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171 Cards in this Set

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Democracy
A system of self-government by the people; rule by the many
Oligarchy
Rule by the few, where a minority group holds power over a majority, as in an aristocracy or a clerical establishment
Direct Democracy
A form of political decision making in which the public business is decided by all citizens meeting in small assemblies.
Representative Democracy
Indirect democracy, in which the people rule through elected representatives
Popular Sovereignty
The basic principle of democracy that the people ultimately rule.
Majority Rule
The form of political decision making in which policies are decided on the basis of what a majority of the people want
Political Equality
The principle that says that each person carries equal weight in the conduct of the public business.
Civil rights
Guarantees by govt. of equal citizenship to all social groups.
Liberal democracy
Representative democracy characterized by popular sovereignty, liberty, and political equality.
Majority tyranny
Suppression of the rights and liberties of a minority by the majority.
Social contract
The idea that government is the result of an greement among people to form one, and that people have the right to create an entirely new govt. if the terms of the contract have been violated by the existing one. A philosophical device, used by Enlightenment thinkers, such as Locke, Rousseau, and Harrington, to suggest that gvernments are only legitimate if they are created by a voluntary compact among the people.
Confederation
A loose association of states or territorial units formed for a common purpose
Articles of Confederation
The first constitution of the U.S., adopted during the last stages of the Revolutionary War, created a system of government with most power lodged in the states and little in the central government.
Virginia Plan
Proposal by the large states at the Constitutional Convention to create a strong central government with power in the government apportioned to the states on the basis of population.
New jersey Plan
Proposal of the smaller states at the Constitutional Convention to create a government based on the equal representation of the states in a unicameral legislature.
Connecticut Compromise
Also called the Great Compromise; the compromise between the New Jersey and Virginia plans formulated by the Connecticut delegates at the Constitutional Convention; called for a lower legislative house based on population size and an upper house based on equal representation of the states.
Federal
Describing a system in which significant governmental powers are divided between a central government and smaller territorial units, such as states
Supremacy Claus
The provision in Artivle VI of the Constitution that states that the Constitution and the laws and treaties of the U.S. are the supreme law of the land, taking precedence over state laws and constitutions.
Elastic Claus
Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, also called necessary and proper clause; gives Congress the authority to make whatever laws are necessary and proper to carry out its enumerated responsibilities.
Bill of Rights
The first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, concerned with the protection of basic liberties.
Separation of Powers
The distribution of government legislative, executive, and judicial powers to separate branches of government.
Checks and Balances
The constitutional principle that government power shall be divided and that the fragments should balance or check one another to prevent tyranny.
Federalists
Proponents of the Constitution during the ratification fight; also the political party of Hamilton, Washington, and Adams
Anti-Federalists
Opponents of the Constitution during the fight over ratification
Judicial Review
The power of the Supreme Court to declare actions of the other branches and levels
Federalism
A system in which significant governmental powers are divided between a central government and smaller units, such as states.
Unitary system
a system in which a central government has complete power over its constitutent units or states.
The Tenth Amendment
Says that those powers not given to the federal government and not prohibited for the tates by the Constitution are reserved for the states and the people.
Reservation clause
The tenth amendment to the constitutions, reserving powers to the states or the people.
Concurrent powers
Powers under the Constitutions that are shared by the federal governent and the states
Necessary and proper clause
Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, also known as the elastic clause; gives Congress the authority to make whatever laws are necessary and proper to carry out its enumeraed responsibilities
Nullification
An attempt by states to declare national laws or actions null and void
Preemption
Exclusion of the states from actions that might interfere with federal authority or statutes
Due process clause
The section of the 14th amendment that prohibits states from depriving anyone of life, liberty, or property “without due process of law,” a guarantee against arbitrary or unfair government action
Equal Protection clause
The section of the 14th amendment that provides equal protection of the laws to all citizens
Devolution
The delegation of power by the central government to state or local bodies
Grants-in-aid
Funds from the national govt. to state and local govts. To help pay for programs created by the national govt.
Categorical grants
Federal aid to states and localities clearly specifying what the money can be used for.
