AP Gov. Chapter 7-11 Study Guide
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Chapter 7
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1. How does a politician use a media event to promote their candidacy or agenda?
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With today's media, the politicians are better able to promote their message on specific issues and gain control over the political agenda by presenting priorities on the daily news. Media events are helpful because they are carefully scripted and allow only a narrow margin of report possibilities. Instead of spending all day shaking hands with ordinary people, they can do it in a fraction of the time with a television crew in tow who can then spread the act all across the country.
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2. What, in general, was the relationship between the media and President from Hoover to Kennedy? How has that relationship changed since Vietnam & Watergate?
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During Hoover's presidency, the only possible way to address the president was through writing. If someone had a question, they sent a letter, and he in turn replied via writing. With this style of communication, there was no TV immediacy of response; everything could be reviewed and presented in a careful way. Roosevelt followed and practically invented media politics. He started press conferences and used the media as his ally. Radios were utilized for his \"Fireside Chats\" which allowed the public to feel a closer connection. Watergate was the turning point marking the beginning of reports on personal lives. Before this, girlfriends and other personal matters weren't news. Investigative journalism took over.
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3. What is the evidence to illustrate that the coverage of presidential candidates has become more negative in recent years?
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Instead of the previous ratio with Kennedy and Nixon (3 favorable to 1 unfavorable), 1992 marked a ratio of 3 unfavorable for every 2 favorable. Instead of asking questions of \"what\", reporters now ask \"why\". This style of reporting lends itself to unfavorable impressions of the candidates; policy statements are out, campaign controversies are in.
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4. After reading \"The Print Media\" on page 217, answer the following: What is the impact of the First Amendment on print media? Currently, what is the primary \"pecking order\" of newspapers in America? Describe the status of the print media in America today.
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The first amendment rights were arguably stretched with the idea of yellow journalism. With such exaggeration in stories, many reported violence, corruption, wars, and gossip. Reporters didn't have much respect for the truth. The pecking order is topped by the New York Times followed by the Washington Post. Many other large cities like Los Angeles and Boston have important media outputs as well as the Associated Press which feeds stories to be printed in smaller towns. While in 1960 one newspaper was sold to every two people, the rate has declined to one sold for every four people. The implications could be drastic as television is replacing print media as the primary source of information but includes a significantly smaller amount and variety.
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5. Read \"The Broadcast Media\" on page 218, then, in a couple of sentences, describe how the broadcast media has evolved since the 1930's to where it is today.
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There was a stark transition in the primary source of news from newspapers to radio and television. Now politicians had to worry about how they looked and carried themselves as well as how they spoke. While the radio brought the country to war in the 1940s, the television did the same in the 1960s. Many had differing views over who won the same debate and it came down to whether they were listening on the radio or watching on the television.
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6. What are three important ways in which the FCC has regulated the airwaves?
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1. Prevent the near monopolies of control over a broadcast market - instituted rules to limit the number of stations owned or controlled by one company (no single owner can control more than 35% of the broadcast market). 2. Conducts periodic examinations of the goals and performances of stations as part of its licensing authority - a station must serve the public interest. 3. Fair treatment rules concerning the access to the airwaves for political candidates and officeholders.
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7. \"From Broadcasting to Narrowcasting: The Rise of Cable News Channels\" on pp. 220-21 describes the changes in media broadcasting. What seems to be the conclusion regarding the current effectiveness of cable news to provide meaningful information to the American public? Do you agree or disagree with that conclusion?
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With over 500 channels and the majority of the US population having access, television seems like it would be the perfect play to display news stories. That isn't the case however due to the select interests of the public and narrowcasting. Not everyone is interesting in watching the popular broadcasting stations and would rather instead turn to MTV or the History Channel. This means that information can be provided to the American public but it doesn't always reach everyone.
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8. Looking at Table 7.1 on page 223, what does the data suggest about how Americans use the internet to keep politically informed?
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The week before the presidential election, more people were using the internet to find out how to carve a pumpkin and stay up to date on celebrities than there were searching for the presidential nominees. The 16th most common search was John Kerry and the 24th most common was George W. Bush. While the internet can be useful for staying up to date, many weren't using it for this purpose.
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9. What has been the impact of private control of the media regarding the amount of overseas stories covered by U.S. news organizations?
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The US is ranked one of the top countries in terms of media freedom. With the ability to speak freely about the government and whatever other topics they feel like, they simply rely on advertisers for income. Since the general public wasn't very interested in foreign and world affairs reports, those were some of the easy cuts made. Reports of this nature have been covered less and less since the late 20th century.
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10. In \"Reporting the News,\" what is the conclusion of Leonard Downie Jr. and Robert Kaiser regarding the history of TV news? Regardless of the medium, what has news reporting become in America?
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News reporting has become a business in America. Journalism is shaped by the quest for profit. Journalists have the difficult task of deciding how to feed the \"beast\" that is 20 hour news. In order to keep a constant steam of media going, many times reporters are forced to report on stories that may not seem \"news worthy\".
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11. What are two ways in which reporters go about \"finding the news\"?
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Reporters go about finding the news by following specific beats - specific locations from which news frequently emanates. This allows reports to develop a specialty. Trial balloons are sometimes sent out as a \"leak\" of information to see what the political reaction will be. (More info?)
