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American Political Systems
Chapters 9-12 of "Keeping the Republic: Power and Citizenship in American Politics"
40
Political Studies
Undergraduate 2
05/01/2010

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Term
Voter Turnout
Definition
Number of people who come to vote, usually lowest among the youngest voters and minorities.
Term
Function of Political Parties
Definition
A group of citizens united by ideology and seeking control of government in order to promote their ideas and policies. Main functions are electioneering (getting candidates elected) and governing (all the activities related to enacting party policy agendas in government)
Term
Party Identification
Definition
Voter affiliation with a political party
Term
Democrats
Definition
The party more associated with liberal ideas, government control on economy and no control on personal lives
Term
Republicans
Definition
Conservative party that wants governmental control of the public(views etc) and less control on the economy(low taxes)
Term
Democratic coalition
Definition
classified as poor people, Urban, Catholic, labor unions, black,Jews
Term
Republican Coalition
Definition
Classified as old, rich, white, men, union voters, Catholic, South, Businessmen
Term
Party Platform
Definition
list of policy positions a party endorses and pledges its elected officials to enact
Term
Fundraising
Definition
Raising funds for campaign by promising certain things that interest groups or corporations or individuals find to their interest.
Term
PAC
Definition
Political Action Committees: fundraisers for interest groups.
Term
Primary: the various kinds
Definition
an election in which voters in a jurisdiction select candidates for a subsequent election,Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the following general election
Types: Closed:People may vote in a party's primary only if they are registered members of that party.
Open:A registered voter may vote in any party primary regardless of his own party affiliation.
Semi-open:A registered voter must not publicly declare which political party's primary that they will vote in before entering the voting booth. When voters identify themselves to the election officials, they must request a party's specific ballot.
Run-off:A primary in which the ballot is not restricted to one party and the top two candidates advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation.
Term
Sample Bias
Definition
The effect of having a sample that does not represent all segments of the population
Term
Referendum
Definition
a legislative act is referred for final approval to a popular vote by the electorate
Term
Incumbency
Definition
advantage to those already in office
Term
Interest Groups
Definition
an organization of individuals who share a common political goal and unite for the purpose of influencing governmental decisions.
Term
Collective Good/Service
Definition
A good or service that, by its very nature, cannot be denied by anyone who wants to consume it.
Term
Selective Incentives
Definition
benefits that are available only to group members as an inducement to get them to join.
Term
Campaign finance law
Definition
A compilation of the laws governing the financing of federal elections, including provisions administered by other government agencies.
Term
Revolving door
Definition
the tendency of public officials, journalists, and lobbyists to move between public and private sector (media,lobbying) jobs. Mostly journalists taking governmental positions and then returning to journalism.
Term
Electoral College
Definition
An intermediary body that elects the president.
Term
Voting and age,education, income
Definition
American voter turnout levels are typically among the lowest in the world and may endanger American democracy. Factors such as age, income, education, and race affect whether a person is likely to vote.
Term
Decline of Voter ID
Definition
Refusing to let a citizen vote due to failure of registering early (?)
Term
Voter Mobilization
Definition
A party's efforts to inform potential voters about issues and candidates and persuade them to vote.
Term
Retrospective voting
Definition
Basing voting decisions on reactions to past performance;approving the status quo or signaling a desire for change.
Term
Prospective Voting
Definition
Basing voting decisions on well-informed opinions and consideration of the future consequences of a given vote.
Term
Party Convention
Definition
meeting of a political party, usually to select candidates.
Term
Party Caucus
Definition
local gathering of party members to choose convention delegates.
Term
how many electoral college votes does each state have?
Definition
each state gets one electoral vote for each of their members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Term
Winner-take-all
Definition
Simple Plurality: the single winner is the person with the most votes; there is no requirement that the winner gain an absolute majority of votes.
Term
Swing Voters
Definition
the approximately one-third of the electorate who are undecided at the start of a campaign.
Term
Hard Money
Definition
campaign funds donated directly to candidates;amounts are limited by federal elections laws
Term
Soft Money
Definition
unregulated campaign contributions by individuals, groups, or partires that promote general election activities but do not directly support individual candidates.
Term
Radio/TV Media
Definition
Commercial bias always exists because media is meant to entertain. It focuses on people rather than a whole group. they set the agenda by portraying things in a certain way to shape our opinion.
Term
Presidential debates
Definition
During presidential elections in the United States, it has become customary for the main candidates (almost always the candidates of the two largest parties, currently the Democratic Party and the Republican Party) to engage in a debate. The topics discussed in the debate are often the most controversial issues of the time, and arguably elections have been nearly decided by these debates.Presidential debates are held late in the election cycle, after the political parties have nominated their candidates. The candidates meet in a large hall, often at a university, before an audience of citizens.
Term
FCC
Definition
Federal Communications Commission: (an independent government agency that regulates interstate and international communications by radio and television and wire and cable and satellite).

The 1934 Federal Communications Act, which created the Federal Communications Commission, imposed order on multiple media outlets and attempted to serve the public interest through three provisions: the equal time rule, the fairness doctrine, and the right of rebuttal.
Term
Major source of news for Americans
Definition
Internet media.
Term
Agenda setting/gate keeping
Definition
Journalists and media elite who determine which stories to cover and which not.
Term
Horse race Journalism
Definition
the media's focus on the competitive aspects of politics rather than on actual policy proposals and political decisions.
Term
Sound bite
Definition
a brief, snappy excerpt from a public figure's speech that is easy to repeat on the news.
Term
Spin
Definition
an interpretation of a politicians words or actions, designed to present a favorable image.
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