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American Government
chap 5-9
143
Political Studies
Undergraduate 4
11/01/2010

Additional Political Studies Flashcards

 


 

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Term
public opinion
Definition
citizens' views on politics and government action
Term
level of conceptualism
Definition
the amount of complexity in an individual's beliefs about gove't and policy, and the extent to which those beliefs are consistent with each other and remain consistent over time
Term
liberal-conservative ideology
Definition
a way of describing political beliefs in terms of a position on the spectrum running from liberal to moderate conservative
Term
latent opinion
Definition
an opinion formed on the spot, when it is needed (as distinct from a deeply held opinion that is stable over time)
Term
on-line processing
Definition
a way of forming a political opinion in which a person develops a preference regarding a candidate, party, or policy but does not remember the original reasons behind the preference
Term
considerations
Definition
the many pieces of information a person uses to form an opinion
Term
political socialization
Definition
the process by which an individual's political opinions are shaped by other people and the surrounding culture
Term
mass survey
Definition
a way to measure public opinion by interviewing a large sample of the population
Term
population
Definition
the group of people that a researcher or pollster wants to study, such as evangelicals, senior citizens, or americans
Term
sample
Definition
within a population, the group of people surveyed in order to gauge the whole population's opinion; used because it would be impossible to survey and entire population
Term
issue scale
Definition
a survey response format in which respondents select their answers from a range of positions between two extremes
Term
random sample
Definition
a subsection of a population chosen to participate in a survey through a selection process in which every member of the population has an equal chance of being chosen; improves the accuracy of public opinion data.
Term
sampling error
Definition
a calculation that describes what percentage of the people surveyed may not accurately represent the population being studied; lowered by increasing number of respondents
Term
random digit dialing
Definition
a method of random sampling used in telephone surveys, in which the interviewers call respondents by dialing random telephone numbers in order to include those with unlisted numbers
Term
robo-poll
Definition
a type of survey in which a computer program, rather than a live questioner, interviews respondents by telephone
Term
ideological polarization
Definition
the effect on public opinion when many citizens move away from moderate positions and toward either end of the political spectrum, identifying themselves as either liberal or conservative
Term
policy mood
Definition
the level of public support for expanding the government's role in society; whether the public wants government action on a specific issue
Term
mass media
Definition
sources like newspapers, television networkd, radio stations, and web sites, that provide information to the average citizen
Term
penny press
Definition
a term describing reduced-[rice newspapers sold for one cent in the 1830s, when more efficient printing presses made newspapers available to a larger segment of the population
Term
wire service
Definition
an organization that gathers news and sells it to other media outlets; the invention of the telegraph in the early 1800s made this type of service possible
Term
yellow journalism
Definition
a style of newspaper popular in the late 1800s featuring sensationalized stories, bold headlines, and illustrations in order to increase readership
Term
investigative journals
Definition
reporters who dig deeply into a particular topic of public concern, often targeting government failures and inefficiencies
Term
FCC
Definition
gov't agency created in 1934 to regulate american radio stations, and expanded to regulate television, wireless communications technologies, and other broadcast media
Term
broadcast media
Definition
communications technologies, such as television and radio, that transmit information over airwaves
Term
fairness doctrine
Definition
an fcc regulation requiring broadcast media to provide equal airtime on any non-news programming to all candidates running for office
Term
concentration
Definition
the trend toward single-company ownership of several media sources in one area
Term
cross-ownership
Definition
the trend toward single-company ownership of several kinds of media outlets
Term
media conglomerates
Definition
companies that control a large number of media sources across several types of media outlets
Term
mainstream media (msm)
Definition
media sources that predate the internet, such as newspapers, magazines, television, and radio
Term
prime time
Definition
evening hours when television viewership is a t its highest and networks often schedule news programs
Term
news cycle
Definition
the time between the release of information and its publication, like the 24 hours between issues of a daily newspaper
Term
op-ed (opinion editorial)
Definition
this type of article is written by a journalist or guest writer who expresses his or her opinion on a given issue without necessarily attempting to be objective
Term
normalization hypothesis
Definition
the idea that media sources will increasingly make their news available online as more people begin using the internet
Term
leak
Definition
the release of either classified or politically embarrassing information by a government employee to a member of the press
Term
press conference
Definition
events at which politicians speak to journalists and, in most cases, answer their questions afterward
Term
on background/off the record
Definition
terms describing comments a politician makes to the press on the condition that they can be reported only if are not attributed to that politician
Term
shield laws
Definition