Block grants
Federal grants to the states to be used for general activities
General revenue sharing
Federal aid to the states without any conditions on how the money is to be spent
Mandate
A formal order from the national government that the states carry out certain policies
Globalization
The increasing worldwide integration of markets, production, and communications across national boundaries
Political culture
The set of core beliefs in a country that help shape how people behave politically and what they believe government should do
Political socialization
The process by which individuals come to have certain core beliefs and political attitudes
Public attitudes
Individual’s views and preferences about public policies, political parties, candidates, government institutions, and public officials
Public opinion
Political attitudes and core beliefs expressed by ordinary citizens as revealed by surveys
Random sampling
The selection of survey respondents by chance, with equal probability, to ensure their representativeness of the whole population
Party identification
The sense of belonging to one or another political party
Rational public
The notion that collective public opinion is rational in the sense that it is generally stable and consistent and that when it changes it does so as an understandable response to events, to changing circumstances, and to new information
Economic conservatives
People who favor private enterprise, minimal regulation of business, and low taxes
Economic liberals
People who favor government regulation of business and government spending for social programs
Social liberals
(lifestyle) People who favor civil liberties, abortion rights, and the right of people to pursue alternative lifestyles
Social conservatives
(lifestyle) People who favor traditional social values; they end to support strong law-and-order measures and oppose abortion and gay rights
Isolationism
The policy of avoiding involvement in the affairs of other countries
Multilateralist
The stance toward foreign policy that suggests that the United States should seek the cooperation of other nations and multilateral institutions in pursuing its goals; one who believes the United States should use its military and diplomatic power in the world in cooperation with other nations and international organizations
Unilateralist
The stance toward foreign policy that suggests that the United States should “go it alone,” pursuing its national interests without seeking the cooperation of other nations or multilateral institutions; one who believes the United States should vigorously use its military and diplomatic power to pursue American national interests in the world, but on a “go it alone” basis
Watchdog
The role of the media in scrutinizing the actions of government officials
Media monopoly
Term used to suggest that media corporations are so large, powerful, and interconnected that alternative voices to the economically and politically powerful cannot have their views aired.
Infotainment
The merging of hard news and entertainment in news presentations
Spin
The attempt by public officials to have a story reported in terms that favor them and their policies
Objective journalism
News reported with no evaluative language and with any opinions quoted or attributed to a specific source
Pundits
Somewhat derisive term for print, broadcast, and radio commentators on the political news
Prior restraint
The government’s power to prevent publication, as opposed to punishment afterward
Fairness doctrine
The former requirement that television stations present contrasting points of view
Interest group
A private organization or voluntary association that seeks to influence public policy as a way to protect or advance some interest
Pluralist
A political scientist who views American politics as best understood in terms of the interaction, conflict, and bargaining of groups
Faction
Madison’s term for groups or parties that try to advance their own interests at the expense of the public good
Private interest
An interest group that seeks to protect or advance the material interests of its members
Public interest
An interest group that advocates for a cause or an ideology
Lobbying
Effort by an interest or advocacy group to influence the behavior of a public officials
Ear-marking
Practice of appropriating money for spending pet projects of embers of Congress, usually done at the behest of lobbyists, and added to bills at the last minute with little opportunity for deliberation
Grassroots lobbying
The effort by interest groups to mobilize local constituencies and shape public opinion to support the group’s goals and to bring that pressure to bear on elected officials
Political action committee
An entity created by an interest group whose purpose is to collect money and make contributions to candidates in federal elections
Soft money
Unregulated expenditures by political parties on general public education, voter registration, and voter mobilization; often used to indirectly influence campaigns for elective office, until banned after 2002
527 organizations
Groups that can collect and spend money without legal limits to advocate for and against issues; most are barely disguised efforts to support or attack candidates or parties in elections.
Iron triangles
An enduring alliance of common interest among an interest group, a congressional committee, and a bureaucratic agency
Social movement
A loosely organized collection of ordinary people working outside established institutions; using unconventional and often disruptive methods; acting to get their voices heard by the public at large, the news media and leaders of major institutions, and government officials, in order to promote, resist, or undo some social change.