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12. Looking at Table 7.1 on page 229, what conclusion can draw from it regarding the coverage of presidential candidates from 1968-2004? Looking at the cartoon at the bottom of the same page, what does it suggest about the way \"soundbites\" alter the way politicians have to craft their message for the media?
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13. Read \"You are the Policymaker\" on page 230. Do you think this is a policy that should be mandated in the 2016 presidential election? Why?
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In my opinion, there would have been many benefits if this policy had been put into place. The general public would be almost forced to become politically aware and the candidates would have to go of script. However, the \"talking head\" frame isn't always appealing and it is difficult to watch for a long period of time. This policy would have also violated many of the broadcasting companies freedoms. Making a rule that they have to devote a few minutes every night to something that may or may not be relevant to their station isn't in agreement with the free ideals that American business stands for.
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14. After reading \"Bias in the News\" on page 231-32, what seems to be the general conclusion regarding bias in the media?
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In recent years, many people have been concerned with the idea of bias in the news. Some people feel like there is a liberal bias while others see too many conservative ideas. Reporters are almost twice likely to identify themselves as liberal, and since they are the ones reporting the news, it makes sense to assume that this would lead to a liberal tinge. However, most stories are presented in a point/counterpoint format therefore leaving little room for bias. In the end, the media outlets still play the game of capitalism and play the stories with the liberal or conservative bias that would attract the largest number of viewers.
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15. On page 233-34 is the section \"The News and Public Opinion.\" What is the impact on citizens regarding how the media acts as a \"gatekeeper\" in setting the agenda for what makes the news?
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Many Americans simply believe what they heard on the news as fact. Before questioning any statements or checking for bias, they accept what was said at face value. This means that depending on what stories run and how they are worded, the public's views can drastically be altered. For example, one year when unemployment was high, it could be reported and many could lose faith in the economy when in fact inflation dropped. There are many different sides to each story and the ones picked by the media shape public views. It's not the news unless the media decides its the news for us.
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16. How does the media act as a \"watchdog\"?
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The media acts as a watchdog because they decide what is reported on and covered. This generally includes scandals, failures, disasters which alert the public dangers, threats, incompetence, and crisis. This helps to restrict politicians. (More info?)
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17. How has the relationship between \"individualism and the media\" impacted the role of political parties and America's focus on the Executive Branch over the other two?
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The television allows people to experience a more up-close-and-personal relationship with the candidates. The Supreme Court does not allow television cameras into their space therefore the public doesn't get this inside look with this branch. That means other branches have the benefit of being able to give the public this view.
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High Tech Politics
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Type of Politics - behavior of citizens and policymakers and the political agenda itself are increasingly shaped by technology
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Mass Media
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Means of Popular Communication - television, radio, newspaper, magazines, the internet, etc.
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Media Events
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Events - purposely staged for the media that nonetheless look spontaneous. In keeping with politics as theater, media events can be staged by individuals, groups, and government officials, especially presidents
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Press Conference
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Meetings - public officials with reporters
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Investigative Journalism
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In-depth reporting - used to unearth scandals, scams, and schemes, at times putting reporters in adversarial relationships with political leaders
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Print Media
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Newspapers and magazines - compared with broadcast media
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Broadcast Media
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Television and radio - compared with print media
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Narrowcasting
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Media programming - found on cable TV or the Internet, focused more on one topic and aimed at a particular audience (ex. MTV, ESPN, and C-SPAN)
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Chains (Media Chains)
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Newspapers - published by massive media conglomerates, account for over 4/5 of the nations daily newspaper circulation, often control broadcast media
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Beats
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Specific locations - news frequently emanates, such as Congress or the White house, most top reporters work a particular beat, thereby becoming specialists in what goes on at that location
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Trial Balloons
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Intentional news leak - purpose of assessing the political reaction
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Sound Bites
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Short video clip - about 10 seconds, typically all that is shown from a politician's speech on the nightly television news
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Talking Head
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Shot of a person's face - talking directly to the camera, visually unappealing, major commercial networks rarely show a politician talking one-on-one for very long
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Policy Agenda
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Issues - attract the serious attention of public officials and other people actively involved in politics at the time
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Policy Entrepreneurs
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People - invest their political \"capital\" in an issue, \"could be in or out of government in elected or appointed positions, in interest groups or research organizations\" - John Kingdon
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Chapter 8
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1. What is the core function of a political party?
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The core function of a political party is to get elected.
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2. What are the \"three heads\" of political parties and what is the function of each?
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Party in the Electorate - largest component, public can simply claim to be party of a party, no dues are required Party as an Organization - national office, full-time staff, rules and bylaws, and budgets as well as state and local headquarters Party in the Government - elected officials who call themselves members of a party, they translate their promises into policy
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3. What are five \"Tasks of the Parties\"?
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Parties are tasked with the responsibility of picking candidates, running campaigns, giving cues to voters, articulating policies, and coordinating policymaking.
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4. Looking at Figure 8.1 on page 245, what does the graph say about the American electorate and what can you conjecture about what the parties will do in order to get the most votes come election time?
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The graph shows that the majority of the electorate identifies themselves as moderate. This means that parties cannot predict how the majority of voters will vote and therefore they have to appeal to the most extreme views.
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5. Table 8.1 on page 246 illustrates party identification in the United States from 1952-2004. What has happened to party identification for Democrats, Republicans, and Independents during that time period?
