American Government Chapters 5-9 review

0ne-party system

1. "no-party" system - dictatorship 2. "modified one-party system" - one of the two major parties regularly wins ex- here republicans

g.The Congressional Campaign

1. 2 year terms 2. Work to get house members elected

c. The role of the nominating process

1. Candidate selection is an intraparty process 2. Nominating process is a diverse one - contest to be nominated pits members of the party against each other

d. The National Convention

1. During election years the party meets to pick the party's nominations, adopt party rules, and write the party platform

f.The National Chairperson

1. Leader of the national committee 2.Chosen on a 4 year term by nominated presidential candidate and ratified by the national committee

e.The National Committee

1. Today numbers have expanded to include many of the party's key figures 2. Work centers on staging the party's national convention

2. the force of tradition

1. americans accept the two party system simply b/c its always been that way 2. minor parties have made such litle headway america is considered a two-party system.

a. ideological parties

1. based on a particualar set of beliefs - a comprehensive view of social, economic, and polictial matters 2. ex- Marxist thought; socialists and communists 3. usually long-lived as a party

party membership patterns

1. choice 2. historically a. democrats - african americans, catholics, and jews b. republicans - white males, protestants, and business com 3. reasons a.family - a 2/3 vote with the family b.major events - ex: depression c.economic status - higer income =republican, lower= democrat 4.others a. age, place of residence, level of education, and work enviroment

the two-party system in american history

1. creates divison a. ex. republicn gov with a democratic senate

1. historical basis

1. farmers of the constitution were against political parties - wanted a unified country. 2. no mention of parties in thr constitution 3. develop out of differences in the ratification of the constitution - federalists vs. anti-federalists a. federalists: wanted a strong national government and ratification of the constitution b. anti-federalists: opposed wated power with state and local gov.

b. single-issue parties

1. forced on one public-policy matter 2.right to life party; oppose abortion 3. usually short-lived

why a two-party system?

1. historical basis (below) 2. the force of tradition (below) 3. the electoral system (below) 4. the american ideological consensus (below)

4. the american ideological consensus

1. ideologically homogenous people - american people have shared many of the same ideals, principles, and belief pattern 2. US is a pluralistic society - one consisting of several distinct cultures abd groups - still a cnsensus - general agreement amoung various groups on fundamental issues. 3. major parties have resulted in a "middle of the road" compromise

2. informing and activating supporters

1. inform the people, and inspire and activate their interest and participation in public affairs 2. others groups that inform - news media and intrest groups

what do parties do?

1. nominating candidates (below) 2. informing and activating supporters (below) 3. the bonding agent function (below) 4. governing (below) 5. acting as a watchdog (below)

3. the electoral system

1. single-member district: elections in which only one candidate is elected to office - winner take all 2. the winning candidate receivers a plurality - largest number of votes - need not be a majority 3. discourages minor parties - "wasted vote" 4. system is set up to make it difficult to even get on the ballot for minority candidates - not listed on ballot 5. bipartisan- two major parties find common ground and work together

multiparty systems

1. system in which several major anf many lesser parties exist 2. results in a coalition - temporary alliance of several groups who come together to form a working majority and control government 3. pros - give voters a more meaningful choice among candidates and policy; used in many european countries 4. cons - instability - 1 party is often unable to win support

the minor parties

1. the minor parties in the US a. ideological parties (below) b. single-issue parties (below) c. economic protest parties (below) d. splinter parties (below) 2. why minor parties are important a. spoiler role - steal votes ex Ross Perot b. Role of critic or innovator

iii.Influencing parties and elections

1.(PAC's) - political action committee's - help/hurt candidates or parties

iii.The Polling Process

1.Defining the Universe a.Universe - A term that means the whole population that the poll aims to measure 2.Constructing a Sample a.Sample - A representative slice of the total universe b.Random Sample - If the sample is of sufficient size and is properly selected at random from the entire universe, the law of probability says that the result will be accurate to within a small and predictable margin of error c.Quota Sample - Less complicated - less accurate - a sample deliberately constructed to reflect several of the major characteristics of a given universe. 3.Preparing Valid Questions a.Carefully worded not to be loaded

i.Measuring Public Opinion

1.Elections a.Mandate - Voters send message to wining political party to carry out their campaign promises 2.Interest Groups 3.Media 4.Personal Contacts

b.The impact of Federalism

1.Governmental system is highly decentralized, so too are the major parties

a.The role of the Presidency

1.Head of the party - access to media, popularity and make appointments 2.Opposing party has no real leader no authority

The Future of the Major Parties

1.In a weakened state that may collapse a.Decrease in voters who are aligned with a party. Increase in independents b.Split-ticket voting - vote for different party on same ballot c.Structural changes led to conflict d.Changes in the technology of campaigning for office e.Growth of single-issue organizations in our politics

iii.Limits on Media Influence

1.Most people follow political events very closely 2.People who do watch/listen/read etc generally use sources they agree with - limited opportunity to sway voters