Equal Rights Amendment
Proposed aendment to the U.S. Constitution stating that equality of rights shall not be abridged or denied on account of a person’s gender
Mass mobilization
The process of involving large numbers of people in a social movement
Political efficacy
The sense that an individual can affect what government does
Civil disobedience
Intentionally breaking a law and accepting the consequences as a way to publicize the unjustness of the law
Political parties
Organizations that try to win control of government by electing people to office who carry the party label.
Two-party system
A political system in which two parties vie on relatively equal terms to win national elections and in which each party governs at one time or another.
Realignment
The process by which one party supplants another as the dominant party in a political system.
New Deal
The programs of the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The New Deal coalition was the inforal electoral alliance of working-class ethnic groups, Catholics, Jews, urban dwellers, racial minorities, and the South that was the basis of the Democratic party dominance of American politics from the New Deal to the early 1970s.
Divided government
Control of the executive and legislative branches by different political parties.
Dealignment
Form of change in which a dominant part declines without another taking its place.
Party identification
The sense of belonging to a political party.
Unified government
when a single party controls both houses of Congress and the presidency.
Gridlock
A situation in which things cannot get done in Washington, usually because of divided government
Know the definitions of and differences between direct and representative democracy.:
Direct democracy requires that all citizens be able to meet together regularly to debate and decide the issues of the day. Representative democracy is a system in which the people select others, called representattives, to act on their behalf
Know the benchmarks of a representative democracy and how they are applied to evaluate the American political system
Popular sovereignty, political equality, and political liberty.
Know the major objections to and critiques of majoritarian representative democracy.
Majority tyranny threatens liberty, The people are irrational and incompetent, majoritarian deocracy threaten minorities.
Understand the four main categories used by the textbook authors – structure, political linkage, government, and government action – to understand American politics
Structure: Structural factors are enduring featurs of American life that play key roles in determining what issues become important in politics and government, how political power is distributed in the population, and what attitudes and beliefs guide the behavior of citizens and public officials. Includes the economy and society, the constitutional rules, the political culture, and the international system: the most fundamental and enduring factors that influence govt policies. Political linkage: All of those political actors, institutions, and processes that transmit the wants and demands of people and groups in our society to government officials and that together help shape what government officials do and what policies they adopt. Include public opinion, political parties, interest groups, the news media, and elections. Government: Include all public officials and institutions that have formal, legal responsibilities for making public policy for the United States. Government action: Includes the wide range of actions carried out by govt: making laws, issuing rules and regulations, waging war and providing natl defense, settling civil disputes, providing order, and more.
5) Know the basic chronology of the American Revolution, The Declaration of Independence, the lead up to The Constitutional Convention, and the ratification of the Constitution.
American Revolution 1755-1783. Declaration of Independence 1776. Articles of Confederation 1781-1788. Shays Rebellion. Concerned about developments and shortcomings in the design of government under the Articles, most of American’s economic, social and political leaders were convinced by 1787 that the new nation and the experiment in self-government were in great peril.
What were the basic ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence?
Human being possess rights that cannot be legitimately given away or taken from them. People create government to protect these rights. If government fails to protect people’s rights or itself becomes a threat to them, people can withdraw their consent from the government and create a new one, that is, void the existing social contract and agree to a new one.
What were the flaws in the Articles of Confederation and why were they difficult to overcome?:
The new central govt could not finance its activities. The central government was also unable to defend American interests in foreign affairs. Unable to prevent the outbreak of commercial warfare between the states.
Who were the framers of the Constitution?
Wealthy men: holders of govt bonds, real estate investors, successful merchants, bankers, lawyers, and owners of large plantations worked by slaves, educated, steeped in the classics
What were the framers of the Constitution's basic beliefs and what worried them about democracy and America at the time?