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The identification rate for democrats has decreased from 48.6% to 32.1 percent while the identification rate of republicans has gone from 28.1% to 29%. Independents on the other hand has risen from 23.3% to 38.9%.
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6. After reading \"Local Parties\" on pp. 247-48, how has the influence of local parties changed from the nineteenth century to today?
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In the past, there was a strong identification with a specific party. These party machines of the past relied heavily on material inducements (like patronage) to win votes and to govern. In present day, it is fragmented and disorganized. The public can very loosely identify with whichever party they desire. Local parties have declined and state/national parties are more important.
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7. What are at least two examples of how the \"50 State Party Systems\" differ from each other?
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In Pennsylvania, the party is well organize, has a sizable staff, and spends a lot of money. This is vastly different from California where parties are weak. More generally, states get to decide how to organize elections (closed vs. open vs. blanket primaries). Straight-ticket voting is also different because it allows people to vote for all the candidates from one party at once. This has the potential to drastically impact the overall election turnout.
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8. Read \"You are the Policymaker\" on page 250. Do you think the Supreme Court should have outlawed California's blanket primary? Why?
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A closed primary system favors the election of party hard-lines and contributes to gridlock. Opening up the vote to allow a decision of any set of candidates encourages politicians to focus on the median voter. In my opinion, the blanket primary was a good idea because it allows for a variety of policymakers. Although they identify as a specific party, each individual can be more liberal or conservative than their counterpart from another party and therefore the blanket primary would allow more freedom for the voter.
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9. After reading \"The Party in Government: Promises and Policy,\" on pp. 251-52, address the following question: What's the relationship between a party's platform/promises and the impact on public policies once that party is in power?
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The party that has control over the most government offices will have the most influence in determining which promises are enacted. What a party has done and what they promise to do influences who joins the party. Sometimes voters suspect that political promises are made to be broken. However, for every broken promise, many more are kept.
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10. Looking at Table 8.2 on page 253, pick two issues and compare the platforms Republicans and Democrats for each of those issues.
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In terms of abortion, republicans think that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life that cannot be infringed while democrats think that a woman has the right to choose. This means that republicans are pro life while democrats are pro choice. In terms of education, Republicans understand that local communities and states are not directly responsible for the quality of education. Democrats want high quality early learning opportunities, smaller classes, more after school activities, and more individualized attention for students.
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11. There have been five \"Party Eras\" identified in U.S. history, provide the title, dates, and a brief description of each one.
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From 1796 - 1824, The First Party System was the shortest lived major party and were poorly organized. Those who lost withdrew from the political arena because they didn't regard themselves as professional politicians. Each party wanted to destroy the other party. From 1828 - 1856, Jackson and the Democrats versus the Whigs was marked by General Andrew Jackson's political party. Their cause was to broaden political opportunity by eliminating many vestiges of elitism and mobilizing the masses. From 1860 - 1928, The Two Republican Eras was marked by the dominant issue of slavery which split both the Whigs and the Democrats. Due to this, the Republicans rose as the anti-slavery party who then elected Abraham Lincoln. The party thrived for 60 years. From 1932 - 1964, The New Deal Coalition was marked by the depression. Roosevelt reinforced the partisanship of groups by forming the New Deal Coalition with basic elements including urban dwellers, labor unions, the poor, and a few others. Finally, from 1968 to the present, Southern Realignment and The Era of Divided Party Government started with Nixon. The long dominance of Democrats was broken and for the first time a president moved into the White House without his party having control of both houses of Congress.
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12. There is box on page 259 called \"Why It Matters\"; describe Divided Party Government and provide one advantage and disadvantage in how it works.
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A benefit of this is that one party can check the other's agenda but this makes it virtually impossible for a party to say what it is going to do. There are no clear lines of accountability on policy.
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13. Read \"Third Parties: Their Impact on American Politics\" on pp. 260-61. What are three types of varieties third parties take? Why are third parties important to American politics? Why is the two-party system so entrenched in American politics?
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The three varieties of third parties include parties that promote certain causes, splinter parties which are offshoots of a major party, and merely extensions of a popular individual with presidential aspirations. Third parties are important to American politics because even though they almost never win office, they have brought new groups into the electorate. With the two-party system, political conflict is moderated. With more parties, each would have to make a special appeal in order to stand out from the crowd. This contributes to political ambiguity and extreme or unconventional views are eliminated.
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14. Read through \"Democracy and Responsible Party Government\" on pp. 262-63. What are three examples of how the parties fall short of the \"responsible party model\"?
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The responsible party model is not quite achieved because they don't meet conditions such as presenting distinct, comprehensive programs, the majority party must implement its programs, and the majority party must accept responsibility for the performance of the government. In America, the political parties fall short because they are too decentralized to take a single national position and then enforce it.
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15. What are some of the explanations in \"Is the Party Over\" on pp.264-65 for why American political parties are falling apart and, at the same time, managing to regain some of their lost strength?
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Parties are no longer the main source of political information, attention, and affection. The media is their biggest rival; television making it so that voters no longer need the party to find out what the candidates are like and what they stand for. The interest group is another rival as they pioneers the technology of modern politics. Parties will continue to play a significant but less drastic role.
