Government Exam 3

Front 1

Direct Technique (R)

Back 1

Any method used by an interest group to interact with government officials directly to further the groups goals.

Front 2

Free Rider Problem (R)

Back 2

The difficultly that exists when individuals can enjoy the outcome of an interest groups efforts without having to contribute, such as by becoming members of the group.

Front 3

Independent Expenditure (R)

Back 3

An expenditure for activités that are independent from (not coordinated with) those of a political candidate or a political party.

Front 4

Indirect Technique (R)

Back 4

Any method used by interest groups to influence government officials through 3rd parties, such as voters.

Front 5

Interest group (R)

Back 5

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

Front 6

Labor Force (R)

Back 6

All of the people over the age of 16 who are working or actively looking for jobs.

Front 7

Lobbying (R)

Back 7

All of the attempts by organizations or by individuals to influence the passage, defeat, or contents of legislation or to influence the administration decisions of government.

Front 8

Lobbysit (R)

Back 8

An individual who handles a particular interest group's lobbying efforts.

Front 9

Material Incentive (R)

Back 9

A reason to join an interest group-practicle benefits such as discounts, subscriptions, or group insurance.

Front 10

Pluralist Theory (R)

Back 10

A theory that views politics as a contest among various interest groups-at all levels of government-to gain benefits for their members.

Front 11

Political action committee- PAC (R)

Back 11

A committee that is established by a corporation, labor union, or special interest group to raise funds and make campaign contributions on the establishing organizations behalf.

Front 12

Public-Interest group (R)

Back 12

An interest group formed for the purpose of working for the "public good." Examples of public-interest groups are the American Civil Liberties Union and Common Cause.

Front 13

Purposive Incentive (R)

Back 13

A reason to join an interest group-satisfaction resulting from working for a cause in which one believes.

Front 14

Rating System (R)

Back 14

A system by which a particular interest group evaluated (rates) the performance of legislators based on how often the legislators have voted with the groups position on particular issues.

Front 15

Right-to-work Laws (R)

Back 15

Laws that ban unions from collecting dues or other fees from workers whom they represent but who have not actually joined the union.

Front 16

Solidary Incentive (R)

Back 16

A reason to join an interest group-pleasure in associating with like-minded individuals.

Front 17

Trade Organization (R)

Back 17

An association formed by members of a particular industry, such as the oil industry or the trucking industry, to develop common standards and goals for the industry. Trade organizations, as interest groups, lobby government for legislation or regulations that specifically benefit their groups.

Front 18

Coalition (R)

Back 18

An alliance of indviduals and groups with a variety of interest and opinions who join together to support all or part of a political party's platform.

Front 19

Dealignment (R)

Back 19

Among voters, a growing detachment from both major political parties.

Front 20

Electorate (R)

Back 20

All of the citizens eligible to vote in a given elections.

Front 21

Majority Party (R)

Back 21

The political party that has more members in the legislature than the opposing party.

Front 22

Minority party (R)

Back 22

The political party that has fewer members in the legislature than the opposing party.

Front 23

National Convention (R)

Back 23

The meeting held by each major party every 4 years to nominated presidential and VP candidates, write a party platform, and conduct other party business.

Front 24

National Party Chairperson (R)

Back 24

An individual who serves as a political party's administrative head at the national level and directs the work of the party's national committee.

Front 25

National party committee (R)

Back 25

The political party leaders who direct party business during the 4 years between the national party conventions, organize the next national convention, and plan how to obtain a party victory in the next presidential election.

Front 26

Party activist (R)

Back 26

A party member who helps to organize and oversee party functions and planning during and between campaigns, and may even become a candidate for office.

Front 27

Party Identifier (R)

Back 27

A person who identitifies himself or herself as being a supporter of a particulate political party.

Front 28

Party Platform (R)

Back 28

The document drawn up by each party at its national convention that outlines the policies and positions of the party.

Front 29

Party Ticket (R)

Back 29

A list of a political party candidate for various offices. In national elections, this consists of the presidential and VP candidates.

Front 30

Patronage (R)

Back 30

A system of rewarding the party faithful and workers with government jobs or contracts.

Front 31

Political Party (R)

Back 31

A groups of individuals who organize to win elections, operate the government, and determine policy.

Front 32

Precinct (R)

Back 32

A political district within a city, such as a block or a neighborhood, or a rural portion of a county; the smallest voting district at the local level.

Front 33

Primary (R)

Back 33

A preliminary election held for the purpose of choosing a party's final candidate.

Front 34

Realignment (R)

Back 34

A process in which the popular support for and relative strength of the parties shift and the parties are reestablished with different coalitions of supporters.

Front 35

Solidarity (R)

Back 35

Mutual agreement among the members of a particular group.

Front 36

Third Party (R)

Back 36

In the US, any party other than one of the 2 major parties (Republican and Democratic)

Front 37

Two-party System (R)

Back 37

A political system in which 2 strong and established parties compete for political offices.

Front 38

Ward (R)

Back 38

A local unit of a political party's organization, consisting of a division or district within a city.

