American Government And Politics Today

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Interest Group

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An organized group of individuals sharing common objectives who actively attempt to influence policymakers.

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Political Party

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A group of political activists who organize to win the elections, operate the government, and determine public policy.

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Lobbyist

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An organization or individual who attempts to influence the passage, defeat, or content of legislation and the government's administrative decisions.

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Social Movement

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A movement that represents the demands of a large segment of the public for political, economic, or social change.

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Free-Rider Problem

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The difficulty that interest groups face in recruiting members when the benefits they achieve can be gained without joining the group.

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Labor Movement

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Economic and political expression of working class interests.

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Service Sector

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The sector of the economy that provides services-such as health care, banking, and education-in contrast to the sector that produces goods.

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Public Interest

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The best interests of the overall community; the national good, rather than the narrow interests of a particular group.

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Direct Technique

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An interest group technique that uses direct interaction with government officials to further the group's goals.

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Indirect Technique

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An interest group technique that uses third parties to influence government officials.

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Concentrated Benefits and Dispersed Costs

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The theory that a minority benefiting from a government program will make a stronger effort to keep it than the majority will ever make to abolish it.

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Independent

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A voter or candidate who does not identify with a political party.

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Party Organization

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The formal structure and leadership of a political party, including election committees; local, state, and national executives; and paid professional staff.

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National Convention

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The meeting held every four years by each major party to select presidential and vice-presidential candidates, write a platform, choose a national committee, and conduct party business.

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Party Platform

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A document drawn up at each national convention, outlining the policies, positions, and principles of the party.

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National commitee

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A standing committee of a national political party established to direct and coordinate party activities between national party conventions.

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State Central Committee

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The principal organized structure of each political party within each state. This committee is responsible for carrying out policy decisions of the party's state convention.

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Patronage

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The practice of rewarding faithful party workers and followers with government employment and contracts.

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Policy Demanders

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Individuals or interest group members who participate in political parties with the intent to see that certain policies are adopted or specific groups favored.

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Divided Government

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A situation in which one major political party controls the presidency and the other controls one or more chambers of congress, or in which one party controls the state legislature.

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Ticket Splitting

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Voting for candidates of two or more parties for different offices. For example, a voter splits her ticket if she votes for a Republican presidential candidate and for a Democratic congressional candidate.

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Two-party system

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A political system in which only two parties have a reasonable chance of winning.

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Democratic Party

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One of the two major American political parties evolving out of the Republican Party of Thomas Jefferson. It was formed in 1828.

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Whig Party

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A major party in the United States during the first half of the nineteenth century, formally established in 1836. The Whig Party was anti-jackson and advocated spending on infrastructure.

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Republican Party

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One of the two major American political parties. It emerged in the 1850s as an antislavery party and consisted of former northern Whigs and antislavery Democrats.

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GOP

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A nickname for the Republican Party, which stands for " grand old party."

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Realignment

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A large-scale, lasting change in the types of voters who support each of the major political parties.

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Plurality

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A number of votes cast for a candidate that is greater than the number of votes for any other candidate but not necessarily a majority.

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Electoral College

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A group of persons, called electors, who are selected by the voters in each state. This group officially elects the president and the vice president of the United States.

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Unit Rule

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A rule by which all of a state's electoral votes are cast for the presidential candidate who receives a plurality of the votes in that state.

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Third Party

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A political party other than the two major political parties ( Republican and Democratic).

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Splinter Party

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A new party formed by a dissident faction within a major political party. Often, splinter parties have emerged when a particular personality was at odds with the major party.

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Party Identification

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Linking oneself to a particular party.

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Straight-Ticket Voting

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Voting exclusively for the candidates of one party.