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Political Party
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Team - men and women seeking to control the governing apparatus by gaining office in a duly constituted election
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Linkage Institutions
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Channels - through which people's concerns become political issues on the government's policy agenda, include elections, political parties, interet groups, and the media
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Party Identification
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Preference - of a citizen (self-proclaimed), for one party or another
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Ticket Splitting
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Voting style - one party for one office and another party for other offices, has become the norm in American voting behavior
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Party Machines
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Type of political party organization - relies heavily on material inducements, such as patronage, to win votes and to govern
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Patronage
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Key inducement - used by party machines, a patronage job, promotion, or contract is one that is given for political reasons rather than for merit or competence alone
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Closed Primaries
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Elections - to select party nominees, only people who have registered in advance with the party can vote for that party's candidates (encourages party loyalty)
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Open Primaries
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Elections - to select party nominees, voters can decide on Election Day whether they want to participate in the Democratic or Republican contests
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Blanket Primaries
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Elections - to select party nominees, voters are presented with a list of candidates from all the parties, voters can select some Democrats and some Republicans if they like
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National Convention
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Meeting - party delegates, every four years, choose a presidential ticket and write the party's platform
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National Committee
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Institution - keeps the party operating between conventions, composed of representatives from the states and territories
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National Chairperson
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Person - responsible for the day-to-day activities of the party, usually handpicked by the presidential nominee
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Coalitions
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Group of individuals - common interest on which every political party depends
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Party Eras
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Historical period - majority of voters cling to the party in power, which tends to win a majority of the elections
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Critical Election
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Electoral \"earthquake\" - new issues emerge, new coalitions replace old ones, and the majority party is often displaced by the minority party, sometimes marked by a national crisis and may require more than one election to bring about a new party era
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Party Realignment
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Displacement - of majority party by the minority part, usually during a critical election period
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New Deal Coalition
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Coalition - forged by the Democrats who dominated American politics from the 1930s to the 1960s, basic elements were the urban working class, ethnic groups, Catholics and Jews, the poor, Southerners, African Americans, and intellectuals
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Party Dealignment
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Gradual disengagement - of people and politicians from the parties, as seen in part by shrinking party identification
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Third Parties
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Electoral contenders - other than the two major parties, not unusual, but they rarely win elections
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Winner-Take-All-System
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Electoral system - legislative seats are awarded only to the candidates who come in first in their constituencies, system in which the winner of the popular cote in a state receives all the electoral votes of that state
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Proportional Representation
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Electoral system - used throughout most of Europe, awards legislative seats to political parties in proportion to the number of votes won in an election
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Coalition Government
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when two or more parties join together to form a majority in national legislature - quite common in the multiparty systems of Europe
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Chapter 9
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1. Looking at President (then Governor) Bush's schedule from March 28-29, 2000, how would you describe those two days and how much of it was devoted to being governor of Texas?
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During these two days, Bush's schedule was entirely campaigning. He took four airplane rides and gave many speeches. In fact, both nights he gave the same campaign speech to different states. This means that while campaigning for president, there is little time let to do anything else. That makes it difficult to maintain current duties while running.
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2. According to Anthony King, what are the consequences when American politicians spend too much time \"running scared\" in today's world of constant campaigning?
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King believes that our current campaign process does not allow politicians the luxury of trying out solutions to policy problems that might be initially unpopular. In the long run, these unpopular solutions could very well be beneficial. With politicians to focused on the future and next elections, they aren't actually putting the effort into improving the situation at hand but rather trying to stay popular.
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3. What would be a reason why a person wouldn't decide to run for the office of President?
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Someone might choose not to run for president if they already have a high title such governors and senior senators. With these positions, they don't have the spare time to compete with the others playing the campaign game. Campaigns have become more physically and emotionally taxing than ever
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4. There are two ways of getting delegates in the nomination process - one of 'em is the caucus. How do they work and why is the one in Iowa so important?
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Iowa is the most important caucus because it is first. Whichever candidate wins this caucus gets an advantage to their campaign because donors will begin to give them money which furthers their momentum adding to more money and an endless cycle. In the Iowa constitution, they specified that they would always have the first caucus because of the positive impact it brings to the economy. To win delegates, the candidate has to first pass a certain threshold of the percent of people there. At the end, delegates are awarded based on the percent of people who stood for each candidate.
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5. How do primaries work? Why did the Democrats decide to revise their process?
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Primaries are similar to the actual election in that voting is done on ballots and confidentially. These are held before the election but after the caucuses. In the past, the Democrats relied on party bosses to decide the parties nominees and at one point, they believed that the less popular candidate would do a better job running the country. The public was not happy with the party going against their preference and they revolted.
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6. Looking at Figure 9.1 on page 275, what does this say about the impact of the New Hampshire primary and Iowa caucus on the nomination process?
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New Hampshire and Iowa both take the idea of front-loading very seriously. Being the first primary and caucus states, their events are the most important. This is because of the advantage each candidate will gain if they win early on in the game. On the map, these states are largely disproportional because so much more money goes into the advertising.
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7. What are three criticisms aimed evaluating the primary and caucus system?
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Prominent politicians find it difficult to take time out from their duties to run. This means that the people with experience (perhaps those best suited for the job), wouldn't be able to compete with others who have less experience but more time. Money plays too big a role in the caucuses and primaries. Whichever candidate is able to start off with money and gain any momentum benefits the most from the endless momentum and money cycle. Finally, the system gives too much power to the media. In a way, the media is the new party boss with their role as scorekeeper; they communicate who is \"winning\" and \"losing\" therefore impacting the public.
