AP GOV Unit 5 Test Review

Institutions connecting the people to government

• Media

• Political Parties

• Elections

• Interest Groups

Media informs the people about the government and politics.

Voluntary associations of people who come together with the goal of getting the policies they favour enacted.

• Sierra Club

• AARP

• NAACP

Older people typically vote more than younger people. People with families vote the most.

The personal belief that you can make a change in the government with your vote.

Opposite of Efficacy. Personal belief that your vote will not make a difference in the grand scheme of things.

Expanded suffrage by ensuring black people and racial minorities(men) a vote.

Allowed people to directly vote for senators. Moving the vote away from state legislatures.

Expanded suffrage to women.

Expanded suffrage to the citizens of Washington D.C.

Outlawed poll taxes, expanded suffrage potentially to the lower income sectors and prevented legal segregation.

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.

Extended voting rights and prevented legal segregation. Mainly abolished literacy tests.

Voting for a candidate based on your own self interest.

Voting for a candidate based on success or failure in past service.

Voting for a candidate based on what they promise for the future(if they get elected)

Voting for all/only candidates aligned to your party

Required for states to offer voter registration at DMVs as well as registration by mail and at public assistance agencies. Aimed at increasing voter turnout.

• 18 years old

• US Citizen

• Not a felon

• Resident of the state you are registering with

The states decide and run the entire election process for both primary and general elections in their area.

Setting basic election requirements(minimum age, citizenship, etc). Ensuring equity within the voting process for citizens(passing acts, amendments, etc.)

Allow people to declare and officially side with a specific set of beliefs. Also to support and nominate candidates for the presidential elections.

Defined geographic areas for voting and representation. Ensure fair and equal representation in elections.

Location where voters cast their ballots in primary and general elections. Typically government buildings like schools or fire stations.

Procedure which by a certain number of voters may propose a law or state constitutional amendment to be put on the ballot for election.

• By petition and submission

Process for constitutional change in which the public votes on a proposal

Device through which voters may remove an official from public office before their term expires.

A large, public meeting which serves in the place of a primary election in some states to vote for a parties presidential candidate.

• First one to occur in the election season is the Iowa caucus

Election that both parties hold where party members select what candidate they want to put up for the presidency.

• Use a “delegate” system which is similar to the electoral college system.

Primary where party alignment registration is not required or can happen the day of the election.

Primary where party registration is required.

Ticket in elections where all of the votes align with one party.

Ticket in elections where votes are split between parties.

Can be filed with state voter registration office. Allows people to vote in advance in the case they will not be present on election day.

Also called national conventions. Large conventions held by both parties every 4 years before the presidential elections where they announce their party platforms and nominate a presidential candidate.

Like a party agenda. States the parties “planks”, what they align with and their goals for the country.

Election/caucus where citizens/party members vote for a candidate to put up for the presidential election for both parties.

Election for the presidency every 4 years.

Created by interest groups with the main purpose of raising money to get a candidate elected.

Percentage of people who voted for a candidate.

Electoral college system. Number of electoral votes a candidate got through the winner takes all system.

States that are heavily visited by candidates during their campaigns. They are states that typically do not align with one party in elections, often swinging back and forth or cutting it close between the two.

Each state gets a number of electoral votes, based on how many representatives they have in the house. Many say that it is inaccurate and often does not reflect who the people actually voted for and can be unfair. Ultimately the determining factor of winning or losing an election.

System during presidential elections in which the candidate who wins a majority of the electoral votes in a state wins them all, regardless of how small the margin they won by was.

Limited contributions to Presidential campaigns.

• Created the Federal Election Commission and the Presidential Election Campaign Fund to increase equality during elections and enforce campaign finance rules.

2002. Made it easier for PACs and campaign contributors to give soft money(donations to the party and not directly to the candidate).

Donations made directly to a candidate or political party and is subject to federal limits and regulations.

• Needs to be disclosed to Federal Elections Commission

Unregulated money in politics that is not donated directly to candidates. Increased influence of wealthy donors.

Incumbents usually have an established voter base and a repertoire, also have the favor of retrospective voters.

• Citizens united(PAC for Obama), used their funds to make an ad against Hillary.

• They were told it was illegal and too much of a contribution.

• Issue- Was this a violation of free speech?

• Ruled in favor of Citizens United

• Overturned certain policies under BCRA and FECA, allowing more and higher contributions.

Usually created to focus the election on one issue that the people feel is not being heard. Encourages the other two parties to listen to the issue in the risk of losing votes.

Groups established with a common goal of getting the policies a certain group of people favours enacted.

• Sierra Club

• Advocate

• NAACP

• AARP

• Free Riders, people who benefit from an interest groups work without contributing to or joining it.

• Gridlock with too many interest groups.

• Fraud

Largest, richest interest groups. Advocate on behalf of the financial interests of members. Donate the most money to campaigns

• Business Interest Groups

• Farm Groups

• Labour Groups like Unions

Act on behalf of collective interests of the public or interests of a broad group of individuals.

• Civil Rights and Liberty Groups

• Social Welfare Groups

• Environment Groups

Focuses on one specific policy area. Often a moral issue.

• Abortion

Act on behalf of local, state or foreign governments.

Align with Pluralist theory because all of them balance each other out and largely, civilians have the most influence on the government when they are in an interest group.

Align with Elitist theory because generally the richest members of the richest interest groups have the most influence over government and elections.

Interest group interacting with former government officials or knowledgable people in order to advance their public policy goals

• Revolving door

• Contributing money, resources, staff to a campaign

• Fighting a case in the Supreme Court

• Lobbying

Just the facts. No investigative journalism.

Also called gatekeeping. Medias ability to highlight and prevent people from seeing certain stories and cases.

Detective work done by reporters. Investigating and looking into cases.

Opinion

Analyzing facts and data from a case.

Horse race journalism. “Keeping score” on whos winning or losing in an election.

Watching government officials and agencies to make sure that they are acting in an appropriate, legal manner.

Coordinated, mutually beneficial relationship between Congress, Bureaucracy, and Interest Groups. Longterm.

Webs of influence between interest groups, policy makers, and policy advocates. Dissolves afterwards.

• Emphasize pluralism and multiple groups in political process

• Power to unite different ideologies

Democratic Party. Delegates that are not tied to the peoples vote.

PACs that are very powerful and donate a lot of money to candidates.