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64 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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What does the media most often report during a presidential election? |
Horse race journalism (who is in the lead) |
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Name one group that has voted in fewer numbers for democrats since the 1960s. |
White southerners |
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Name four traditional political values held by most americans |
Equal opportunity individual freedom representative democracy due process of law |
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more likely to vote: men or women |
women |
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more likely to vote: blue collar or professionals |
professionals |
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more likely to vote: high school graduate or college graduate |
college graduate |
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more likely to vote: senior citizens or college students |
senior citizens |
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more likely to vote: democrats or republicans |
both equally as likely |
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What institution most successfully transmits party identification? |
family |
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What is the most important factor in determining whether a candidate will win a congressional election? |
incumbency |
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ticket splitting |
Choose some from one party and some from another |
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Why can’t minor parties get members elected into Congress? |
Winner-take-all elections |
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What is the term for beliefs about government and politics that people in the US hold most deeply? |
political culture |
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The bipartisan act, was intended to eliminate what? |
soft money |
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What is the most common act of political participation in the US? |
voting |
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Name traits of a liberal democracy |
Free press protecting minority rights equal voting (one person one vote) regular competitive elections |
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What institution has become the major source of information about candidates? |
the media |
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Name four ways interest groups try to influence the political process |
They create PACs they support legislation before congress they inform others about incumbents’ voting records they file amicus curiae briefs in courts |
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What does the motor-voter act allow people to do? |
Register to vote when they get their drivers’ license |
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party dealignment |
When people detach themselves from political parties altogether; more independent |
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Define the media’s agenda setting function |
decides what issues are important |
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Name four groups whose influence has increased in choosing presidential nominees. |
Journalists campaign consultants pollsters primary election voters |
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What do we call a primary election in which voters have to identify party preference before the election and can’t split their ticket? |
closed primary |
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Republican or Democrat: rural |
republican |
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Republican or Democrat: urban |
democrat |
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Republican or Democrat: jewish |
democrat |
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Republican or Democrat: roman catholic |
democrat |
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Republican or Democrat: protestant |
republican |
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Republican or Democrat: African American |
Democrat |
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Republican or Democrat: Hispanic |
democrat |
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Name the four linkage institutions |
Media political parties interest groups elections |
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Why do PACs donate to candidates? |
hope to gain access |
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What is the most significant factor in determining whether or not a person will vote? |
level of education |
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Why does the US have a 2 party system?` |
Single member districts for congress winner take all |
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In response to the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, also known as McCain Feingold, the Supreme Court ruled in Citizens united v FEC that what is covered by the 1st Amendment? |
Campaign expenditures by corporations and unions |
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Name four trends in 20th century political party politics |
More Interest groups more PAC money in congressional elections direct primaries loss of party patronage |
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What feature of presidential elections allows the winner to claim to have a mandate from voters? |
Winner take all system allows for a larger margin of victory electoral college |
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What part of the constitution protects interest groups? |
First Amendment |
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Name four factors that keep voter turnout low |
Registration requirements weekday elections frequent elections (local level) low political efficacy |
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What is the most important factor for making sure your survey accurately represents public opinion? |
Representative of the population, random sample |
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How does the voter turnout rate compare to other countries? |
America is lower |
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What was Madison’s main point in Federalist 10? |
Allow factions to compete against each other |
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What part of our political system is most immune from public pressure? |
Judicial court |
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What political ideology would support a constitutional amendment banning abortion? |
conservatives |
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What 3 groups are included in an iron triangle? |
Congressional committee executive agency (bureaucrats) interest group made of lobbyists |
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What makes an election a realignment of the parties? |
Basically permanent shift of one group from one party to another; can’t happen unless clear differences between the parties |
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As far as elections go, how does our political system employ public relations professionals? |
political consultants |
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What effect does cross pressure have on voter turnout? |
Lowers voter turnout cross pressure is when you identify with one party but the other party is more what you want |
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What is the most important factor in predicting the choices made by voters in presidential elections? |
Party identification |
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There’s a state that gets 10 electoral votes, one candidate receives 60% of the popular vote, how many electoral votes does s/he get? |
Gets all the electoral votes |
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What are four ways candidates use public opinion polls? |
Fine tune policy identify key issues for voters assess name recognition among electorate measure support for their own issues |
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What type of states do presidential candidates focus their campaign on? |
Swing states (ex: Florida/Ohio) |
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Why are interest groups often successful in getting legislation passed to benefit their members? |
Few people get benefit, whole population pays cost |
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What is the term for a meeting of party leaders to nominate a candidate for office? |
caucus |
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In the electoral college system the following things are possible |
A candidate can win popular and lose electoral House of rep may have to chose winner Any candidate who gets 270 votes wins the election A faithless elector may vote for someone other than who their state A plurality of popular vote can get a candidate all of the electoral votes |
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What is the process by which people acquire their political attitudes? |
Socialization |
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What makes a sample random |
everyone has an equal chance of being chosen |
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What do interest groups use PACs for? |
To raise money and spend it on elections |
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What is partisanship? |
siding strongly with a party |
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If we changed to direct election of presidents, how much would each vote count? |
equally |
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Name four different types of people who a lobbyist can talk to about a pending policy matter |
Legislator journalist someone on appropriate committee |
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What do you call an election in which there are more than two candidates and the person who gets the most votes wins? |
plurality election |
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How much can a PAC donate to a candidate? |
$5000 |
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According to James Madison, how do you control the effects of factions? |
By having a large republic with other factions to balance them out |
