Unit 5: Political Participation

What is in the citizen’s individual interest

Whether or not a party/candidate should be reelected based on their past performance

The potential performance of a party/candidate

Voting for candidates from a single political party for all offices

Organizations with similar ideologies that try to influence election outcomes and legislative problems; formed to unite people who have the same political ideals to elect similar-minded representatives and have similar legislative goals

A system of government made of two major political parties

List of goals that outlines party’s issues and priorities

Intermediaries between government and peopleMade of activist members, leadership, and grassroots membersRaise money, get candidates elected, and have positions on policy

Party among electorateParty in governmentParty organization

Voters identify with and enroll in parties; vote for candidates from their party

Officials belong to parties, pursue goals together (sometimes there are ideological differences)p

Group of people, political professionals, who recruit voters and candidates, organize events, and raise money for the party

Recruit and nominate candidates, educate and mobilize voters, provide campaign funds and support, organize government activity, provide balance through opposition of two parties, and reduce conflict and tension in society

Occur every four years to nominate presidential candidate; organized by national party

Political parties made of multiple groups made of multiple individuals; larger coalition increases candidate’s chance of winning

Results from party members becoming disaffected because of a policy position taken by the party, disaffected members join no party and vote for candidate instead of party

Third parties formed to represent constituencies that feel disenfranchised by major parties

Third parties that form to represent ideologies major parties consider too radical

Third parties formed to promote one principle

Candidates who run without a party affiliation

Trying to influence legislators

Promote and protect members’ economic interests, including business groups and labor groups

Nonprofit groups organized around a set of public policy issues, including consumer, environmental, religious, and single-issue groups

Localities like states and cities have lobbying organizations in DC, including mayors and governors

Direct lobbying, testifying before Congress, socializing, political donations, endorsements, court action, rallying membership, propaganda

Using friendships and inside information to get political advantage

Allowed by FECA (1974); formed by corporations, unions, and trade associations to raise funds

Regulated campaign finance and PAC donations; prohibited soft money to national political parties; limited corporate and union funding for ads about political issues within 60 days of general election and 30 days of primary election

Regulated contributions to candidates

Unregulated, unlimited contributions to parties for activities

Supreme Court overturned BCRA limits on PAC funding for “corporate independent expenditures”

PACs with no fundraising limits as long as they do not coordinate with specific candidates

Tax-exempt organization that promotes political agenda but cannot advocate for/against a specific candidate

Representatives who run for reelection (incumbents) win ~90% of the time House incumbents have a greater advantage than senators

When parties choose candidates for general election, mostly through primary elections

Local meetings of party members select representatives to send to statewide party meetings

Greatest number of votes

Held between top two candidates in a primary if no candidate gets the required number of votes

Party leaders who are automatically granted delegate status by the Democratic Party who generally support the front-runner

Created to promote diversity in delegate pool, recommended that delegates are represented by proportion of population in each state

Primary election in which only registered members of a political party can vote

Primary election in which voters can vote in any single party primary which they choose

Primary election in which voters can vote for one candidate per office of either party

Election in which voters decide who will hold office; held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November

Elections when the president is being selected

Elections between presidential elections

Double all campaign donations of $250 and less by matching them

Day in early March on which many states hold primary elections

Held when no candidate has received the pledge of a majority of delegates and the conventions must decide the nominee

Party purpose and goals

Boost in approval ratings seen in polls after national conventions

Electoral system in which each state is given a number of electors equal to the senators and representatives and the winner of the state wins all of its electors; created by framers to insulate government from whims of less-educated public

How many voters vote in an election

A clear winner of an election

Voting for a presidential candidate of one party and legislators of another

Requires policymakers to act quickly before the public gets bored and loses interest

Slow, step-by-step way of making policy

Taking no action to make policy (maintaining the status quo)

When many pieces of legislation deal with parts of policy problems but never address the problem as a whole

Made of capitalist free-market systems where government and private industry play a role

Funds raised by borrowing, not taxation

Required by law to fund programs such as entitlement programs, Medicare, Social Security, payment on national debt, and veterans’ pensions

not required by law, programs include research grants, education, defense, highways, and all government operations

National insurance programs to which employees and employers pay taxes; public believes that benefits have been earned because they pay into them

Not paid for by recipients, result of condition and government responsibility to help the needy