Front 39

Public Opinion (R)

Back 39

The views of the citizenry about politics, public issues, and public policies; a complex collection of opinions held by many people on issues in the public arena.

Front 40

Public Opinion Poll (R)

Back 40

A survey of the public's opinion on a particular topic at a particular moment.

Front 41

Sample (R)

Back 41

In the context of opinion polling, a group of people selected to represent the population being studied.

Front 42

Straw Poll (R)

Back 42

A nonscientific poll in which there is no way to ensure that the opinions expressed are representative of the larger population.

Front 43

Biased Sampled (R)

Back 43

A poll sample that does not accurately represent the population.

Front 44

Random Sample (R)

Back 44

In the context of opinion polling, a sample in which each person within the entire population being polled has an equal chance of being chased.

Front 45

Sampling error (R)

Back 45

In the context of opinion polling, the difference between what the sample results show and what the true results would have been had everybody in the relevant population been interviewed.

Front 46

Push Polls (R)

Back 46

A campaign tactic used to feed false or misleading information to potential voters, under the guise of taking an opinion poll, with the intent to "push" voters away from one candidate and toward another.

Front 47

Political Socialization (R)

Back 47

The learning process through which most people acquire their political attitudes, opinions, believes, and knowledge.

Front 48

Agents of Political Socialization (R)

Back 48

People and institutions that influence the political views of others.

Front 49

Media (R)

Back 49

Newspapers, magazines, television, radio, the internet, and any other printed or electronic means of communication.

Front 50

Peer Group (R)

Back 50

Associaties, often close in age to one another; may include friends, classmates, co-workers, club members, or religious group members. These influence is a significant factor in the political socialization process.

Front 51

Literacy Test (R)

Back 51

A test given to voters to ensure that they could read and write and thus evaluate political information. This technique was used in the south to restrict Blacks participation in elections.

Front 52

Poll Tax (R)

Back 52

A fee of several dollars that had to be paid before a person could vote. The device was used in some southern states to discourage black and low-income whites from voting.

Front 53

Grandfather Clause (R)

Back 53

A clause in a state law that had the effect of restricting the franchise (voting rights) to those whose ancestors had voted before the 1860s. IT was one of the techniques used in the South to prevent blacks from exercising their right to vote.

Front 54

White Primary (R)

Back 54

A primary election in which blacks were prohibited from voting. The practice was banned by the supreme court in 1944.

Front 55

Australian Ballot (R)

Back 55

A secret ballot that is prepared, distributed, and counted by government officials at public expense; used by all states in the US since 1888.

Front 56

Campaign Strategy (R)

Back 56

The comprehensive plan developed by a candidate and his or her advisers for winning an election. The strategy includes the candidate's position on issues, slogan, advertising plan, press events, and personal appearances, as well as other aspects of the campaign.

Front 57

Causus (R)

Back 57

A meeting held to choose political candidates or delegates.

Front 58

Closed primary (R)

Back 58

A primary in which only party members can vote to choose that party candidates.

Front 59

Credentials Committee (R)

Back 59

A committee of each national political party that evaluates the claims of national party convention delegates to be the legitimates representatives of their states.

Front 60

Delegate (R)

Back 60

A person selected to represent the people of one geographic area at a party convention.

Front 61

Direct Primary (R)

Back 61

An election held within each of the 2 major parties-Democratic and Republican-to choose the party candidates for the general election. Voters choose the candidate directly, rather than through delegates.

Front 62

Elector (R)

Back 62

A member of the electoral college.

Front 63

Electoral College (R)

Back 63

The group of electors who are selected by the voters in each state to elect officially the president and VP. The number of electors in each state is equal to the number of that state's representatives in both chambers of Congress.

Front 64

General Election (R)

Back 64

A regularly scheduled election to choose the US president, VP, and senators and representatives in congress. These are held in even-numbered years on the Tuesday after the first monday in November.

Front 65

Independent Expenditure (R)

Back 65

An expenditure for activités that are independent from (not coordinates with) those of a political candidate or a political party.

Front 66

Nominating convention (R)

Back 66

An official meeting of a political party to choose its candidates. These at the state and local levels also select delegates to represent the citizens of their geographic areas at a higher-level party convention.

Front 67

Open primary (R)

Back 67

A primary in which voters can cote for a party candidates regardless of whether they belong to the party.

Front 68

Opposition research (R)

Back 68

The attempt to learn damaging information about an opponent in a political campaign.

Front 69

Political consultant (R)

Back 69

A professional political adviser who, for a fee, works on an area of a candidate's campaign. These include campaign managers, pollsters, media advisers, and "get out the vote" organizers.

Front 70

Poll watcher (R)

Back 70

A representative from one of the political parties who is allowed to monitor a polling place to make sure that the election is run fairly and that fraud doesn't occur.

Front 71

Primary election (R)

Back 71

An election in which voters choose the candidates of their party, who will then run in the general election.

Front 72

Soft money (R)

Back 72

Campaign contributions not regulated by federal law, such as some contributions that are made to political parties instead of to particular candidates.