Agreed the Articles of Confederation had to be scrapped and replaced with a new constitution. Agreed the need for a substantially strengthened naytional government to protect American interests in the world, provide for social order, and regulate interstate commerce. Believed that a strong national government was potentially tyrannical and should not be allowed to fall in the hands of any particular interest or set of interests, particularly the majority of the people, referred to by Madison as the “majority faction.” Disagreements on issues of representation in Congress, especially whther large or small states would wield the most power in the legislative branch.
What were the different factions at the Constitutional Convention and how was a compromise reached?
Virginia Plan proposed the creation of a strong central govt dominated by a powerful Congress controlled by the most populous states. The New Jersey Plan was a unicameral national legislature whose seats were apportioned equally among the states with representatives selected by states legislature. Connecticut Compromise was a bicameral national legislature in which each state’s representations in the House of Reps was to be based on population while representation in the Senate was to be equal for each of the states.
What are the basic structure of govt established by the Constitution and the principles it rested upon?
Federalism and the power of the states, limited govt., checks on majority rule, the separation of powers, and checks on balances between the branches of government
How is the principle of federalism expressed in the Constitution? How does federalism fragment government power?
Independent state powers, states’ roles in national government, relation among states: civil judgements by the courts of one state must be recognized by the others. Concurrent powers overlay powers by both federal and state.
What role do states’ play in the national government and how are relations between states regulated?:
states decide who can vote for members of the House of Reps and draw the boundaries of House districts. States play a key part in the complicated electoral college system of choosing a president in which each state has votes equal to the number of its senators and reps combined, with the president elected by a majority of electoral votes, not a majority of popular votes.
What type of govt does Japan and France have?
Unitary
What type of government does the U.S., Mexico, India, and Canada have?
Federal
What is the nationalist position on the nature of American federalism?
believe that the Constitution was formed by a compact among the people to create a single national community, pointing to the powerful phrase that opens the preamble: “we the People of the United States.” Advocate an active national govt with the capacity and the will to tackle whatever problems might emerge to threaten the peace and prosperity of the United States or the general welfare of its people.
What is the states rights position on the nature of American federalism?
argue that the Constitution was created as a compact among the states and that the framers meant for the states to be coequal with the national government.
How has states federalism changed over the years?
Federalism before the civil war asked the question of who would make sure that the U.S. laws and Constitution were actually the “supreme law of the land,” controlling state laws? Answer: Supreme Court. The Civil War affeced the relationship between the states and the natl govt. first, the unconditional southern surrender decisively established that the Union was indissoluble; state could not withdraw or secede. Second, passage of what has become known as the Civil War Amendments resulted in constitutional changes that subordinated the states t certain new national standards, enforced by the central government. During the 1990s there were a number of indications that the states were becoming more important in the American federal syste. First, the states accounted for an ever-increasing share of public spending in the United States. Second, the states accounted for an ever-increasing share of public employees in the United Sates.
How is money granted from the national govt to the states? What are the types of grants?
Categorical grants, block grants, general revenue sharing, mandates.
Know the basic changes in the racial and ethnic composition of the U.S. population
Until recently, the rate of migration to the U.S. was accelerating. During the 1990s, more immigrants arrived than in any decade in American history. The U.S. is still overwhelmingly non-Hispanic white, but its diversity is growing with every passing year. Hispanic population has been growing rapidly and is now the nation’s largest minority group followed by African Americans. Asian-origin population is growing faster in a proportional sense than any other group but it is still relatively small.
Know how the standard of living, inequality, and poverty rates have changed over the years.
While median household income in the United States grew modestly over the past four decades, it grew much slower than the overall rate of growth in the economy. In 2006, 12.3% of Americans lived below the poverty line. The degree of income and wealth inequality has always been higher in the U.S. than in the other rich democracies. Over the past two decades, income and wealth inequality have become even more pronounced.
Know the shifts in the American workforce and have a basic knowledge of in which sectors Americans are employed today
manufacturing jobs have stopped growing, outsourcing increasing. Software engineers, portfolio managers, website creators, filmmakers, and business strategists are highly sought after and rewarded while others are not such as low skill manual and service workers.
