Chapter 9: The Political Process

Front 1

Purpose of Political Parties

Back 1

• is to nominate candidates for public office and to get as many of them elected as possible
• once elected, these officials try to achieve the goals of their party through legislation and program initiatives

Front 2

Republican Party

Back 2

Red Elephant

Front 3

Interest Groups

Back 3

organization of people with common interests that tries to influence government and its policies

Front 4

Role of media in elections

Back 4

monitors, shapes and determines the public agenda

reports on leaders & issues they think are important

can be biased or inaccurate

Front 5

secrecy of ballots

Back 5

anonymous so people feel free to vote how they want without outside pressure

Front 6

factors that influence voting

Back 6

• Income/Occupation
• Education
• Gender/Age
• Religious and Ethnic Background
• Geography

Front 7

universal requirements for voting

Back 7

1.States require voters to be resident
2.A person can have only one residence
3.Some states have provided registration qualifications that require people to have lived in a place for a certain amount of time
4.Naturalized citizens can vote once they become citizens

Front 8

Liberal

Back 8

• believe in government action to achieve equal opportunity and equality for all.
• government to alleviate social ills and to protect civil liberties and individual and human rights.
• role of the government should be to guarantee that no one is in need.
• emphasize the need for the government to solve problems.

Front 9

Left vs. Right

Back 9

opposite ends of the political spectrum

Front 10

open primary

Back 10

primary election in which any registered voter may vote in either party's primary election

Front 11

closed primary

Back 11

primary election in which only voters registered as party members can vote in selecting that party's candidates

Front 12

election day

Back 12

• a day legally established for the election of public officials
• the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in an even year designated for national elections in the United States

Front 13

nomination

Back 13

naming a candidate for political office

Front 14

general election

Back 14

regular election of candidates for an office

Front 15

caucus

Back 15

meeting of party members who select the candidates to run for election

Front 16

ballot

Back 16

a process of voting, in writing and typically in secret

Front 17

precinct

Back 17

smallest unit or area for administering elections and local voting

Front 18

polling place

Back 18

a building where voting takes place during an election

Front 19

public opinion

Back 19

aggregation of views shared by a segment of society on issues of interest or concern to people

Front 20

poll

Back 20

survey of people scientifically selected to provide opinions about something

Front 21

political socialization

Back 21

the process by which people acquire political beliefs

Front 22

suffrage

Back 22

right to vote

Front 23

electorate

Back 23

the body of people entitled to vote

Front 24

disenfranchised

Back 24

deprive (someone) of the right to vote.

Front 25

independent

Back 25

not associated with any political party

Front 26

incumbent

Back 26

person currently holding political office

Front 27

political party

Back 27

organized group that seeks to win elections in order to influence the activities of government

Front 28

ideology

Back 28

a system of ideas and ideals, especially one that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy.

Front 29

platform

Back 29

a political party’s stand on important issues and
the party’s general principles

Front 30

exit polls

Back 30

survey of randomly selected fraction of voters after they have voted

Front 31

endorse

Back 31

publicly declare support for a particular candidate in an election

Front 32

Democratic Party

Back 32

Blue Donkey

Front 33

Conservative

Back 33

• believe in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional American values and a strong national defense
• government should provide people the freedom necessary to pursue their own goals
• emphasize empowerment of the individual to solve problems