American National Government Test 4 – Flashcards

replace current officeholders Function as a institution of legitimacy Promote government accountability Source of protection for groups in society

*(1)* Primary Elections *(2)*General Elections *(3)* Runoff Elections

The referendum - Technically not an election. - 18 States have provisions for recall elections - Recall is an electoral device that allows voters to remove governors and other state officials from office prior to the expiration of their terms.

The plurality System; a type of electoral system in which, to win a seat in the parliament or other representative body, a candidate need only receive the most votes in an election, *not necessarily a majority of the votes cast*.

manipulating the organization of electoral districts

Neutral Ballot

Support a party's presidential candidate.

*(1)* For basic information that candidates and their staffs use to craft campaign strategies *(2)* To select issues, to assess their own strengths and weaknesses as well as those of the opposition *(3)* to check voter response to the campaign, *(4)* To measure the degree to which various constituent parties may respond to campaign appeals.

help the candidate *raise funds* and *create public name recognition*.

*Hiring experts* - media consultants, pollsters, and others - to aid in developing issues and a message and communicating them to the public.

a party's nomination in primary elections

running in *state party primaries* and *caucuses*.

Caucasus of a party's members of Congress. This system was replaced in 1830's by nominating conventions, which were designed to be a more democratic , deliberative method of nominating candidates.

*ratify a party's platform* and *adopt rules governing the party* and its future conventions.

use the broadcast media to present the electorate with themes and issues that will induce them to support one candidate over another.

been transformed by the introduction of high-tech campaign techniques, including polls, use of broadcast media, phone banks, direct mail, professional public relations, and the internet.

partisan loyalty, issues, and candidate characteristics.

competing *candidates do not differ substantially* or *do not focus their campaigns on policy matters*.

predisposes voters in favor of their party's candidates and against those of the opposing party.

attributes; personality characteristics

varies from contest to contest and from voter to voter.

Rick Santorum; Newt Gingrich

putting together a coalition of working-class-voters, women, and minority constituents and winning all but one battleground state.

In Congress, Democrats retained control of the Senate and Republicans retained control of the house.

Small, direct-mail contributions Large gifts PACs Political parties 527's, Candidates' personal resources, and Public funding

Federal Elections Campaign Act of 1971.

Scrutinized following the 1996 and 2000 elections. This lead to restrictions on soft money in the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act

affects the relative power of social groups. As a result: *less affluent groups have considerably less power in the political system*

it might do so at the expense of liberty.

George W. Bush (2004)

1992

All other things being equal, Hubert Humphrey was expected to prevail in 1968 and Al Gore was expected to prevail in 2000.

Obama was reelected despite a low level of consumer confidence in the economy.

270

Tenderloin

Bigger states have strong ties to a specific political party.

high school diploma or less

50-64

$150,000 and up

can help a candidate secure media attention and financial support.

midterm election

*Incumbents generally spend more money* than challengers in Senate campaigns.

The proportional representation system

55 (53 House members + 2 Senate)

It is the practice of voting directly for proposed laws.

Packing; part of Gerrymandering

reformers who hoped to weaken the power of party leaders.

All states distribute electoral votes on a winner-take-all basis.

A closed primary

free media

$500,000

prospective; retrospective

Partisan loyalty Issues Characteristics of candidates

Direct-mail solicitations

Nominations were controlled by each party's congressional caucus.

system of proportional representation

James Polk; Warren Harding. *(*GRANT WAS NOT!!!!*)*

political parties

332

an organized group of people that makes policy-related appeals to government.

all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the United States. They believed the outcome of this competition would be *compromise and moderation*, since no group would be able to achieve any of its goals without accommodating itself to some of the views of its many competitors.

... key organizational components including: Leadership Money An agency or office Members

a pronounced upper-class bias because of the characteristics of interest-group members.

material, informational, solidary, and purposive benefits to entice people to join.

the enormous increase in group activity and organization.

A factor accounting for the explosion of interest-group activity in recent years was the emergency of a new set of forces in American politics

an effort by outsiders to influence Congress or government agencies by providing them with information about issues, giving them support, and even threatening retaliation.

one point in the executive branch program, another in the Senate or House legislative committee or subcommittee, and a third point in an interest group. - The points are mutually supporting and work together for a mutual benefit; they count as access only if they last over a long period of time.

like-minded politicians Consultants Public officials Political activists Interest Groups having some concern with the issue

lobbyists have found ways to circumvent many of the new rules.

litigation when they lack access or feel they have insufficient influence over the formulation and implementation of public policy.

use the courts to affect public policy by bringing suit directly on behalf of the group itself, financing suits brought by individual's suits, or by filing a companion brief as an amicus curiae to an existing case.

mobilize the widest and most favorable climate of opinion. - Institutional Advertising - Demonstrations - Grassroots mobilization

*elect the right legislators in the first place* and to *ensure that those who are elected will owe them a debt of gratitude* for their financial support and campaign activism

to avoid giving up access to one party by embracing the other.

is a necessary and intrinsic element of the liberty of citizens to pursue their private lives and to express their views, individually and collectively.

wealthy and powerful who have superior knowledge and opportunity and resources with which to organize.

1500

has declined in the last few years.

least common type of PAC

There are more *public interest PACs* today than any other type. The number of *public interest PACs has increased greatly since 2007*.

Business

NOT SOLIDARITY NOT PURPOSIVE (PROBABLY INFORMATIONAL)

institutional advertising

Corruption

55

$79 million

defense

Ideology / Single Issue; agribusiness if between the following: Agribusiness Construction Defense Labor

information

encourage administrative agencies to negotiate with important interest groups.

Astroturf lobbying

*upper-middle-class professionals*, for whom the civil rights and antiwar movements of the 1960s were key experiences

dramatically increased

*representing the interests of large numbers of people* and encouraging *political participation*.

nominating a candidate to run for political office

filing amicus curiae briefs, financing lawsuits, and bringing a suit on behalf of the group

Liberty is often inconsistent with equality.

the 1995 Lobbying Disclosure Act

5,500

labor groups

It requires agencies to create opportunities for public comments before implementing new rules and regulations.

private interests are hiding behind the ideals of public interests.

38,000,000 (million)

Have substantial influence in setting the political agenda help to craft specific legislation build coalitions around specific policy issues build coalitions in Washington D.C. in particular (*All of the above is correct*)

grassroots mobilization

They often find themselves "Microsofted."