How has globalization affected America
U.S. share of world GDP is declining. Companies feel compelled to trim or eliminate health care plans and shed employees. Some companies outsource. Unions are being forced to make ware and benefit concessions
What are the basic core beliefs about human nature, society, and government held by Americans?
individualism, a free enterprise economy and the protection of private property, a distrust of government, democracy and freedom, and religious beliefs.
What is the relationship between public opinion and policy making in democracies?
For the people to rule, they must have their voice heard by those in govt. The best evidence that those in power are responsible to the voice of the people is a strong showing that what govt. does reflects the wishes of the people.
Why have some theorists expressed doubts over the wisdom of the public in guiding policy decisions?
Theorists and Founders of our ntl govt worried that the public’s “passions” would infringe on liberty and that public opinion would be susceptible to radical and frequent shifts. Some believe that most people do not know what goes on in the world; they have only vague, media-provided pictures in their heads. Some argue that public opinion is more influential than it should be after showing that widespread public ignorance about how the economy works leads people to support harmful public policies. Such fears about public opinion have been exaggerated.
What are the basics behind public opinion polling?
(sample survey) Eliminates most of the guesswork in measuring public opinion. A survey consists of systematic interviews conducted by trained professional interviewers who ask a standardized set of questions of a rather small number of randomly chosen Americans (usually about 1,00 or 1,500)
How are public opinion pollings conducted?
For success: the sample of people interviewed must be representative of the whole population. Achieved best when people are chosen through random sampling. Questions must be worded appropriately
Why is sampling increasingly difficult?
Sampling is difficult because American have become less willing to answer pollsters’ questions, increasingly using answering machines or caller ID, more Americans are turning to mobile phones.
How and why do people's political attitudes differ
race and ethnicity, social class, education, and religion
What are African American's political attitudes?
differ from whites in partisanship. Mostly democrats. A.A. tend to be more liberal than whites on economic issues, especially on those involving govt programs to provide assistance to those who need help in the areas of jobs, housing, medical care, education, and so on. Blacks tend to hold strong religious values and to be rather conservative on some social issues (i.e. more are opposed to abortion than whites). Black and white divisions are most apparent on issues related to affirmative action and who is responsible for the prograss or lack of progress African Americans have experienced.
What are hispanics political attitudes
As a whole they identify more with the Democrats. Hispanic population is quite diverse. Cuban Americans tend to be conservatice. The much more numberous Americans of Mexican, Central American, or Puerto Rivan ancestry are mostly Democrats and quite liberal on economic matters, although rather traditional on social questions due to predominant Roman Catholicism
What are Asian Americans political attitudes
More educated and economically successful than the general population but are less likely to voe and express an interest in politics. On social issues, they support the death penalty and oppose same-sex marriage; on economic issues they are slightly more conservative than average.
How does region affect political attitudes
South still more conservative on sivil rights than north. Southern whites tend to be more conservative than people in other regions on social issues, but fairly liberal on economic issues. Northeasterners and Pacific Coast residents tend to be similar. Rocky Mountain states except Colorado tend to be quite conservative. Narrowing in regional differences on many core beliefs and political attitudes
How does education affect political attitudes
Higher education = stronger political attitudes and participation. More liberal on social issues.
How does gender affect political attitudes
Women more Democratic, Men more Republican. Women tend to be more opposed to violence, more supportive of protective policies for he poor, elderly and disabled, oppose capital punishment and the use of military force abroad and faovred arms control and peace agreements. There is no gender gap on the issue of abortion
How does age affect political attitudes
Younger citizens are less likely to identify with a political party although those that do tend to be Democrats. People over 60 tend to be more critical of govt.
How does religion affect political attitudes
Roman Catholics pretty evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. Protestant differ. Jews Democratic. The religiously commited are the most likely Americans to vote Republican and to hold conservative views
What are the roles of the media in a democracy
Watchdog over democracy, clarifying electoral choices, providing policy information.
What is the Constitutional basis for freedom of the press?
First Amendment to the Constitution (“Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom…of the press”) helps ensure that the news media will be able to expose officials’ misbehavior without fear of censorship or prosecution.
