality) in an election district is elected to office from that district.
Candidate
Although party organizations still manage many tasks related to elections, the lead role in elections now lies with the Blank______.
Third parties
America's plurality, or winner-take-all, system of electing candidates works to the disadvantage of Blank______.
Media Gatekeepers
Among the countless message possibilities each day, they determine which ones will be transmitted to the public
Texas Railroad Commission
An agency that was originally created to regulate railroads, also oversees the state's oil industry.
Trustee
An elected representative whose obligation is to act in accordance with his or her own conscience as to what policies are in the best interests of the public.
Delegate
An elected representative whose obligation is to act in accordance with the expressed wishes of the people he or she represents.
Sources of opinion
An individual's peers-friends, neighbors, coworkers, etc.
Intensity
An opinion dimension; how strongly people feel about an issue.
Direction
An opinion dimension; whether people have a pro or con opinion on an issue.
Yes
Are Americans more and more today interacting less with those of different backgrounds?
Generations and Age
As a generation comes of age, it encounters a different political environment than its predecessors, with the result that its political view will differ somewhat from those of earlier generations
More likely
As compared to other democracies, how likely are Americans to contribute time and money to political and community organizations?
Yes
Because of federalism and the separation of powers, do interest groups have multiple points of entry through which to influence policy?
Hard money
Campaign funds given directly to candidates to spend as they choose.
Citizens believe the cause is a worthy one
Citizens are willing to participate in the protection of the environment, return of prayer to public schools, or feeding the poor at home or abroad simply because of what?
Indiana Republican-controlled legislature
Claimed that vote identification laws was needed to precen t voter fraud
Texas Past Economy Drivers
Cotton, Cattle, Banking, Oil
Major Political Parties
Democrats and Republicans
Yes
Did many early american leaders mistrust political parties?
Inside lobbying
Direct communication between organized interests and policymakers, which is based on the assumed value of close ("inside") contacts with policymakers.
Fail
Do most political movements achieve or fail?
Yes
Do people tend to withhold information from peers?
Smaller groups (ANS)
Do smaller or larger interest groups usually previal?
More
Does the U.S. hold more or less elections than any other nation?
Free Trade
During the Trump presidency, the opinions of and policies supported by congressional Republicans regarding a specific issue changed, illustrating how abrupt shifts in public opinion can alter the boundaries of acceptable action. On which issue did Republicans change their opinion?
Tangible payoffs, including bribes
Early lobbying relied on the efforts of what?
Occupy Wall Street
Emerged in 2011, it began small -- a single encampment in NEw York City's Zuccotti Park, adjacent to Wall Street. Within a few weeks, however, it had spread to dozens of American cities. OWS was sparked by the government's bailout of the financial industry and its failure to hold bankers accountable for their role in the financial crisis of 2008.
Alexander Hamilton
Envisioned a nation connected by commerce and a strong central government and organized by his followers in the Federalist Party
- draw attention to an issue previously ignored by the two major candidates - encourage one or both major parties to address issues introduced by the third party
Even if a third-party candidate fails to win an election, the candidate will sometimes accomplish which of the following?
America
Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville wrote that the "principle of association" was nowhere clearer than in where? (which meant that no other nation has as many organized interest groups as who)
against U.S. military action
Generally, protests Blank______ have not been popular in the United States.
Partisanship
Government action based on firm allegiance to a political party
Cooperate tax cut time
Has no time limit
reduced
Has technology reduced, eliminate, or increase the rate of the free-rider problem?
Yes
Have interest groups been quite effective in swaying courts in favor of a particular argument
Influential groups
Have one of two resources: - A lot of money - Or a committed membership
James Madison
He liked parties to special interests - He realized that parties was the best way for like-minded leaders and citizens to act together to achieve common goals
Informed Americans
Heavy consumers of traditional news are best for what type of Americans?
A moderate view
Heavy consumers of traditional news have what type of political view as a result of their exposure to news that highlights the actions of both parties?
It upheld the Indiana law.