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8. Read \"You Are the Policymaker\" on page 276. Do the advantages of the reform proposals outweigh the disadvantages? Why?
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In my opinion, the advantages don't overpower the disadvantages of having a national primary. Although many different ideas have been presented, there is no ideal plan that would work. Even if the regional primary idea went through, this wouldn't add too much to the state primary system already in place. I believe that instead of adding in more complicated steps, we should be focusing on simplifying everything. Voting three times for president isn't simplified.
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9. After reading \"The Convention Send-off,\" pp.277-79, briefly explain why the \"drama\" has decreased and why the convention itself is still important.
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The \"drama\" has decrease with the national convention due to the way the caucuses and primaries are set up. The public already knows who is ahead and who is behind due to the nature of caucuses and the lack of confidential \"voting\" up until this point. Today, the convention is merely a formality. This doesn't mean it doesn't have value. The average grassroots person who perhaps served on a campaign and now has the opportunity to serve as a delegate is empowered by their party and their candidate. This raises moral for the citizens and hype for the parties.
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10. In regards to the \"high-tech media campaign,\" what is the most important goal and what are two factors which contribute to meeting that goal?
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Targeted mailing to potential supporters is a huge advantage of the internet and high-tech media campaigns. This means that the majority of the electorate who are registered as independent can specifically be reached and advertised to in hopes of converting them to one side or the other. This leads to the main goal of simply getting attention. This can be influence by how the candidates chose to spend their budget and the free attention they get as newsmakers.
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11. You're going to organize your campaign: what do you need to do?
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The first step is to get a campaign manager. Those who try to run their own campaign end up regretting it and a professional provides a huge advantage. A fund-raiser and campaign counsel are important as well as media and campaign consultants. A campaign and research staff as well as policy advisers and pollsters are important. A press secretary is nice and it's important to plan the logistics. The final step is to establish a Web site in order to compete in the high-tech campaign.
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12. In 1974, the Federal Election Campaign Act was passed. What did the 1974 and its subsequent amendments do to achieve this goal? (hint, it's the next six bullet points!).
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Due to the Federal Election Campaign Act, a variety of effects occurred. The Federal Election Commission was established to administer the campaign finance laws. Presidential Election Campaign Fund was created which doled out money from the fund to qualified presidential candidates. Partial public financing for presidential primaries was provided as well as full public financing for major party candidates in the general election. Full disclosure was required as well as limited contributions to $2,000 per contributor.
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13. What's the significance of Buckley v. Valeo?
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This court case was important because it brought to light the issue of free speech. The Supreme Court struck down the portion of the act that limited the amount individuals could contribute to their own campaigns. Because of this, candidates were able to contribute millions of their own dollars to their cause.
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14. How did the McCain-Feingold Act attempt to end the impact of soft money? What was the loophole that people found to get around the McCain-Feingold Act?
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Soft money is the term for political contributions earnmarked for party-building expenses at the grass-roots level. For over 20 years this money was not subject to any contribution limits but that changed when large corporations began donating millions. With this act, soft money contributions were banned, the contribution limit was reevaluated, and groups were barred from running \"issue ads\". Money, like water, often finds its way around loopholes. It was possible to make unlimited contributions to 527 groups.
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15. What is the impact of PACs on campaigns today in terms of what they do, how many PACs there are, how much money they generate, a criticism against them and a reason why we shouldn't be so worried about their influence?
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PACs or political action committees are funding vehicles created by finance reforms. These reforms created a new way for interest groups to contribute large sums of money. Instead of a $2,000 limit, it is $5,000. This alters campaigns because once again, money has found a loophole and therefore the candidates with the most money have the biggest advantage. In 2006, it was reported that there are 4,217 PACs which generated $288.6 million. PACs are important because high-tech campaigning is expensive. The PACs officeholders and the candidates need money.
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16. What are three factors that tend to weaken the impact of campaigns on voters?
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Selective attention - people pay most attention to things they already agree with. They interpret events according to their own predispositions. Party identification - less important now but still influential Incumbents - name recognition and established track record provide small advantages. (Question?)
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17. Why can American campaigns, judged solely by how open they are, be viewed favorably? What is the price paid for all this \"openness\"?
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In other countries, it is not as open and candidates have to work their way up through an apprenticeship program. This means that in the US, outsiders can be elected. The negative side of all the \"openness\" is that the process of selecting American leaders is long and convoluted. In some ways, it is a never ending campaign.