legislation, which exists in some stats but not at a federal level, that gives reporters the right to refuse to name the sources of their information
Term
by-product theory of information transmission
Definition
the idea that many americans acquire political information unintentionally rather than by seeking it out
Term
media effects
Definition
the influence of media coverage on average citizen's opinions and actions
Term
filtering
Definition
the influence on public opinion that results from journalists' and editors' decisions about which of many potential news stories to report
Term
slant
Definition
the imbalance in a story that covers one candidate or policy favorably without providing similar coverage of the other side
Term
priming
Definition
the influence on the public's general impressions caused by positive or negative coverage of a candidate or issue
Term
framing
Definition
the influence on public opinion caused by the way a story is presented or covered, including the details, explanations, and context offered in the report
Term
hostile media phenomenon
Definition
the idea that supporters of a candidate or issue tend to feel that media coverage is biased against their position, regardless of whether coverage is actually unfair
Term
attack journalism
Definition
a type of increasingly popular media coverage focused on political scandals and controversies, which causes a negative public opinion of political figures
Term
horse race
Definition
a description of the type of election coverage that focuses more on poll results and speculation about a likely winner than on substantive differences between the candidates
Term
soft news
Definition
media coverage that aims to entertain or shock, often through sensationalized reporting or by focusing on a candidate or politician's personality
Term
hard news
Definition
media coverage focused on facts and important issues surrounding a campaign
Term
nodes
Definition
groups of people who belong to, are candidates of, or work for a political party, but do not necessarily work together or hold similar policy preferences
Term
party organization
Definition
a specific political party's leader and worker at the national, state, and local levels
Term
party in government
Definition
the group of officeholders who belong to a specific political party and were elected as candidates of that party
Term
party in electorate
Definition
the group of citizens who identify with a specific political party
Term
party system
Definition
a period of time in which the names of the major political parties, their supporters, and the issues dividing them remain relatively stable
Term
party principle
Definition
the idea that a political party exists as an organization distinct from its elected officials or party leaders
Term
spoils system
Definition
the practice of rewarding party supporters with benefits like federal government positions
Term
new deal coalition
Definition
the assemblage of groups who aligned with and supported the democratic party in support of new deal policies during the fifth party system, including african americans, catholics, jewish people, union members, and white southerners
Term
parties in service
Definition
the role of the parties in recruiting, training, contributing to, and campaigning for congressional and presidential candidates; grew more prominent during the sixth party system
Term
realignment
Definition
a change in the size or composition of the party coalitions or in the nature of the issues that divide the parties; typically occur within an election cycle or two, but the can also occur gradually over the course of a decade or longer
Term
crosscutting
Definition
a term describing issues that raise disagreements within a party coalition or between political parties about what government should do
Term
national committee
Definition
an american political party's principal organization, comprised of party representatives from each state
Term
political action committees (PACs)
Definition
interest groups or divisions of interest groups that can raise money to contribute to campaigns or to spend on ads in support of candidates. the amount the can receive from each of their donors and their expenditures on federal electioneering are strictly limited
Term
527 organizations
Definition
tax-exempt groups formed primarily to influence elections through voter mobilization efforts and issue ads that do not directly endorse or oppose a candidate; unlike political action committees, they are not subject to contribution limits and spending caps
Term
brand names
Definition
the use of party names to evoke certain positions or issues
Term
political machine
Definition
an unofficial patronage system within a political party that seeks to gain political power and government contracts, jobs, and other benefits for party leaders, workers and supporters
Term
caucus (congressional)
Definition
the organization of democrats within the house and senate that meets to discuss and debate the party's positions on various issues in order to reach a consensus and to assign leadership positions
Term
conference
Definition
the organization of republicans within the house and senate who meet to discuss and debate the party's positions on various issues in order to reach a consensus and to assign leadership positions
Term
polarized
Definition
a term describing the alignment of both parties' members with their own party's issues and priorities, with little crossover support for the other party's goals
Term
party identification (party id)
Definition
a citizen's loyalty to a specific political party
Term
activists
Definition
people who dedicate their time, effort, and money to supporting a political party or particular candidates
Term
running tally
Definition
a frequently updated mental record that a person uses to incorporate new information, like the information that leads a citizen to identify with a particular political issue
Term
dealignment
Definition
a decline in the percentage of citizens who identify with one of the major parties, usually over the course of a decade or longer
Term
party coalitions
Definition
