POLS 2301 FINAL LAMAR UNIVERSITY DR. SOWERS

poll tax

A requirement that citizens pay a tax in order to register to vote

24th Amendment

Abolishes poll taxes

public goods

Goods, such as clean air and clean water, that everyone must share.

Buckley v. Valeo

Candidates can use as much of their own money on their own campaigns.

Unionist Party

Coalition party of Conservatives and some Liberals formed as a result of the 1917 federal election

midterm election

Elections held midway between presidential elections.

Critical Elections

Elections that disrupt party coalitions and create new ones in a party realignment

purposive incentive

a benefit that comes from serving a cause or principle

Shivercrats

a faction of Texas Democrats who followed conservative Democratic Governor Allan Shivers

Referendum

a legislative act is referred for final approval to a popular vote by the electorate

contract lobbyist

a lobbyist who works for a contract lobbying firm that represents clients before government

open primary system

a nominating election that is open to all registered voters regardless of party affiliation

closed primary system

a nomination system where only members of the party are allowed to participate

party identifier

a person who identifies with a political party

neopluralist

a person who suggests that all groups' access and influence depend on the political environment

random sample

a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion

party machines

a type of political party organization that relies heavily on material inducements

open seat election

an election in which there is no incumbent officeholder

Political Action Committee (PAC)

an interest group that raises funds and donates to election campaigns

Lobbying

attempting to influence policy makers

Smith v. Allwright

Outlawed White primaries held by the Democratic Party, in violation of the 15th Amendment.

Whig Party

Political party formed in 1834 to oppose policies of Andrew Jackson

Gerrymandering

Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.

Reaportionment

Redrawing the voting district

George W Bush

Republican 2001-2009

Ann Richards

Second female governor of texas

Rick Perry

Secretary of Energy

voter turnout

The number of eligible voters who actually vote in an election.

Precincts

Voting districts

collective goods

benefits, sought by groups, that are broadly available and cannot be denied to nonmembers

multi member districts

certain number of seats, assigned based on proportion of votes won

off year election

congressional election that occurs between presidential election years

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

corporations have 1st amendment right to support political candidates

national committee

delegates who run party affairs between national conventions

party realignment

dramatic shifts in partisan preferences that drastically alter the political landscape

plurality system

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

Grange

farmers' organization formed after the Civil War

two part system

form of party system where two political parties dominate voting

private goods

goods that are both excludable and rival in consumption

grassroots movement

group that forms in response to an economic or political event but does not focus on only one issue

agents of socialization

groups or social contexts within which processes of socialization take place

soft money

money given to State and local party organizations for voting-related activities

issue advocacy

organized effort to advance (or block) a proposed public policy change

third parties

parties that organize to compete against the two major American political parties

Media Ownership

parties who own, control, or influence a given media, mostly corporate

precinct chair

party official elected in each voting precinct to organize and support the party

dark money

political money where the donors of the money do not have to be disclosed

Private Interest Groups

pursue economic goals that only benefit their members

Fireside Chats

radio broadcasts made by FDR to the American people to explain his initiatives

proportional representation

representation of all parties in proportion to their popular vote

Sample vs. Population

sample must be equal representation from the population

Ideologies

sets of beliefs about politics and society that help people make sense of their world

county chair

the county party official who heads the county executive committee

majority party

the party that holds the majority of legislative seats in either the House or the Senate

minority party

the political party in each house of Congress with the second most members

unified government

the same party controls the White House and both houses of Congress

solidary incentives

the social rewards that lead people to join political organizations

disturbance theory

the theory that interest groups form as a result of changes in the political system

first-past-the-post

winner-take-all system, plurality system.

Labor Unions

An organization formed by workers to strive for better wages and working conditions

Yellow Dog Democrat

An unswerving party loyalist; used only as a compliment.

Greenback Party

Anti-corporation, wanted greenbacks as the national currency

single member district

An electoral district in which voters choose one representative or official

Caucus

A meeting of members of a political party

National Convention

A meeting of party delegates held every four years

Dirty Thirties

A nickname for the 1930s due to the dust storms.

party platform

A political party's statement of its goals and policies for the next four years

Fairness Doctrine

A principle that formerly obligated broadcasters to present both sides of an issue

Federalist 10

Argued the latent causes of faction are sown in the nature of man

Polarization

Division into two opposite positions

Blue Dog Democrats

Fiscally conservative Democrats who are mostly from the South and/or rural parts of the U.S.

Secretary of State

John Kerry

Redistricting

The drawing of new electoral district boundary lines in response to population changes.