How did the Supreme Court rule on the Indiana law requiring citizens to obtain a government-issued voter identification card in order to vote?
They develop when people with a shared interest have the opportunity and incentive to join together
How do interest groups develop?
- They focus on issues that may not have broad impact. - They focus on issues that may be controversial.
How do interest groups expand the range of issues that come to lawmakers' attention?
The staff provides most of the research for legislators, who rely less on interest group research.
How does a well-compensated, professional legislative staff reduce the influence of interest groups?
There is far less provision of entertainment, food, and bribes, but it is still a key part of the process.
How has the interest group tactic of entertaining legislators changed over the years?
Its affected by citizens' prior attitudes, such as how they feel about political parties and what they think is the proper role of government
How is public opinion affected?
Propaganda
Ideas spread to influence public opinion for or against a cause.
- They provide an indication of how people think politically. - When citizens share a frame of reference, they find it easier to work together.
Identify the statements that are true of schemas.
10 more
If the U.S. had European-style registration, how many percentages higher in points would the turnout be?
The interest groups will find it necessary to lobby the governor directly and the agencies indirectly
If the government is centralized under a governor who appoints and removes most department heads..........
Be aboveboard with members.
If you were lobbying Congress, what would be the safest strategy for you to use?
1,340
In 2020, how many registered lobbyists are there?
sample; population
In a public opinion poll, a Blank______ is a portion of the Blank______.
population
In a public opinion poll, the people (for example, the citizens of a nation) whose opinions are being estimated through interviews with a sample of these people.
sample
In a public opinion poll, the relatively small number of individuals who are interviewed for the purpose of estimating the opinions of an entire population
groups; agency officials
In an iron triangle, Blank______ provide campaign contributions to Blank______ in order to gain their support for a particular policy proposal.
George Washington
In his farewell address, he warned the nation of the "baneful effects" of parties
state governments
In order to raise enough funds for their campaigns, political candidates raise money from all of the following groups except Blank______.
PACs
In some campaigns, which of the following has begun to replace in the political party as the nominating and electing agent?
16 minutes
In the 1970s, the average reader devoted more than 30 minutes to reading the printed newspaper. That average is now Blank______ minutes.
A national survey in which majority of respondents said their taxes should be raised high significantly
In the entire history of polling, there has never been a what?
Booze, Bribes, and Boards
In the past, what tactics did Interest Groups use to sway political leaders to their resolve?
Linkage institutions
Institutions that connect citizens with government. Linkage institutions include elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.
Regulatory
Interest group influence is particularly strong among Blank______ agencies that are responsible for overseeing the nation's business sectors.
a large group with very diffuse possible benefits
Interest groups would the free-rider problem be most severe in what scenario
presidential elections
Internet political participation peaks during which of the following?
Political participation
Involvement in activities intended to influence public policy and leadership, such as voting, joining political groups, contacting elected officials, demonstrating for political causes, and giving money to political candidates.
lower
Is the turnout for U.S. presidential elections usually higher or lower in national elections compared to Western democracies?
Texas Present Economy
Its highly diversified, with a strong presence in several industries.
face-to-face meetings with members of Congress
Lobbying elected officials includes which of the following activities?
False - there is no chain of command that connects them
Local, state, and national party organizations are hierarchical in structure.
U.S. Free Association
Makes it natural for Americans to join together for political purposes
Relatively rare and typically occur in response to disruptive events
Massive shifts in Americans' party identification are what?
Rapid Reponese
Modern production techniques enabled well-funded candidates to get their ads on the air within a few hours time, which allowed them to rebut attacks and exploit fast-breaking developments, which is known as........
Collective bargaining
Negotiations between an employer and a group of employees to determine employment conditions, such as those related to wages, working hours, and safety
Forms of Media
Newspapers and magazines (decline) TV, radio, Internet, partisan talk shows
Black Civil Rights Movement
No modern protest movement has had a longer or more lasting impact than what political movement?
Open and Closed Primaries
Of the states, roughly a third of the types of primaries are held by what?
civil rights and social welfare
On which issues have regional differences persisted to the present day?