Three Components of the Party

1.Party Organization a.Those who give their time, money, and skills 2.Party in the electorate a.Party loyalists who vote straight party ticket 3.Party in the government a.Party's officeholders

ii.The Media and Politics

1.Public Agenda - The societal problems that the nation's political leaders and the general public agree need governmental attention a.Tell people what to think about not how to think 2.Electoral Politics a.Allows candidates to appeal directly to voters b.Less reliant on political parties

c. economic protest parties

1.Rooted in periods of economic discontent with no clear cut ideological base 2.Greenback Party of 1890s - Demanded public ownership of railroads, telephone, etc... 3.Fade as issues change or major parties take their issue

d. splinter parties

1.Split away from the major parties 2.Form around a strong personality i.e. Teddy Roosevelt ex Bull Moose Party or Green Party now 3.Usually fade when leader steps aside

State and Local Machinery

1.State Organization a.Built around a State central committee, headed by a State chairperson 2.Local Organization a.Ward - a unit into which cities are often divided for the election of city council members b.Precinct - the smallest unit of election administration

ii.Polls

1.Straw Polls - Sought to read the public's mind simply by asking the same question to a large number of people 2.Scientific Polling - National polling groups i.e. Gallup Poll

party organization

1.The Decentralized Nature of the Parties a.The role of the Presidency (below) b.The impact of Federalism (below) c. The role of the nominating process (below) 2.National Party Machinery d. The National Convention (below) e.The National Committee(below) f.The National Chairperson (below) g.The Congressional Campaign Committees(below)

ii.Are interest groups good or bad?

1.Valuable functions of interest groups a.Stimulate interest in public affairs b.Represent their members on the basis of shared attitudes rather than the basis of geography c.Provide useful information to government - price levels, employment, etc... d.Vehicles for political participation e.Another element to checks-and-balances f.Compete with one another in a public arena - car emissions vs. environmentalists 2.Criticisms a.Some have influence greater than their size b.Hard to tell who or how many a group represents c.Sometimes don't represent the views of who they claim to speak for d.Some use tactics that could destroy our system -bribery

ii.Propaganda

1.a technique of persuasion aimed at influencing behavior

iv.Lobbying

1.activities by which group pressures are brought to bear on legislators and the legislative process 2.Lobbyists at work a.Grass roots - of or from the people 3.Lobby regulation a."Principal Purpose" - Required the registration of those individuals and groups who collected or spent money for the "Principal Purpose" b.Created huge loopholes - so vague c.1995 Law - eliminate "Principal Purpose" d.Registration requirements much more specific

i.Groups based on economic interests

1.business groups 2.labor groups a.an organization of workers who share the same type of job or who work in the same industry 3.agricultural groups 4.professional groups

ii.Other interest groups

1.groups that promote causes a.Right-to-life Committee 2.organizations that promote the welfare of certain groups a.NAACP 3.religious organizations

i.The role of Interest Groups

1.groups who seek to influence the making and content of public policy 2.Seek to respond to its members' shared attitudes

iii.Public interest groups

1.seeks to institute certain public policies of benefit to all or most people in this country, whether or not they belong to or support that organization - Public affairs 2.works to benefit many or all people, regardless of their affiliation

i.Influencing public opinion

1.to supply the public with info an organization thinks people should have 2.to build a positive image for a group 3.to promote a particular public policy

26th amendment

18 year olds given the right to vote

23rd amendment

23rd amendment voters in Wshington D.C given the right to vote for presidential electors

What is a party

A group of persons who seek to control the government through the winning of elections and the holdning of public office

13th amendment

abolishement of slavery

24th amendment

abolition of poll taxes

15th amendment

black suffrage

Power to set Voting Qualifications

i. State must allow same voters as federal elections

The Voting Rights Act of 1965

i.Applied 15th Amendment to all elections ii.Preclearance - No new election laws, could go into effect in any state unless first approved by the department of Justice iii.Amendments to the Act 1.Extended many times through 2031 2.Extended to language minorities including: Spanish heritage, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Alaskan Natives

Why People do not Vote

i.Cannot-Voters 1.Resident aliens barred from voting 2.Ill or physically disabled 3.Suddenly called away from home on election day ii.Actual Nonvoters 1.Makes little difference attitude a.Like the way things are going or distrust political system 2.No sense of political efficacy a.Believe their vote has little real impact on what the government does 3.Cumbersome election procedures - lines, registration, etc... 4.Time-zone fallout - Predict winners before polls in the west close so many west coast voters don't participate 5.Lack of Interest iii.Comparing Voters and Nonvoters 1.Voters - High income levels, educated, occupational status, well integrated into the community, long-time residents, strong party identification, women 2.Non-voters - under 35, unmarried, unskilled, Southern and rural, men

Universal Requirements

i.Citizenship 1.Naturalized citizens must wait X-months to vote in some states ii.Residence 1.usually 1 year before voting in state elections - shorter for local elections 2.College students who claim campus community as their legal residence can vote there iii.Age 1.26th Amendment - 18 years old to vote

Early Civil Rights Legislation

i.Civil Rights Act of 1957 1.Set up commission to inquire crime of voter discrimination ii.Civil Rights Act of 1960 1.Appointment of Federal voting referee - help register and serve in courts that had had voter discrimination