What alternatives to mainstream media exist
Internet
Why is the mainstream media of continued importance
Much of the rich and diverse information on the Internet only reach small and fragmented audiences and usually have an impact only when and to the extent they can attract the attention of the mainstream news media. Much of the political news on the Internet sites such as GoogleNews is simply content collected from the mainstream wire services and major newspaper and network news organizations. Much of the airtime on cable news networks is devoted to reporting or commenting on material gathered from the major wire services such as the Asociated press and it is the mainstream media that eager politicians and govt officials generally look for clues about what the public and other leaders want and where they try to gain attention for their own views and achievements.
What is mainstream media?
Mainstream newss media are the collection of nationally prominent newspapers, national news magazines, TV network news organizations, local newspapers, and local TV news operations that gather, analyze, and report politically important events, developments, and trends
What corporations own newspaper?
Newhouse, Gannett, and McClatchy
What corporation owns magazine publishing
Time Warner
What corporations dominate tv
General Electric, Disney, News Corp., and Viacom
How is political newsmaking affected by a limited geography?
Serious natl news comes from few places: Washington D.C., New York City. The major tv networks and newspapers cannot afford to station many reporters outside Washington or N.Y. Networks usually add just Chicago, L.A., Miami, and Houston or Dallas
How is political newsmaking affected by its dependence on official sources?
Beats and news-gathering routines encourage a situation of mutual dependence by reporters and govt officials. Even when reporters put on a show of aggressive questioning at White House press conferences, they usually work hard to stay on good terms with officials and to avoid fundamental challenges of the officials’ positions. The news media’s heavy reliance on official sources means that govt officials are soetimes able to control what journalists report and how they report it. Because it is way of the release of info that might help an adversary or undermine public support for U.S. actions the Defense Department tries to restrict acces of reporters to military personnel and the battlefield and provide carefully screened info for use by he news media.
How is political newsmaking affected by episodic foreign coverage?
Can’t afford to cover all countries so only base reporters in big countries that effect the United States. An unfamiliar part of the world may suddenly jump into the headlines with a spectacular story such as ethnic cleansing in Darfour. For a few days the story dominates the news and then if nothing new and exciting happens the sotry grows stale and disappears from the media leaving the viewers with little more understanding of the country than they began with
How is political newsmaking affected by interpretation?
Under the informal rule of objective journalism explicit interpretations by journalists are avoided, except for commentary or editorials.
What is the debate over whether news is bias
Reporters’ and journalists’ tend to be somewhat more liberal than the average American on certain matters, including the environment and such social issues as civil rights and liberties, affirmative action, abortion, and women’s rights. No systematic evidence that reporters’ personal values regularly affect what appears in the mainstream news media. The owners and top managers of most news media organizations tend to be conservative and Republican.
What are the prevailing themes in political news in the U.S.?
Nationalism; Approval of the American Economic System; Negativity and Scandal; Infotainment; Limited, Fragmented, and Incoherent Political Info.
What affect does the media have on politics?
Agenda setting, framing and effects on policy preferences, fueling cynicism
What did the fairness doctrine of 1949 do?
required that licensees present contrasting viewpoints on any controversial issue of public importance that was discussed. In 1985 it was abolished.
What did the equal time provision of the 1934 Communications Act do?
required that except for news programs, stations that granted air time to any on candidate for public office had to grant other candidates equal time.
Why do so many interest groups exist?
The constitutional rules of the political game in the U.S. encourage the formation of interest groups. Being a very diverse society, there are simply myriad interest in the U.S. As govt takes on more responsibilities, it quite naturally comes to have a greater effect on virtually all aspects of economic, social, and personal life. Formations of interest groups seems to happen only when interests are threatened, usually by some change in the social and economic environment or in government policy (known as the disturbance theory)
What is the inside game?
involves direct, personal contact between interest group reps and govt officials.Does not customarily involve bribing legislators. Politics of one-on-one persuasion, in which the skilled lobbyist tries to get a decision maker to understand and sympathize with the interest group’s point of view or to see that what the interest group wants is good for the politician’s constituents. Essence of inside game in Congress is the cultivation of personal relationships with people who matter. Career civil servants and political appointees in the executive branch have a great deal of discretionary authority because Congress often legislates broad policies, leaving executive agencies to fill in the details so lobbyists want cooperative long-term relationships with the executive branch. Interest groups sometimes lobby the court by filing amicus curiae briefs in cases involving other parties where a organization that is not a party in the suit may file an argument in support of one side or the other in hope of swaying the views of the judge or judges. They get involved in the appointment of federal judges.