Cumulative
One characteristic of political socialization is that its effects are Blank______.
providing a form of representation for organized groups
One of the positive contributions that interest groups make is Blank______.
Make Money
Other than public broadcasting, the medias main driver is to make what?
school-related groups civic organizations church-related groups
Over 70 percent of Americans' political participation via community activities takes place in which of the following?
Single issue parties
Parties that concentrate on only one public policy matter
$500 per quarter
People must register with the Ethic Commission if they spend more than how much money per quarter on gifts or other paid expenses for a state official or employee or their immediate families
candidate
Political parties and their ability to control politics in the United States have been weakened by Blank______-centered campaigns.
candidates' use of televised ads
Political scientist Darrell West uses the term air wars to describe ______.
Aboveboard approach
Provide information, rely on trusted allies in Congress, and push steadily but no aggressively for favorable legislation
$1,000 per quarter-year
Registration is required in the Ethic Commission if the person receives as pay in reimbursed expenses for lobbying, a combined amount of more than what?
Material incentive
Relates to jobs, higher wages, or profits
13 times
Republicans are Blank______ times more likely than Democrats to say that Fox is their main source of news.
change in the same direction
Research indicates that when public opinion changes on major political issues, public policy tends to Blank______.
health care experts public officials
Secondary socializing agents who influenced public opinion during the COVID-19 pandemic include which of the following?
- citizens did not participate in public affairs - The absence of meaningful opportunities to participate (ones that will make a difference in how the country is governed) - Provided this opportunity only to a select few of people
Self government would be a empty promise if:
Thomas Jefferson
Sided with the small farmers and states' rights advocates by creating the Democratic-Republican Party
State laws
State and local campaigns are regulated by federal or state law?
election of governors election of U.S. senators voter registration
State parties are involved with which of the following activities?
Strong
States with (Strong/Weak) political parties tend to have weaker interest group influence
Catholics and Jews
Support for poverty programs is highest among which two religious denominations?
Civic Duty
The belief of an individual that civic and political participation is a responsibility of citizenship
unusual
The degree to which education level and income are so closely tied to voter participating in the United States is Blank______ when compared to European countries.
Purposive incentive
The desire to contribute to what they regard as a worthy cause
It has increased the ability of lobbyists to influence government
The development of new communication tools has increases the ability of what?
Money chase
The fact that U.S. campaigns are very expensive and candidates must spend a great amount of time raising funds in order to compete successfully.
Communications Act of 1934
The far-reaching act that established the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the federal regulatory structure for U.S. broadcasting
Single-member districts
The form of representation in which only the candidate who gets the most votes in a district wins office.
The decline of the New Deal Coalition (Democrats)
The fourth and most recent party realignment began with the predictable decline of what
Control of Governor Over State Agencies
The governor makes few significant appointments to state agencies and therefore possesses minimal control over policy decisions.
Party coalition
The groups and interests that support a political party
Bribery
The illegal practice of offering something (usually money) in order to gain an illicit advantage
the condition of the economy
The in-party's chances of staying in power has historically depended primarily on Blank______.
Business interests
The interest-group system in the United States overrepresents Blank______.
Political consultants
The key operatives in today's campaigns - Include campagin strategists who help the candidate plot and execute a game plan - Fundraising specialists - They are adept at tapping donors and interest groups that regularly contribute to election campaigns - Campaign consultants - include pollstersm whose surveys are used to identify issue and messages that will resonate with voters - Media consultants - are adept at producing a televised political advertising, generating news coverage, and developing Internet-based strategies
Media
The largest expenditure in presidential campaigns is for which of the following?
political socialization
The learning process by which people acquire their political opinions, beliefs, and values.
Political interest
The level of interest that a citizen has in politics; political interest is a prime determinant of whether a citizen will pay attention to politics and participate through voting.
People from less conservative areas have relocated to the South.
The original regional divide between the North and South has been decreased by
diminished
The overlap between groups has Blank______ in America's residential neighborhoods and workplaces.
Public opinion
The politically relevant opinions held by ordinary citizens that they express openly.