Front 73

Special Election (R)

Back 73

An election that is held at the state or local level when the voters must decide an issue before the next general election of when vacancies occur by reason of death or resignation.

Front 74

Winner-Take-All-System (R)

Back 74

A system in which the candidate who receives the most votes wins. In contrast, proportional systems allocate votes to multiple winners.

Front 75

Primary Principle (L)

Back 75

Argues that the values that we learn earliest in our life are the ones that form the core of our value systems when we become adults. For most of us, these values stay with us for the rest of our lives.

Front 76

Structuring Principle (L)

Back 76

Means that the values that we learn earliest in life help us "structure" or assimilate new and sometimes competing information into our existing value system.

Front 77

Diffuse Support (L)

Back 77

This is critical to the maintenance and stabaility of the political system.

- EX: "dont agree with the president but still respect him."

Front 78

How do we generate diffuse support? (L)

Back 78

- Satisfy demands/expectations

- Coercion of force

- Manipulation of values/propaganda

- Socialization (systems theory)

Front 79

Systems theory (L)

Back 79

Argues that values in support of the political system are transferred through a generational process, where in the family teaches values that will allow the child to succeed in society. These values are reinforced by other important agents of the socialization progress.

Front 80

At a Macro (systems-wide) level (L)

Back 80

Socialization is important because it usually teaches values and norms that support the system. If it is successful it produces the board, diffuse support that is critical to the stability of the political system.

Front 81

At a Micro (individual) level (L)

Back 81

Socialization also is the process where by each member of society comes to his/her own specific set of political attitudes, values, beliefs, orientations, and opinions.

Front 82

Parental Family (ages of socialization) (L)

Back 82

1. Direct value transfer (party ID, party ideals)

2. Indirect value transfer (moral/religious values, respect for authority figures)

Front 83

Schools and the educational system (ages of socialization) (L)

Back 83

1. Direct value transfer (curriculum, pledges)

2. Indirect value transfer (rewards with competition, citizenship)

Front 84

What role does political opinion play in a democratic political society? (L)

Back 84

In a democracy the government should do what the people want.

Front 85

Public (L)

Back 85

A collection of individuals who share a common attitude.

Front 86

Apathetic Public (L)

Back 86

People not really paying attention to the issues and who don't express their attitudes in a meaningful way.

Front 87

Attentive public (L)

Back 87

People who pay attention to the issue and who may express their attitudes in a meaningful way.

Front 88

Mobilizible public (L)

Back 88

People who pay attention to the issue and who do express their attitudes in a meaningful way.

Front 89

Types of mobilizable publics (L)

Back 89

1. Single-issue publics (group concerned about 1 issue)

2. Organizational publics (a formal organization)

3. Ideaological publics (group concerned about beliefs/principles

4. Multiple-issue publics (more common)

5. Non-oranizational publics

Front 90

Opinion (L)

Back 90

It is an expressed attitude.

Front 91

Public Opinion (L)

Back 91

The shared expressed attitudes of a collection of individuals on a matter of common concern.

Front 92

Distribution (characters of public opinion) (L)

Back 92

How many people strongly agree or strongly disagree to something.

Front 93

Intensity (Characteristics of public opinion) (L)

Back 93

A strength of feeling which a community has a feeling towards a value. (bar graph)

Front 94

Stability (L)

Back 94

Both the distribution and intensity of an opinion over time.

Front 95

Latency (L)

Back 95

Valence issues, its not specific valence issues are important because they affect the view on figures.

Front 96

Valence issues (L)

Back 96

The sense that everything is going great in the country.

Front 97

When things are going well... (L)

Back 97

There are high approval ratings in leadership

Front 98

When things are going bad... (L)

Back 98

There is a low approval ratings in leadership

Front 99

Salience (L)

Back 99

Refers to the extent that the issue means to you. Whats salient for some people, won't be to the other. It will affect/direct intensity.

Front 100

What have we learned from public opinion research? (L)

Back 100

- High levels of general support of american system

- Low levels of political knowledge and political efficacy

- Eroding levels of political trust

Front 101

Efficacy (L)

Back 101

The extent to which people believe what they think/do affects you.

Front 102

The american 2 party system "dominant 2-party" (L)

Back 102

The structure of our political system mirrors the federalism structure, because we have different levels of party organization, like the different levels of government in federalism.

Front 103

What is historically different about the american 2 party system? (L)

Back 103

Federalist and anti-federalist were the first like-minded groups, which formed into political parties, when was the federalist and "jeffersonian" Republicans (these were called the democratic republicans eventually and by 1830s they were the democratic party. Then the republicans came from the federalist in 1850.

Front 104

Explanations of the 2 party system (L)

Back 104

1. Historically we have always had a 2 party system

2. There is a natural dualism to american politics. There is always an either/or attitude.

3. The dominance of the liberal political culture. Commitment to liberty, equality, and power. There is really only "room" for 2 political parties to foster competition.

4. Single member districts and plurality elections.