the groups who identify with a political party, usually described in demographic terms, such as african american democrats or evangelical republicans
Term
primary
Definition
a ballot vote in which citizens select a party's nominee for the general election
Term
caucus (political)
Definition
a local meeting in which party members select a party's nominee for the general election
Term
nominating convention
Definition
a meeting held by each party every four years at which states' delegates select the party's presidential and vice-presidential nominees and approve the party platform
Term
party platform
Definition
a set of objectives outlining the party's issue positions and priorities - although candidates are not required to support their party's platform
Term
conditional party government
Definition
the theory that lawmakers from the same party will cooperate to develop policy proposals
Term
backbenchers
Definition
legislators who do not hold leadership positions within their party caucus or conference
Term
unified government
Definition
a situation in which one party holds a majority of seats in the house and senate and the president is a member of that same party
Term
party in power
Definition
under unified gov't, the party that controls the house, senate, and the presidency; under divided gov't, the president's party
Term
divided gov't
Definition
a situation in which the house, senate, and presidency are not controlled by the same party, such as if democrats hold the majority of house and senate seats, and the president is a republican
Term
responsible parties
Definition
a system in which each political party's candidates campaign on the party platform, work together in office to implement the platform, and are judged by voters based on whether they achieve the platform's objectives
Term
Duverger's law
Definition
the principle that in a democracy with single-member districts and plurality voting, like the united states, only two parties' candidates will have a realistic chance of winning political office
Term
single-member districts
Definition
an electoral system in which every elected official represents a geographically defined area, such as a state or congressional district, and each are elects one representative
Term
plurality voting
Definition
a voting system in which the candidate who receives the most votes within a geographic area wins the election, regardless of whether that candidate wins a majority of voters
Term
popular vote
Definition
the votes cast by citizens in an election
Term
electoral votes
Definition
votes cast by members of the electoral college; after a presidential candidate wins the popular vote in a given state, that candidate's slate of electors will cast electoral votes for the candidate on behalf of that state
Term
party ratio
Definition
the proportions of seats in the house and senate that are controlled by each major party
Term
seat shift
Definition
a change in the number of seats held by republicans and democrats in the house or senate
Term
normal election
Definition
a typical congressional election in which the reelection rate is high, and the influences on house and senate contests are largely local
Term
nationalized election
Definition
an atypical congressional election in which the reelection rate is relatively low for one party's house and senate incumbents and national-level issues exert more influence than usual on house and senate races
Term
incumbent
Definition
a politician running for reelection to the office she currently holds
Term
challenger
Definition
a politician running for an office that he does not hold at the time of the election
Term
retrospective evaluation
Definition
a citizen's judgment of an officeholder's job performance since the last election
Term
nomination
Definition
the selection of a particular candidate to run for office in a general election as a representative of his or her political party
Term
open primary
Definition
a primary election in which any registered voter can participate in the contest, regardless of party affiliation
Term
closed primary
Definition
a primary election in which only registered members of a particular political party can vote
Term
general election
Definition
the election in which voters cast ballots for house members, senators, and (every four years) a president and vice president
Term
absentee ballot
Definition
a voting ballot submitted by mail before an election; voters use them if they will be unable to go to the polls on election day
Term
plurality voting
Definition
a voting system in which the candidate who receives the most votes within a geographic area wins the election regardless of whether he or she wins a majority
Term
majority voting
Definition
a voting system in which a candidate must win more than 50 percent of votes in order to win the election
Term
runoff election
Definition
under a majority voting system, a second election held only if no candidate wins a majority of the votes in the first general election; the top two vote-getters compete
Term
undervote
Definition
casting a ballot that is either incomplete or cannot be counted
Term
primary
Definition
a ballot vote in which citizens select a party's nominee for the general election
Term
caucus (political)
Definition
local meetings in which party members select a party's nominee for the general election
Term
delegates
Definition
individuals who attend their party's national convention and vote to select their party's nominee for presidency; are elected in a series of primaries and caucuses that occur during winter and spring of an election year
Term
proportional allocation
Definition
during the presidential primaries, the practice of determining the number of convention delegates alotted to each candidate based on the percentage of popular vote cast for each candidate; all democratic primaries and caucuses use this system, as do some states' republican primaries and caucuses
Term
winner-take-all
Definition
during the presidential primaries, the practice of assigning all of a given state's delegates to the candidate who receives the most popular votes
Term
regional primaries
Definition
