unit 5 vocab

granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S.,including formerly enslaved people

granted African American men the right to vote

changed the practice for electing Senators from a vote by state legislatures to a direct vote by the people

granted women the right to vote

provides that the District of Columbia shall appoint electors

eliminated poll taxes, a structural barrier to voting

lowered the voting age to 18

refers to individuals who base their decisions on what is perceived to be in their best interest

refers to individuals who decide whether the party or candidate in power

should be reelected based on the recent past

refers to individuals who vote based on predictions of how a party or

candidate will perform in the future

refers to individuals who vote for all of the candidates from one political

party on a ballot

refers to individuals who vote for candidates from different political parties

when multiple offices are being decided by a single election

differences in state-controlled elections (the hours polls are open, Voter ID laws,

variations in funding for polling places and workers, variations in types of voting allowed, such as

voting by mail, absentee voting, and early voting) ii. Variations in voter registration laws and

procedures (registering in-person, online, or automatically) iii. Election type (more turnout for

presidential elections than midterm elections)

such as Voter ID laws, variations in funding for polling places and workers,

variations in types of voting allowed, polling hours, availability of absentee ballots, voting by mail,

and early voting opportunities, ability to register in-person and/or online,

the belief that an individual’s participation in the political process will make a

difference ; used to predict the likelihood of whether an individual will vote

factors influencing voter choice include: i. Party identification and ideological

orientation ii. Candidate characteristics iii. Contemporary political issues iv. Religious beliefs or

affiliation, age, gender, race and ethnicity, and other demographic characteristics

channels that allow individuals to communicate their preferences to

policymakers: i. Political parties ii. Interest groups iii. Elections iv. Media

functions and impact of political parties on the electorate and government are

represented by: i. Mobilization and education of voters ii. Party platforms iii. Candidate

recruitment iv. Campaign management, including fundraising and media strategy v. The

committee and party leadership systems in legislatures ; structure of parties has been influenced

by: i. Critical elections (elections in which there is a realignment of political party support among

voters) ii. Campaign finance law iii. Changes in communication and data management technology

; use communication technology and voter data management to disseminate, control, and clarify

political messages and enhance outreach and mobilization efforts

the people eligible to vote in an election

formal set of principal goals of a political party to appeal to the public /

electorate

where the public focus is on the characteristics of the candidate

and not on the party

set of sharp changes in party ideology, issues, party leadership,

regional and demographic bases of power in political parties, and political system rules and

structures

incorporation of third-party agendas into platforms of major political parties serves

as a barrier to third-party and independent candidate success

a type of electoral system in which subgroups of an electorate are reflected

proportionally in a legislative body

an electoral district from which a single legislator is chosen, usually by a

plurality vote. This system of representation is used in the U.S. House of Representatives and in

most state legislatures.

serve as a structural barrier to third-party and independent candidate

success ; winner-take-all voting advantages the two-party system in the U.S.

a U.S. state in which major party candidates have similar levels of support and

which is considered to play a key role in the outcome of presidential elections; often referred to as

a battleground state.

may represent very specific or more general interests, and can educate voters

and office holders, conduct lobbying, draft legislation, and mobilize membership to apply

pressure on and work with legislators and government agencies ; may also file an amicus curiae

briefs ; exert influence by working within party coalitions and through iron triangles and issue

networks ; may have large memberships and are able to mobilize those members, and possess

access to large financial reserves ; some may have more direct and more frequent access to

important people in the policy process

written document submitted as a “friend of the court” to provide

additional information for justices to consider when reviewing a case

a non-profit organization focused on the issues affecting those above 50 years of age ;

lobbies in favor of entitlement programs, such as Social Security and Medicare

act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of public

policymakers

individuals who benefit from the work of an interest group without providing financial

support ; interest groups may deal with this issue by providing selective benefits, goods and

services that are only available to members, to encourage more people to join

political party or organization focused on lobbying on a specific policy area or

idea

a political party or organization focused on a particular political

ideology or social movement agenda

a political party or organization focused on addressing a perceived injustice

or disagreement with public policies, agendas, or current political, economic, or social

circumstances and situations

an interest or advocacy group consisting of members of a common

career field

benefits current officeholders possess over challengers

voting process to elect candidates where only voters registered in a given party

can vote in their party’s primary election

voting process to elect candidates by allowing voters of any party affiliation to

vote in one party’s primary election

closed meetings of party members to select candidates or decide policy

a political convention where delegates of a political party come from across

the nation to nominate their party candidates and decide on a party platform

a regular election where all registered voters may vote for candidates for

political office

states can choose how they allocate their electors; most states use a winner-

take-all system

an election where the candidate with a majority or plurality of all votes in the

nation

Incumbency advantage phenomenon ii. Open and closed primaries iii.

Caucuses iv. Party conventions v. General (presidential) elections vi. The Electoral College

process and outcomes in U.S. congressional elections are affected by: i.

Incumbency advantage phenomenon ii. Open and closed primaries iii. Caucuses iv. General

(presidential and midterm) elections

benefits and drawbacks of modern campaigns are represented by: i.

Dependence on professional consultants ii. Rising campaign costs and intensive fundraising efforts

iii. Duration of election cycles iv. Impact of and reliance on social media for campaign

communication and fundraising

includes financial contributions from individuals, political action committees,

political parties

an effort to ban soft money and reduce attack ads

with “Stand by Your Ad” provision: “I’m [candidate’s name] and I approve this message”

a political committee organized for the purpose of raising

and spending money to elect and defeat candidates ; regulated by the FEC in federal elections

a type of political action committee that may raise unlimited amounts of money from

interest groups but cannot coordinate directly with candidates and political parties

takes place when traditional news media, new communication

technologies, and advances in social media influence how citizens routinely acquire political

information, including news events, investigative journalism, election coverage, and political

commentary

include print media, radio, television, cable/satellite, and billboards

interactive technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information,

ideas. interests, and other forms of expression through virtual networks and communities ; e.g.

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube

a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a topic of

interest, particularly with the government ; watchdog role of the media

based more on popularity and factors other than qualifications and

platforms of candidates through the media’s use of polling results to convey popular levels of

trust and confidence in government which can affect elections

bias of journalists or producers in the selection and coverage of events and stories ;

i.e. MSNBC slants more liberal / Democratic, FoxNews slants more conservative / Republican

media whose content is influenced by the actions and needs of

consumers