Agenda setting
The power of the media through news coverage to focus the public's attention and concern on particular events, problems, issues, leaders, personalities, and so on.
Free-rider problem
The problem faced by unions and other groups when people do not join because they can benefit from the group's activities without officially joining. The bigger the group, the more serious the problem.
Voter turnout
The proportion of eligible adult citizens who actually vote in a given election is known as
Suffarage
The right to vote
Nomination
The selection of a particular individual to run as a political party's candidate (its "nominee") in the general election.
Dangers of faction
The situation where factions (groups) become so powerful that their interests trump the interest of society as a whole
identity politics
The situation where people base their concerns on a group identity (such as race or religion) and align themselves with those who share that identity to the exclusion of other groups.
conservative talk radio
The success of Blank______ had convinced billionaire Rupert Murdoch to start Fox in 1996.
Social capital
The sum of the face-to-face interactions among citizens in a society.
socialization
The tendency of people to pay more attention to issues highlighted in the media is an example of
Gender gap
The tendency of women and men to differ in their political attitudes and voting preferences.
hundreds
The typical American is exposed to Blank______ of discrete messages each day.
Presidential coattails
These occur when voters cast their ballots for congressional candidates of the president's party because they support the president. Recent studies show that few races are won this way.
Lobbyist requirement
They are required by law to register and to file detailed reports on their lobbying expenditures
Labor Unions
They provide their members access to higher-paying jobs in return for the dues they pay
White evangelical or born-again Christians
They represent the largest republican voting bloc, accounting for more than a third of the party's vote
Bribery
This action to a public official is a felony punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000 dollars
Newspaper reading
This particular style of reading has been found to be correlated with a higher level of political knowledge
Cultural (social) conservatives
Those who believe government power should be used to uphold traditional values.
Economic liberals
Those who believe government should do more to assist people who have difficulty meeting their economic needs on their own.
Economic conservatives
Those who believe government tries to do too many things that should be left to private interests and economic markets.
Cultural (social) liberals
Those who believe it is not government's role to buttress traditional values at the expense of unconventional or new values.
New to Politics POV
To them, politicas is a second experience, something they hear about through media rather than observe directly
False
True or False: Economic groups have a monopoly on lobbying
True
True or false: According to political scientist Mancur Olson, interest groups with smaller memberships usually prevail because they are able to join together and pool resources.
False
True or false: Local party organizations are stronger today than they were in the days of the political machines (True or False)
True
True or false: The instant gratification people receive from cell phones and other message sources conditions them to seek more of messages.
Ethics Commission
Under current rules, an individual, association, or business entity that crosses either the "compensation and reimbursement threshold" or the "expenditure threshold" while engaging in lobbying efforts must register as a lobbyist with the what?
Print Media
Until the 20th century what was the only form of mass communication?
Electioneering
Various activities in which interest groups engage to try to influence the outcome of elections
Straight ticket
Voting for candidates who are all of the same party (voting for one party)
Split ticket
Voting for one party's presidential candidate and the other party's congressional candidate (voting for two parties)
Citizens United ruling
What Court ruling ended the limits on how much money PACs could receive and distribute in a single year or election cycle
Religion, Race, and Geography (closely linked to partisanship)
What are Americas deepest divides?
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
What are interest groups protected by?
Philadelphia and Chicago Democratic Organizations
What are the few local parties that have a faint resemblance to the fabled old-time party machines that were able to deliver the vote on Election Day
- Those the represent general farming interests - Those that represent commodity groups - Those that represent suppliers
What are the three types of agricultural interest groups in Texas?
Working-class whites blame working-class minorities and immigrants for their failure to realize the American Dream.
What attitude is described in Arlie Russell Hochschild's Strangers in Their Own Land?
It can make it difficult for policymakers to respond to public opinion, even when they're inclined to do so
What can the publics weak understanding of issues cause?
Hispanic vote
What demographic vote is the key to the long-term prospects of both parties?
Citizen participation
What do Democracies depend on?