What is the outside game?
involves interest group mobilization of public opinion, voters, and important contributors in order to bring pressure to bear on elected officials. When an interest group tries to mobilize local constituencies and shape public opinion to support the group’s goals and to bring that pressure to bear on elected officials. Sometimes called grassroots lobbying. Has been growing steadily in recent years. Those interest groups with a large membership base try to persuade their members to send letters and to make phone calls to senators and reps when an important issue is before Congress. Makes ever effort to be in touch with the most important campaign contributors and opinion leaders. “educate” the public on issues that are important to the interest group. Get involved in electoral campaign.
What are the basic inequalities in the interest groups system?
Not all segments of society are equally represented. Business corporations and professional have more money so can employ more lobbyists. Some groups are larger than others so wield more influence.
Why do corporations have advantages in interest group system?
because of resources, because the health of the American economy depend on them, held in high regard, their mobility is an important counterweight to any govt effort to raise taxes or impose regulations that business deems especially onerous.
What are some important things to know about social movements.
Social movements are the political instrument of political outsiders. Social movements are generally mass grassroots phenomena. Social movements are populated by individuals with a shared sense of grievance. Social movements often use unconventional and disruptive tactics. Social movements often generate interest group organizations.
What are the major social movements in the U.S.?
Abolitionists, Populists, Women’s Suffrage, Labor Movement, Civil Rights Movement, Contemporary Antiwar Movements, Women’s Movement, Environmenal Movement, Gay and Lesbian Movement, Religious Conservatives, Antiglobalization Movement, Undocuented Immigrants Movement.
What effect do social movements have in a democracy?
Social movements may increase the level of popular involvement and interest in politics. Sometimes allow individuals and groups without substantial resources to enter the game of politics. May also help create new majorities in society. Sometimes it takes the energy and disruption of a social movement to overcome the antimajoritarian aspects of our constitutional system and get anything done at all.
What factors encourage the creation of social movements
Those whose lives are difficult and unsafe, whose way of life or values is threatened, or whose way of life is disrespected often find social movements an attractive means of calling attention to their plight and of pressing for changes in the status quo. When aggrieved people have the resources sufficient to organize those who are suffering strain and distress. The times must be right, in the sense that a degree of support and tolerance must exist for the movement among the public and society’s leaders. People who are on the outside looking in must come to believe that their actions can make a difference, that other citizens and political leaders will listen and respond to their grievances. Some dramatic precipitating event sometimes called a catalyst to set them in motion.
What tactics are used by social movements?
sit-down strikes, civil disobedience, mass demonstrations, hunger strikes,
What are the roles of political parties in a democracy?
To let the people rule because political parties can only be elected with the consent of the majority. They recruit candidates to office. Keep elected officials responsible, include a broad range of groups, stimulate political interest, ensure accountability, help people make sense of complexity in politics, make government work.
What factors create two-party systems?
Having a winner-take-all, single-member-district election because it discourages minor-party efforts because failure to come in first in the voting leaves a party with no representation at all and voters are less likely to vote for minor-parties cause they feels they are wasting their vote. Restrictions on minor parties that make it difficult for other parties to get on the ballot.
What are the restrictions minor parties face?
Dominant parties often establish rules that make it difficult to get on the ballot. New and small parties find it difficult to navigate the legal patchwork to get on the ballot. The federal govt automatically qualify major-party candidates for funding whereas minor-candidates must attract a minimum of 5% of the votes and they arent reimbursed until after the election.
What role do minor parties in the US play?