What forms Public Opinion

i.Def - Attitudes held by a significant number of people on matters of government and politics - Many publics because many groups with different views ii.How formed - Family, education, mass media, peer groups, opinion leaders, and historic events

The Size of the Problem

i.Further down a ballot, the fewer number of people vote = ballot fatigue - Exhaust patience or knowledge ii.Far more votes are cast in a Presidential election year than during an off-year election iii.More people vote in general elections than primary or special elections

Types of Interest groups

i.Groups based on economic interests ii.Other interest groups iii.Public interest groups

Nonvoters

i.Idiot - From Greek word Idiotes citizens who did not vote or take part in public life

Sociological Factors

i.Income, Occupation 1.Lower income = Democrat - manual labor etc... 2.Higher = Republican - Professional and business etc... ii.Education 1.College and other higher education = Republican iii.Gender, Age 1.Men & older = Republican 2.Women & younger = Democratic iv.Religious, Ethnic Background 1.African Americans & Catholics = Democrats 2.Lately Latinos & Protestants = Republican v.Geography 1."Solid South" - Old Confederate states = Democratic 2.Cities = Democratic 3.Rural & suburban = Republican vi.Family and Other Groups 1.90% married couples vote alike 2.2/3 vote like parents

Interest Groups at work

i.Influencing public opinion ii.Propaganda iii.Influencing parties and elections iv.Lobbying

Measuring Public Opinion

i.Measuring Public Opinion(below) ii.Polls (below) iii.The Polling Process(below) iv.Evaluating Polls v.Limits on the Impact of Public Opinion

The Civil Rights Act of 1964

i.Outlaws discrimination in job-related matters ii.Forbids the use of voter registration or literacy tests

Physical Factors

i.Party identification 1.Straight-ticket voting - Vote strictly party lines 2.Split-Ticket Voting - vote for various candidates from different parties 3.Independents - No party affiliation ii.Candidates and Issues 1.Candidate issues in an election a.Ex - abortion or immigration

Other Qualifications

i.Registration 1.Procedure of voter identification intended to prevent fraudulent voting 2.Must register name, age, place of birth, present address, length of residence, etc... 3.Motor Voter Law - Requires states to allow citizens to register when renewing driver's license ii.Literacy - Eliminated iii.Tax Payment - Eliminated iv.Persons Denied the Vote 1.People in mental institutes, mentally incompetent, commit a serious crime, and dishonorably discharged

i.Role of Mass Media

i.Role of Mass Media 1.Medium - means of communication; transmits some kind of information 2.Television, Newspapers, Radio, Magazines-Internet gaining

Mass Media

i.Role of Mass Media(below) ii.The Media and Politics(below) iii.Limits on Media Influence(below)

Voters and Voting Behavior

i.Studying Voting Behavior 1.The results of particular elections 2.The field of survey research a.Polling 3.Studies of political socialization a.Process by which people gain their political attitudes and opinions ii.Factors that influence Voters 1.Personal characteristics - age, race, income, occupation, education, religion, etc 2.Group Affiliations - family, co-workers, friends, etc

History of Voting Rights

i.Suffrage - Right to vote 1.Constitution left the power to set voter qualifications to each state ii.Franchise - Another term with the same meaning iii.Expansion of the Electorate 1.1789 - only white male property owners could vote 2.Ben Franklin - told the story of an old man who's only property was a jackass and he would lose the right if the jackass died. "Now, in whom is the right of suffrage? In the man or the jackass?" 3.2 Periods of expansion a.Gradual elimination of voter restrictions - religious, property, tax, race, and sex have been eliminated b.Originally States' power now turned to Federal Government iv.Extending Suffrage: The Five Stages 1.Early 1800s a.Ended religious qualifications, property ownership, and tax payment qualifications 2.Following Civil War a.15th Amendment - intended to grant the right to vote regardless of race or color b.African Americans were still prevented from voting 3.19th Amendment - End restrictions on gender 4.1960s a.Voting Rights Act of 1965, extensions, and enforcement of earlier rights give African Americans suffrage b.23rd Amendment grants District of Columbia the right to vote c.24th Amendment eliminates poll tax 5.26th Amendment in 1971 a.Voting age is 18

The Nature of Interest Groups

i.The role of Interest Groups (below) ii.Are interest groups good or bad?(below)

15th Amendment

i.Voting rights can not be denied to any citizen based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude ii.Not self-executing - Congress had to act iii.For the next 90 years Federal Government paid little attention to voting rights for African Americans iv.Kept from voting by: Firing for voting, threats, literacy tests, poll taxes, and gerrymandering 1.Gerrymandering - practice of redrawing electoral district in order to limit voting

3. the bonding agent function

job is to ensure the good performance of its candidates and officeholders

1. nominating candidates

nominate - name - candidates for public office

4. governing

partisanship - representatives are organized on party lines - receive the strong support of their party and its policy stands

5. acting as a watchdog

party out of power criticizes the policies and behavior of the party in power

18th amendment

prohibition of alcoholic beverages

21st amendment

repeal of prohibition

19th amendment

women's suffrage