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Nomination
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official endorsement of a candidate - by a political party, success requires money, momentum, and media attention
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Campaign Strategy
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master game plan - candidates lay this out to guide their electoral campaign
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National Party Convention
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supreme power within each of the parties - meets every four years, nominates pres and vp candidates and writes the party platform
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Caucus
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meeting - all state party leaders, select delegates to the national party convention, usually organized as a pyramid
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Presidential Primaries
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elections - voters in a state vote for a candidate (or delegates pledged to them), how most delegates to the national party convention are chosen
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McGovern-Fraser Commission
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commission - formed at the 1968 Democratic convention in response to demands for reform by minority groups and others who sought better representation
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Superdelegates
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national party leaders - automatically get a delegate slot at the Democratic national party convention
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Frontloading
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recent tendency of state - hold primaries early in the calendar in order to capitalize on media attention
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National Primary
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proposal - made by critics of the caucuses and presidential primaries, replace these electoral methods with a nationwide primary held early in the election year
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Regional Primaries
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proposal - made by critics of the caucuses and presidential primaries, replace these electoral methods with a series of primaries held in each geographic region
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Party Platform
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statement - from a political party, of its goals and policies for the next four years - platform is drafted prior to the party convention by a committee whose members are chosen in rough proportion to each candidate's strength - best formal statement of a party's beliefs
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Direct Mail
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method of raising money - high tech, for a political cause or candidate, involves sending information and requests for money to people whose names appear on lists of those who have supported similar views or candidates in the past
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Federal Election Campaign Act
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law - passed in 1974, reformed campaign finances by creating the Federal Elections Commission thus providing public financing for presidential primaries and general elections, limited presidential campaign spending, required disclosure, and attempted to limit contributions
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Federal Election Commission
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bipartisan agency - 6 members, created by the Federal Election Campaign act, administers and enforces campaign finance laws
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Presidential Election Campaign Fund
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money - from the $3 federal income tax, distributed to qualified candidates to subsidize their presidential campaigns
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Matching Funds
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contributions - up to $250 are match from the Presidential Election Campaign Fund to candidates for the presidential nomination, must qualify and agree to meet various conditions (like limiting overall spending)
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Soft Money
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political contributions - earmarked for party-building expenses at the grass-roots level or for generic party advertising - unlike money that goes to the campaign of a particular candidate, these are not subject to contribution limits - before they were banned by the McCain-Feingold Act, they were unlimited
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527 Groups
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independent groups - seek to influence the political process, not subject to contribution restrictions because they do not directly seek the election of particular candidate - name comes from Section 527 of the federal tax code under which they are governed
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Political Action Committees
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funding vehicles - created by the 1974 campaign finance reforms - a corporation, union, or some other interest group can create one and resister with the Federal Election Commission who will meticulously monitor expenditures
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Selective Perception
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phenomenon - people often pay the most attention to things they already agree with and interpret them according to their own predispositions
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Chapter 10
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...
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1. After reading \"How American Elections Work?\" explain why initiative petitions are considered \"lawmaking from the ground up.\"
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An initiative petition requires enough signatures on a proposed law equal to ten percent of the number of voters in the previous election. This is to ensure that it is a valid enough and widely supported enough issue for it to make sense to be on the ballot. As this act requires average citizens to make an effort to make a change, it is considered lawmaking from the ground up- people are taking charge of the policy agenda. There have been countless success stories in history in many different states where the people have been able to make a change because of this.
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2. Compare the elections of 1800, 1896, and 2004 in terms of what the key issues were in each election and how the candidates ran their campaigns?
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1800: Key issues - state and local organizations promoted their cause (campaigning was below the dignity of the presidential office) How Candidates ran their Campaign - no primaries, no nominating conventions, no candidate speeches, no entourage of reporters, candidates nominated by party representatives in Congress 1896: Key issues - economics, report for gold standard and high tariffs, unlimited coinage of silver How Candidates ran their Campaign - national nominating conventions were well established 2004: Key issues - war in Iraq, war on terrorism How Candidates ran their Campaign - Bush was the first to serve two terms, intense battle due to the way Bush ran campaign (rescinded call of who had won - margin of less than 1,000 votes)
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3. What are the two exceptions in terms of who can vote in America?
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In 1800, white males over 21 where typically the only ones who could vote. Now only non-citizens and convicted criminals are denied this right.
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4. Why do people decide not to vote? According to Anthony Downs, why would a rational person vote? How does political efficacy impact a person's decision to vote?
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The chance of one vote affecting the outcome is very slight when over 120 million people vote. However, every so often, an election is won by a narrow margin. Voting is somewhat costly too (in terms of time). One isn't just innately informed, plus they have to make a decision and get to a voting booth as well. When the public lacks voter efficacy, they believe their votes don't mater.
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5. Looking at \"America in Perspective: Why Turnout in the United States Is So Low Compared to Other Countries\" on page 307, what are the three reasons as to why voter turnout is lower compared to other countries?
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1. It is the responsibility of the individual to register to vote. This means the turnout rate is lower than in many European countries where the government registers all eligible. 2. Government asks citizens to vote far more often than other countries (more than a dozen elections in four years). 3. Choices are offered to Americans that aren't as stark in other countries (US lacks a major socialist left wing party).
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6. Read \"You are the Policymaker\" on page 308. Do the benefits of voting by e-mail outweigh the potential costs.
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At first I was skeptical of the possibility of voting by e-mail; it wasn't something I had ever considered before. After reading the passage, the only potential problem I see with voting this way is to ensure that everyone only gets one vote. This may not be much of a problem with the way programers are able to work now. In my opinion, there are so many more benefits of voting by e-mail than the current system in place.
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7. Using all the categories listed in Table 10.1 on page 309, describe the type of person who most likely to vote (what is their age, occupation, ethnicity, gender, etc.). Describe the type of person who is least likely to vote.
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Most likely to vote: over 65, college education, white, women, married, government workers Least likely to vote: 18-20, no high school diploma, Asian American citizens, men, single, unemployed
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8. Table 10.2 on page 311 describes the changing patterns in voting behavior between 1960-2004. Looking at the information for 2004, create a description of a Democrat (like you did in #7) who was most likely to vote for Kerry? Bush? (oh, did you notice something weird going on with the stats for education?)