Most Americans under most conditions expect to solve their problems on their own rather than through political action
What do most Americans expect pertaining to their problems?
Depends on the structure of government
What does the interest group depend on for it to succeed?
Watergate scandal
What event marked a turning point in the American press's approach to politicians' motives and actions?
Overzealous coverage of minor scandals heightens the public's distrust of government officials.
What is a potential problem with the media's watchdog function, according to critics
Millions of U.S. citizens don't vote in national elections
What is a tendency that sets the U.S. apart from other Western democracies?
Money
What is an interest group's most important resource which is usually contributed to campaigns and funneled to candidates through PACs
A lengthy period of intense and sustained action
What is required for a movement to succeed?
60
What is the average age for the cable news audience?
Motivation (due to the commitment)
What is the main obstacle to civic participation?
Business groups
What is the most numerous economic group?
- They are arenas in which organized groups exercise influence - The interest of the participation groups are the primary focus
What is the one common thing that iron triangles and issue networks have with each other?
The barriers to citizen participation must be low, and the must be low for all citizens
What needs to be done so that Self Government is meaningful?
Nonresponse rates have increased sharply.
What problem has recently arisen in using telephone polling?
Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson
What two people originated the first two political parties over rivalry?
It was Chaos
What was the public opinion on the government not regulating radio broadcasting?
They claimed that the emergence of cable television and the expansion of FM radio had alleviated the problem of scare frequencies
What was the reason for the FCC eliminating the Fairness Doctrine?
They were granted the power to decide the "Times, Place, and Manner of holding elections." for federal office.
What were State Legislatures granted the power to do (voting)?
It disbands
When a issue is resolved, what happens to the issue network?
early childhood
When does the process of political socialization begin?
When the protesters' grievance is widely shared and see as legitimate
When is public supportive on a issue?
When the identification with one group is offset by identification with other groups
When is the influence of peoples opinions diminished?
The long tail (internet)
When news-based websites are arrayed by the number of visitors to each site, there are a few visited sites on one end and thousands of lightly visited sites on the other end
moderate
When people grow up in a neighborhood that is diverse, due to crosscutting, they are more likely to develop Blank______ political opinions.
Linkage mechanism
Where a political party or interest group connects citizens with governing officials
Citizens of lower income and education
Where are these opportunities for meaningful participation in the U.S. political system occur (pertaining to people class).
Congress
Where in American politics is the impact of public opinion felt most clearly?
The House
Which is less competitive when it comes to races in the legislative branch, the House or Senate?
- Income levels affect Americans' opinions on some public policy issues. - Welfare assistance has higher support among lower-income Americans than higher-income Americans.
Which of the following are examples of the effect economic class has on political opinion?
- Signaling - Common-carrier - Watchdog
Which of the following are traditional functions of the news media (press)?
Hard money is money political parties give to candidates. Hard money is money given directly to a candidate. Hard money is subject to legal limits. Hard money can be spent as the recipient chooses.
Which of the following are true about political contributions called hard money?
Since eighteen-year-olds were eligible for the draft, they should also be able to vote.
Which of the following arguments drew large support for passing the Twenty-Sixth Amendment, granting eighteen-year-olds the right to vote?
- volunteering in a political campaign - demonstrating for political causes
Which of the following forms of political participation require citizens to spend a comparatively large amount of personal resources?
Independents
Which of the following has the lowest voting rates?
- Many people have opinions on issues they know little about. - Few people are well informed on public affairs. - Many people support policies that are inconsistent with each other.
Which of the following limit government officials' ability to govern solely according to public opinion?
Belgium
Which of the following nations has the highest voter turnout rate? 1. United States 2. Germany 3. Italy 4. Belgium
Respondents reached by telephone refuse to participate. Respondents hide their true opinions. Respondents are questioned about unfamiliar issues.
Which of the following reduce the accuracy of a poll?
Interest groups are important to bringing the concerns of groups of individuals to the attention of government.
Which of the following represents a shared view of pluralists and their critics?
Higher-income citizens are the most active because they have the resources to participate effectively.
