Gov Test

Front 1

Caucus

Back 1

A meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates for public office and to decide the platform.

Front 2

Direct Primary

Back 2

Election in which voters choose party nominees.

Front 3

Open Primary

Back 3

Primary election in which any voter, regardless of party, may vote.

Front 4

Closed Primary

Back 4

Primary election in which only persons registered in the party holding the primary may vote.

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Blanket Primary

Back 5

A primary election in which each voter may vote for candidates from both parties.

Front 6

Party Platform

Back 6

A political party's statement of its goals and policies for the next four years

Front 7

Soft Money

Back 7

Money raised in unlimited amounts by political parties for party-building purposes. Now largely illegal except for limited contributions to state or local parties for voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts.

Front 8

Interest Group

Back 8

A collection of people who share a common interest or attitude and seek to influence for specific ends. They usually work within the framework of government and try to achieve their goals through tactics such as lobbying.

Front 9

Lobbying

Back 9

Engaging in activities aimed at influencing public officials, especially legislators, and the policies they enact.

Front 10

Political Action Committee (PAC)

Back 10

The political arm of an interest group that is legally entitled to raise funds on a voluntary basis from members, stockholders, or employees to contribute funds to candidates or political parties.

Front 11

Revolving Door

Back 11

Employment cycle in which individuals who work for government agencies that regulate interests eventually end up working for interest groups or businesses with the same policy concern.

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Frontloading

Back 12

-since voters in states with early primaries and caucuses have more impact-states scheduling their primaries/caucuses earlier in the year

Front 13

Superdelegate

Back 13

-a delegate to the National Convention selected by the national party NOT through caucus/primary/convention in states-NOT obligated to vote the way their state votes for

Front 14

Split Ticket Voting

Back 14

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

Front 15

527 Group

Back 15

-unaffiliated with campaigns...no contact w/ campaign, candidate strategy-unlimited donations coming in...unlim. Indep. Expenditure Spending-a political group organized under Section 527 pf the IRS Code that may accept and spend unlimited $ on election activities-BCRA: no ads on TV & radio 60 days before general election and 30 days before primary...ELIMINATED with Citizens United v. FEC

Front 16

Horse Race Journalism

Back 16

Election coverage by the mass media that focuses on which candidate is ahead rather than on national issues

Front 17

Trial Balloon

Back 17

Information leaked to the media to test public reaction to a possible policy

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Media as Gatekeeper

Back 18

influence what subjects become national political issues, and for how long

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Media as Scorekeeper

Back 19

national media help make political reputations...coverage of Presidential elections as horse races

Front 20

Media as Watchdog

Back 20

following closely the front-runner candidates, searching for any past/current history that'll make news. Keeps close eye

Front 21

Citizens United v. FEC 2010

Back 21

-corporate funding of indep. political broadcasts in candidate elections CANNOT be limited-corporations have free speech too

Front 22

SuperPACs

Back 22

a type of political action committee which may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions and individuals but not permitted to contribute to/coordinate directly w/ parties or candidates

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valence issue

Back 23

issue about which public is united and rival candidates/parties adopt similar positions in hopes that each will be thought to best represent public opinion

Front 24

adversarial press

Back 24

the tendency of the national media to be suspicious of officials and eager to reveal unflattering stories about them

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sound bite

Back 25

A brief statement no longer than a few seconds used on a radio or television news broadcast, chosen for its appropriateness

Front 26

yellow journalism

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Journalism that exploits, distorts, or exaggerates the news to create sensations and attract readers

Front 27

Buckley v. Valeo

Back 27

- limited contributions to candidates for federal office- required the disclosure of political contributions- provided for the public financing of presidential elections- limited expenditures by candidates/associated committees (except for pres. candidates who accepted public funding)- limited independent expenditures to $1000- limited candidate expenditures from personal funds- created and fixed the method of appointing FEC members

Front 28

position issues

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an issue about which the public is divided and rival candidates or political parties adopt different policy positions

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runoff primary

Back 29

a second primary election held when no candidate wins a majority of the votes in the first primary

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McCain-Feingold Law of 2002

Back 30

aka Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002, it essentially banned "soft money" contributions made directly to candidates and set stricter guidelines for campagin advertising, electioneering banned

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Influence Peddling

Back 31

Using personal friendships and inside information to get political advantage.

Front 32

Astroturf Lobbying

Back 32

indirect lobbying efforts that manipulate or create public sentiment. "astroturf" being artificial grassroots

Front 33

Direct Lobbying

Back 33

direct interaction with public officials for the purpose of influencing policy decisions

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cooperative lobbying

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groups with similar purposes combine their efforts

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grassroots lobbying

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organizing lobbying efforts at the local level

Front 36

netroots lobbying

Back 36

political activism organized through blogs and other online media

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Brokered conventions

Back 37

When no candidate has received the pledge of a majority of convention delegates, conventions decide who the nominee will be

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incumbent advantage

Back 38

1) Representatives who run for reelection win approximately 90% of the time. 2) While incumbent senators have tremendous electoral advantage, House incumbents have an even greater advantage.

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Spoiler effect

Back 39

describes the effect a minor party candidate with little chance of winning has upon a close election, when that candidate's presence in the election draws votes from a candidate similar to them, thereby causing a candidate dissimilar to them to win the election

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pork barrel

Back 40

legislation that gives tangible benefits to constituents in several districts or states in the hopes of winning their votes in return

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political forum

Back 41

the media provides a political forum for leaders and the public

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embedded journalism

Back 42

news reporters being attached to military units involved in armed conflicts

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investigative journalism

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in-depth reporting to nearth scandals; making media enemies of politicians

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Fairness Doctrine

Back 44

an FCC requirement that broadcasters who air programs on controversial issues provide time for opposing views

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equal time rule

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an FCC rule that if a broadcaster sells time to one candidate, it must sell equal time to other candidates

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Libel

Back 46

The publication of false or malicious statements that damage someone's reputation.

Front 47

New York Times v. United States (1971)

Back 47

government can't stop the media from printing damaging storiesGovernment can almost never use prior restraint (crossing out sections of an article before publication)-protections for the press were established here. Defense Department employee Daniel Ellsburg leaked some confidential files indicating that the war in Vietnam was going poorly, the government sought to prevent the publication of these "Pentagon Papers" by the New York Times. Court held that executive efforts to prevent the publication violated the 1st Amendment were forbidden

Front 48

Near v. Minnesota (1931)

Back 48

the state of Minnesota can't stop a newspaper from printing libelous content Near established that state injunctions to prevent publication violate the free press provision of the 1st Amendment and are unconstitutional. Selectively incorporates freedom of the press and prevents prior restraint

Front 49

Selective Attention

Back 49

Paying attention only to those news stories with which one already agrees