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Supporters of Kerry (Democrats): Jewish, Never attended religious services, African American, Female, 18-29, no high school diploma In terms of education, the people with less education voted for Kennedy while the Kerry Bush race was pretty even across the board.
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9. In terms of how Americans evaluate candidates, what candidate images are voters most attuned to when they evaluate candidates?
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Good pictures raise success - \"with appropriate pretesting and adequate control over a candidate's public appearance, a campaign consultant should be able to significantly manipulate the image projected to the voting public\". Integrity, reliability, and competence are most important. They should also be dependable and decisive. Sometimes these ratings are superficial.
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10. Why is it difficult for voters to make decisions about who to vote for based on policy? Why is it easier for voters to vote on policy today than it was in the 1960's?
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To vote on policy alone, it is important that voters have a clear view of their own policy position, know where the candidates stand, see differences between where the candidates stand, and must actually vote for the candidate. To meet all of these is not always easy. In the past, candidates have been deliberately ambiguous making it hard for all conditions to be met. Now being decisive is something voters look for.
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11. Why did the Founders want the electoral college? How does the electoral college work today? What are the two reasons that the electoral college is important to presidential elections?
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The founders wanted the electoral college because then the president would be selected by the nation's elite and not the people. Today, this system works by each state having a certain number of votes (like representatives in the House) where there is a winner-take-all system. It is important today because it introduces a bias into the campaign and electoral process (less popular states are overrepresented). The winner-take-all rule means that candidates will focus on winning the states where the polls show that there appears to be a close contest.
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12. After reading \"Democracy & Elections\" on pp.317-18, describe what makes incumbents the most nervous and how they deal with that in office.
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Presidents are often successful with appearing to say much when actually saying very little - the art of being vague. The economy is stressful to discuss because the people who are unhappy with its state blame the incumbent.
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Legitimacy
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Characterization of elections - by political scientists, means that they are almost universally accepted as a fair and free method of selecting political leaders (high legitimacy like in the US means losers accept results)
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Referendum
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method of direct legislation - state level, gives voters a chance to approve or disapprove proposed legislation or a proposed constitutional amendment
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Initiative Petition
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process - permitted in some states, voters may put proposed changes in the state constitution to a vote if sufficient signatures are obtained on petitions calling for such a referendum
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Suffrage
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legal right to vote - 15th: African Americans, 19th: women, 26th: people over 18
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Political Efficacy
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belief - one's political participation really matters, one's vote can actually make a difference
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Voter Registration
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system - adopted by the states, requires voters to register well in advance of Election Day (a few states permit election day registration)
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Motor Voter Act
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1993 act - (1996 election) requires states to permit people to register to vote at the same time they apply for their driver's license
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Mandate Theory of Elections
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idea - wining candidate has a mandate from the people to carry out his platforms and politics, politicians like the theory better than political scientists do
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Policy Voting
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electoral choices - made on the basis of the voters' policy preferences and on the basis of where the candidates stand on policy issues
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Electoral College
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American institution - created by the Constitution, providing for the selection of the president by electors chosen by the state parties, their vote usually reflects a popular majority, the winner-take-all rule gives clout to big states
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Chapter 11
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...
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1. What was the provision given to Eli Lilly & Company in the Homeland Security Bill of 2002? Why was it controversial? How did the provision get put in the bill?
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In the Homeland Security Bill of 2002, Eli Lily and Company was given a provision. The New York Times published a half page advertisement that said \"Reward $10,000: For Information Leading to the Identification of the Eli Lilly Bandit\". Eli Lilly and Company was a giant drug manufacturer that had gotten such a deal that the newspaper believed they should publicize this fact. They wanted to at least get to the bottom of how their lobbyists accomplished the feat. In November of 202, Congress passed a 475 page bill creating the new Department of Homeland Security. They gained a shield from multi-million-dollar lawsuits (mainly from parents who claimed their drugs caused autism in their children).
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2. In terms of \"the role of interest groups,\" what are the two primary differences between interest groups and political parties?
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Parties fight their battles through electoral processes. They run a candidate to be elected and gain power that way. With interest groups, they may support candidates for office but do not run their own slate of candidates. They are also seen as policy specialists while parties are policy generalists. Parties have to appeal to a larger audience which is different than interest groups who can focus in one one subject.
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3. What are the three factors which impact the success of interest groups? How do each of these factors impact the success of an interest group?
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Large numbers are surprisingly ineffective for interest groups. It is more difficult to mobilize more people. It is important to differentiate that the public (or a select group of them) can benefit from the common good which by no means take away from the success of the interest group. Intensity is another factor which impacts the success of interest groups. When the members feels strongly about the issue, they are motivated to act on it. Caring deeply means politicians are more likely to listen - many votes can be won or lost on a single issue. Abortion is a key example of this because so many people have such strong opinions. Finally, financial resources plays a role. Obviously having more money allows the group to get their message out easier. However, even on the most important issues, the big interests do not always win.
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4. Looking at \"The Interest Group Explosion\" on pp. 333-34, where are most interest groups now headquartered and how has technology impacted the \"explosion\"?
