Voting, Political Parties, and Interest Groups

Iron Triangle

A close relationship between an agency, a congressional committee, and an interest group

Interest groups

A collection of people with the shared goal of influencing public policy and typically seek specific policy goals

Lobbying

A strategy by which organized interests seek to influence the passage of legislation by exerting direct pressure on members of the legislature.

grassroots lobbying

Efforts by groups and associations to influence elected officials indirectly, by arousing their constituents.

midterm election

Elections held midway between presidential elections.

17th Amendment

Established the direct election of senators (instead of being chosen by state legislatures)

free rider problem

For a group, the problem of people not joining because they can benefit from the group's activities without joining.

19th Amendment (1920)

Gave women the right to vote

linkage institutions

Institutions that connect citizens to government. The mass media, interest groups, and political parties are the three main linkage institutions.

Mobilization

Motivating supporters to vote in an election and, in some cases, helping them get to the polls on Election Day.

testifying

Presenting before state legislature and/or Congress about policies.

26th Amendment

States cannot deny the right to vote based on age (18+)

political efficacy

The belief that one's political participation really matters - that one's vote can actually make a difference

Party dealignment

The gradual disengagement of people and politicians from the parties, as seen in part by shrinking party identification.

issue networks

The loose and informal relationships that exist among a large number of actors who work in broad policy areas

15th Amendment (1870)

U.S. cannot prevent a person from voting because of race, color, or creed

rational choice voting

Voting based on what is perceived to be in the citizen's individual interest

amicus curiae

a brief submitted by a "friend of the court"

platform

a series of statements expressing the party's principles, beliefs, and positions on election issues

social movement

a widely shared demand for change in some aspect of the social or political order

Motor Voter Law

allows people to register to vote while they obtain or renew their license.

bureaucratic agency

an organization (part of the executive branch) that creates rules for a specific policy area

likely voters

are higher income, higher educated, professional, business, and suburban residents.

14th Amendment (1868)

citizenship, due process, equal protection under the law

Congressional Committees

committee deals w/ specific topic, work of congress goes through committees

party realignment

dramatic shifts in partisan preferences that often result in the minority party becoming the majority party

Critical elections

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

24th Amendment

eliminated the poll tax as a prerequisite to vote in national elections.

Political Parties

groups that help elect people and shape policies

single-issues groups

interest groups that have a narrow interest on which their members tend to take an uncompromising stance

litigation

lawsuit

divided government

one party controls the White House and another party controls one or both houses of Congress

fundraising

the act of collecting or producing money for a campaign donation

legislation

the act of making or enacting laws

coalition building

the banding together of several interest groups for the purpose of lobbying

Gridlock

the inability of the government to act because rival parties control different parts of the government

voter turnout

the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election

constituency

the residents in the area from which an official is elected

prospective voting

voting for a candidate because you favor his or her ideas for handling issues

retrospective voting

voting for a candidate because you like his or her past actions in office

party-line voting

voting for candidates from one political party for all public offices

split-ticket voting

voting for candidates of different parties for different offices at the same election