Which of the following statements correctly describes the relationship between income and political participation in the United States?
Florida Nevada North Carolina
Which of the following states have closed/partially closed primaries?
- participating in a telephone poll concerning candidates for a national election - turnout at a political rally - approval ratings for a city's mayor
Which of the following would be considered expressions of public opinion?
opinion polls
Which of the following would policymakers be likely to rely on when they want to act as delegates in formulating and implementing policy?
The South
Which region delivers most of its electoral votes to the Republican presidential nominee? (This was due to five southern votes in the 1964 election)
Catholics, Protestants, and Jews
Which religious groups hold similar opinions on many policy issues?
Washington D.C.
Which state has the largest concentration of registered lobbyists?
Protest activity should be tolerated.
Which statement best describes the prevalent view of the public concerning protest activists in the United States?
New England states
Which states shited particularry more to the Democratic party?
- Government employees - Journalists - Some businesses
Who are not considered as Lobbyists?
College-educated and upper-income Americans
Who are the above average voting rates?
Parents
Who are the influencers of civic duty and apathy?
Friedrich Engles
Who believes that American workers lacked a deep class consciousness, believing instead that they could make it on their own.
The South (they used intimidation and trickery)
Who disenfranchised African Americans?
- Europeans with less income and education are prompted to participate by class-based organizations - Labor unions are stronger in Europe, and most European democracies have a major socialist or labor party that seeks to represent lower-income voters
Who do income and educated make a greater difference in the United States than they do in Europe?
Lower-income Americans
Who is less likely to engage in collective action?
Minorities, the secular-minded, and urban residents
Who leans towards the Democratic Party
White Americans, the religious-minded, and suburban and rural residents
Who leans towards the Republican Party
Benjamin Franklin
Who was the person who ridiculed the idea of restricting voting to property-owning males?
Nation's youngest adults
Who were the most recent beneficiaries of a suffrage amendment?
to ensure that everyone has an equal chance of being included in the sample
Why do pollsters rely most on the scientific method of random sampling?
Americans have an incentive to participate because there is more local control over policy in the United States than in Europe. Americans are more likely to attend church and engage in church-related community work.
Why is participation in local organizations twice as high in the United States as it is in Europe?
Individual tax cut time
Will end in 10 years, at which time unless the cut is extended, a fourth of taxpayers will be paying a higher rate than they would have under the previous tax law
amicus curiae
a brief submitted by a "friend of the court"
Amicus Curiae
a brief submitted by a "friend of the court" to provide information explained by the interested party on its position on a case under review that can persuade a judge's decision
Probability sampling
a sample which each individual in the population has a known probability of being chosen at random for inclusion
par excellence
above all others of the same sort
1993 Motor Voter Act
allows voters to register while renewing/receiving their driver's license, at public assistance offices, and in the mail
Reform parties
arises from a belief that partisan politics is a corrupting influence that needs to be changed?
Internet fundraising
has given small donors the ability to donate on websites and also gives candidates the ability to run advertisements to gain more support - important for funding for campaigns, political parties, issues, etc.
Secondary agents
have a less intimate connection with the individual and are usually more important later in life, as in the case of work associates.
Primary agents
interact closely and regularly with the individual, usually early in life, as in the case of the family.
Ideologically oriented parties
is organized around a framework concerning the nature and role of government in society?
Huffington Post
one of most popular news and opinion blogs
Liberals
people who generally favor government action and view change as progress (believe in big government)
prospective voting
voting for a candidate because you favor his or her ideas (promises) for handling issues
retrospective voting
voting for a candidate because you like his or her past actions in office
Fragmented Government Structure of Interest Groups
- A government structure where power is dispersed to many state agencies with little or no central control - The Texas government has this structure
Susan B. Anthony
- An American social reformer and feminist who played a pivotal role in the women's suffrage movement. - She was once arrested for "illegal voting" claiming that as a citizen of the U.S., she had the right to vote
Inviting Public Officials
- Another strategy used to advance the interest groups standing in the eyes of officials - They give them awards to the at such gatherings, thanking them for their public service