UNIT 3- AP GOV

right to vote regardless of race

direct election of U.S. Senators (rather than state legislatures picking the Senators)

women’s suffrage/right to vote

eliminated the poll tax

right to vote at age 18 and older

determining which public-policy questions will be debated or considered

a meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates for public office and to decide the platform

A case challenging the Federal Election Commission's ruling that the documentary film entitled Hilary produced by a non profit corporation and funded by for-profit corporations constituted a violation of the ban on corporate contributions to federal campaigns. The Supreme Court ruled that corporate funding of independent political ads in candidate elections cannot be limited under the first amendment as long as they do not coordinate with campaigns. (Super PACs)

a primary in which only registered members of a particular political party can vote

the tendency of people to favor information that confirms or strengthens their beliefs or values and is difficult to dislodge once affirmed

a State's electoral votes can be split among two or more candidates, just as a state's congressional delegation can be split among multiple political parties

any of the voters who elect a person to represent them

media whose content is influenced by the actions and needs of consumers (ex. a TV station airing conservative stories because their viewers are conservative)

knowingly false information which is intended to mislead

governance divided between the parties, especially when one holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of Congress

direct group involvement in the electoral process

a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president (270 electors needed to win the presidency)

a six-member bipartisan agency created by the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974

the media can influence what subjects become national political issues and for how long

an election held (in November) to choose which candidate will hold office

process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power

media focuses on who's ahead and by how much instead of a debate on substantive issues

the electoral edge afforded to those already in office (name recognition, funding, voting record, etcetera)

current holder of an office or position

a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, such as serious crimes, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing

an institution that links the people to the government (mass media, political parties, interest groups)

television, radio, newspapers, magazines, the Internet, and other means of popular communication

election held in the middle of a president's term for the full U.S. House of Representatives, 1/3 of the U.S. Senators, and state offices

abolishment of the Electoral College

1993, "Motor Voter Act," made it easier for all Americans to register to vote and to maintain their registration when getting/renewing their driver's license

a primary election in which voters may choose in which party to vote as they enter the polling place

the result of political parties refusing to compromise causing a stalemate in Congress

process in which voters select candidates by their party affiliation

the issues that attract the serious attention of public officials and other people actively involved in politics at the time

a committee set up by a corporation, labor union, or interest group that raises and spends campaign money from voluntary donations (limited by the FEC)

the belief that one's political participation really matters - that one's vote can actually make a difference

the many different ways that people take part in politics and government (vote, lobby, protest, petition, run for office, write, etc.)

assumes that political actors will make decisions based on their own benefit, carefully weighing all choices

the process of reassigning representation based on population, after every census

the redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the census, to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population

voting based on the past performance of a candidate ("What have you done for me?")

casting votes for candidates of one's own party and for candidates of opposing parties, e.g., voting for a Republican presidential candidate and a Democratic congressional candidate

practice of voting for candidates of only one party in an election

a type of independent political action committee which may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, and individuals but is not permitted to contribute to, or coordinate directly with, parties or candidates

an electoral system with two dominant parties that compete in national elections

eliminated the literacy test

petition to the court intending to influence the court's decision by a party not involved in the case

involves any attempt to influence legislation (new or existing) by a lobbyist communicating with a member of the legislative body or other government official who has a say in the legislation

activities used to try to persuade people to vote for a particular political party

the burden on a shared resource that is created by its use or overuse by people who aren't paying their fair share for it or aren't paying anything at all

any association of individuals or organizations, usually formally organized, that, on the basis of one or more shared concerns, attempts to influence public policy in its favor

the process of taking legal action (used effectively by interest groups like the NACCP and ACLU)

seek to influence (a politician or public official) on an issue

group of individuals with broad common interests who organize to nominate candidates for office, win elections, conduct government, and determine public policy