a practice whereby several states in the same area of the country hold presidential primaries or caucuses on the same day
Term
frontloading
Definition
the practice of states moving their presidential primaries or caucuses to take place earlier in the nomination process, often in the hopes of exerting more influence over the outcome
Term
superdelegates
Definition
democratic members of congress and party officials selected by their colleagues to be delegates at the party's presidential nominating convention; republicans do not have these; are not committed to a particular candidate and can exercise their judgment when deciding how to vote at the convention
Term
electoral college
Definition
the body that votes to select america's president and vice president based on the popular vote in each state; each candidate nominates a slate of electors who are selected to attend the meeting of the college if their candidate wins the most votes in a state or district
Term
swing states
Definition
in a presidential race, highly competitive states in which both major party candidates stand a good chance of winning the state's electoral votes
Term
election cycle
Definition
the two-year period between general elections
Term
open seat
Definition
an elected position for which there is no incumbent
Term
permanent campaign
Definition
the actions officeholders take throughout the election cycle to build support for their re-election
Term
permanent campaign
Definition
the actions officeholders take throughout the election cycle to build support for their re-election
Term
political business cycle
Definition
attempts by elected officials to manipulate the economy, increasing economic growth and reducing unemployment and inflation around election time, with the goal of improving evaluations of their performance in office
Term
money primary
Definition
fund-raising by candidates prior to the primaries or caucuses; amounts raised often considered indicative of their respective chances of winning
Term
talent primary
Definition
candidates' attempts to recruit well-respected consultants and campaign staff prior to the first primaries and caucuses; the ability to recruit a prestigious campaign team is often considered indicative of electoral prospects
Term
wholesale politics
Definition
a mode of campaigning that involves indirect contact with citizens, such as running campaign ads
Term
retail politics
Definition
a mode of campaigning in which a candidate or campaign staff contact citizens directly, as would happen at a rally, a talk before a small group, or a one-on-one meeting between a candidate and a citizen
Term
mobilization
Definition
motivating supports to vote in an election and, in some cases, helping them get to the polls on election day
Term
retail politics
Definition
a mode of campaigning in which a candidate or campaign staff contact citizens directly, as would happen at a rally, a talk before a small group, or a one-on-one meeting between a candidate and a citizen
Term
GOTV/ the ground game
Definition
a campaign's efforts to "get out the vote" or make sure their supporters vote on election day
Term
phone banks
Definition
groups of organized supporters who contact likely voters by phone to encourage support for their party or candidate
Term
push polling
Definition
a type of survey in which the questions are presented in a biased way in an attempt to influence the respondent.
Term
campaign platform
Definition
a candidate's description of his or her issue positions and the kinds of policies he or she will seek to enact in office
Term
opposition research
Definition
attempts by a candidate's campaign or other groups of supporters to uncover embarrassing or politically damaging information about the candidate's opponent
Term
attack ads
Definition
campaign advertising that criticizes a candidate's opponent - typically by making potentially damaging claims about the opponent's background or record - rather than focusing on positive reasons to vote for the candidate
Term
Federal Election Commission
Definition
the government agency that enforces and regulates campaign finance laws; made up of six presidential appointees, of whom no more than three can be members of the same party
Term
hard money
Definition
donations that are used to help elect or defeat a specific candidate
Term
soft money
Definition
contributions that can be used for voter mobilization or to promote a policy proposal or point of view as long as these efforts are not tied to supporting or opposing a particular candidate
Term
paradox of voting
Definition
the question of why citizens vote even though their individual votes stand little chance of changing the election outcome
Term
turnout
Definition
the percent of registered voters who cast a ballot in a given election
Term
issue voters
Definition
people who are well-informed about their own policy preferences and knowledgeable about the candidates - and use all of this information when they decide how to vote
Term
voting cues
Definition
pieces of information about a candidate that are readily available, easy to interpret, and lead a citizen to decide to vote for a particular candidate
Term
reasonable vote
Definition
a vote that is likely to be consistent with the voter's true preference about the candidates
Term
coattails
Definition
the idea that a popular president can generate additional support for candidates affiliated with his party; are weak or nonexistent in most american elections
Term
split ticket
Definition
a ballot on which a voter selects candidates from more than one political party
Term
straight tickets
Definition
a ballot on which a voter selects candidates from only one political party
Term
1. citizens' political actions are driven by their opinions; 2. public opinion explains the behavior of candidates, political parties, and other political actors; 3. it can shed light on the reasons for specific policy outcomes.
Definition
three reasons why public opinion matters in democracy
Term
1. families & communities; 2. events; 3. group identity
Definition
3 primary sources of our political opinions
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