Sometimes they articulate new ideas that are eventually taken over by one of the major-parties. Can change the outcome of elections.
What is the basic organizational structure of the Republican and Democratic parties
Loose collections of local and state parties, campaign committees, candidates and officeholders, and associated interest groups that get together every 4 years to nominate a presidential candidate. Party membership. Parties as Candidate-Centered Organizations. Party Conventions. National Party Committees, Congressional Campaign Committees. State Party Organizations.
What is the role and structure of national party committees?
Conduct business of the parties during the 4 years between national conventions. Made up of elected committeemen and committeewomen from each of the states, a sizable staff, and a chairperson, but they rarely meet. Most business run by the party chair. Little power when a president from the party is in office. Little direct power, but they have become increasingly important as campaign service organizations for party candidates running for natl and state offices.
What is the prospective (responsible party) voting model?
based on commonsense notion that elections should present a “real choice”: political parties should stand for diff policies, the voters should choose between them, and the winning party should carry out its mandate. Voters are interested in and capable of deciding what governent will do in the future
What is the electoral competition voting model?
also known as median voter. Unified parties compete for votes by taking the most popular positions they can. They try to take positions that will appeal to the voter at the exact midpoint of the political spectrum. Both parties are therefore likely to end up standing for the same policies. Conditions for this electoral model to work perfectly are not likely to be met in the realy world.
What is the retrospective (or reward and punishment) voting model?
A form of election in which voters judge how well a group in power has governed and decide if they want this group to continue in office. Requires very little of voters: no elaborate policy preferences, no study of campaign platforms, just judgements of how well or how basly things have been going.
When were various groups granted suffrage?
African American men in 1870 with the passage of the 15th amendment. Women in 1920 with the 19th amendment. Residents of D.C. allowed to vote in presidential elections after 1961. 18-20 year olds in 1971.
Why is there low voter turnout in the U.S.?
Only citizens who take the initiative to register in advance are permitted to vote in an election. Voters are simply overwhelmed by the complexity of the issues and the number of choices they must ake in the voting booth; some choose to stay home. Failure of the political parties to rouse people broadly and get them to the polls to vote. Very few Americans experience competitive elections where they live.
How does the campaign trail work?
Generally those that are nominated are the presumptive nominees. Selected at their national conventions. Nominations goes to the winner of a majority of delegates to the national party convention mostly chosen in state primaries and caucuses. Republicans on a winner-take-all basis. Democrats on a proportional basis. Money, name recognition, previous political involvement, media takes candidate seriously, increased popular support. Since the 1970s, a majority of the delegates to the conventions in each party have been chosen in state primary elections, with direct voting by citizens. Important to establish momentum by winning early primaries and caucuses.
What is the role of money in general elections and where does it come from?
elections are very expensive. Comes from the federal treasury, paid by taxpayers. Money from donations. For House and Senate: contributions from individuals, PACs, and political party committees. Parties interest groups and advocacy organizations. Aspirants for party nominations who cannot raise sizable funds always drop out of the race. Doesn’t matter as much during the post-convention run for the White House. People often donate money to candidates with something in return (political favors). Those who are well organized or have a lot of money to spend on politics have a better chance of influencing policy than ordinary citizens do, and they tend to influence it in directions diff from those the general public would want.
What factors affect how people vote?
Social characteristics: people’s socioeconomic status, place of residence, religion, ethnic backgrounds, gender, and age. Party loyalties. Candidates: Vote heavily for candidates who have experience, appear strong and decisive, and convey personal warmth. Issues.
How does the electoral college work?
When Americans vote for a presidential candidate whose name appears on the ballot, they are actually voting for a slate of electors in their state – equal to the number of the state’s U.S. Senators and representatives – who have promised to support a party’s presidential candidate (very rarely have electores reneged on their promises and cast ballots for someone else). Nearly all states have winner-take all systes in which the winner of the popular vote wins the state’s entire allotment of electoral votes.
What affect does the electoral college have on American politics
It magnifies the popular support of winners. It may let the less popular candidate win. It discourages third parties.