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In the early years of the 21st century, it was found that the number of interest groups had grown from 6,000 to 22,000. Most groups today have headquarters in Washington DC. Technology allows voices to be heard immediately in Washington. Faxes and emails are also good weapons for spreading awareness and convincing officials.
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5. Lobbying: What are the four ways in which lobbyists can help a member of Congress? How can they negatively impact members of Congress? Is lobbying effective?
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1. Lobbyist are important sources of information. Specialized expertise is provided in specific areas. 2. They can help politicians with political strategy for getting legislation through - useful consultants. 3. They can help formulate campaign strategy and get the group's members behind a politician's reelection campaign - provide help on how to appeal to different people. 4. They are a source of ideas and innovations - cannot introduce bills but they can peddle their ides to politicians. They can however threaten a legislator. It is difficult to distinguish professional lobbying and shady business. It has also been a long debate whether or not it is effective. While it can sometimes persuade legislators to support a certain policy, their \"power over policy\" is often exaggerated.
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6. Electioneering: How can interest groups impact the types of people getting elected who will promote their interests? Read \"You Are The Policymaker: Should PACs Be Eliminated\" on page 339. What would you do?
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Electioneering is aiding candidates financially and getting group members out to support them. Lobbying works best with those already on the same side so therefore it is a key goal for interest groups to keep the right people in office. In my opinion, there is no quick way to change the amount of money involved in the election process. Rather than take it from the government, I see nothing wrong with Americans wanting to give their hard earned money to the cause and partnering up with others shouldn't change much. However, I do believe that it would be more effective to raise the personal contribution limit. With such a small percentage of the population donating the maximum amount, it would simply allow them to donate more. With this change, the amount that PACs or large corporations could donate would be lowered and the politicians would have to appeal to the citizens more. In my opinion, this would provide a better election process.
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7. Litigation: How did environmental interests and civil rights groups use litigation to impact policy? How do interest groups use amicus briefs to further their influence in the court system? How do interest groups make use of class action lawsuits?
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They used litigation as almost a way to threaten the companies into doing things the right way according to them. While the litigation itself may not be super successful, just the idea that it is there motivates the company to consider the environmental impact of what they're doing. Groups use amicus briefs to help their case by the fact that it allows the case to receive basically backup support on their issue. They make use of class action lawsuits by uniting together as one on the same issue as opposed to your single voice, so your message has a better chance.
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8. Going Public: What does it mean to \"go public\"? What's an example of how an interest group has used this to promote their interests?
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What going public means is that they care very much about their public opinion because those opinions are what policy makers hear. An example of this is when the American bankers association urged its members to protest tax withholding on saving accounts. Their customers did just that and congress reversed the policy.
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9. What are the four types of interest groups, what are examples of their membership, and what is the primary goal for each?
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Economic: their primary goal is to handle concerns over wages, prices, and profits. An example of their membership are the AARP. Environmental: these groups as based on their name are primarily worried about the environment, its state, and protecting it. Membership example would be green peace. Equality: this one is basically about the fourteenth amendment and making sure everyone is equal. Example of their membership is the NAACP Interest of all consumers: these ones are worried about what happens for the buying public. One of these groups would be consumer product safety commission.
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10. How do interest groups impact democracy in a positive way? A negative one?
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Interest groups impact democracy in a positive way by the way that creates diversity in government. It is no longer just one small majority of people making their voice hear. Negatively interest groups have been the root of lots of corruption in government.
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11. How have interest groups impacted the scope of government in terms of that scope increasing? How has the scope of government impacted the growth of interest groups?
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Interest groups have widened the scope of government by the fact that they fight for government programs important to them. The scope of government has impacted the growth of interest groups because the more the federal government became involved in various things the more interest groups we saw pop up.
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Interest Group
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Organization - people with shared policy goals entering the policy process at several point to try and achieve goals. Perusing their goals in many arenas
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Subgovernemnts
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Network of governments - within the political system which exercise a great deal of control over specific policy areas
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Potential Group
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all people - who might be a part of interest group members because they share common interest, a potential group is always bigger than an interest group
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Actual Group
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part of the potential group - consisting of members who actually join
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Selective Benefits
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Goods - such as information publications, travel discounts, and group insurance rates, that a group can restrict to those who pay their yearly dues
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Single-Issue Group
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Groups - have a narrow interest, tend to dislike compromise, and often draw membership from people new to politics.
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Lobbying
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Communication - by someone other than a citizen, acting on his own behalf, directed to a governmental decision maker with the hope of influencing his decision
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Electioneering
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Direct group involvement - in electoral process, groups can help fund campaigns, provide testimony, and get members to work for candidates and some form political action committees
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Amicus Curia Briefs
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Legal briefs - submitted by a \"friend of the court', purpose of raising additional points of view and presenting information not contained in the briefs of the formal parties, attempt to influence a court's deision
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Class Action Lawsuits
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Lawsuits - permit a small number of people to sue on behalf of all other people similarly situated
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Union Shop
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Provision - found in some collective bargaining agreements, requires all employees of a business to join the union within a short period and to remain members as a condition of employment
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Right-to-Work Laws
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State law - forbidding requirements that workers must join a union to hold their jobs, permitted by the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947
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Public Interest Lobbies
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Organizations - seek \"a collective good, the achievement of which will not selectively and materially benefit the membership or activities of the organization\"
