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| Precedent to modern primary system. Partisan caucases within congress to select their presidential candidate, led to modern electoral process. defense: congress was more qualified to make decisions. broke down in 1824 election because a larger swing towards popular vote. |
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| media focus on who is winning and losing not on the issues. media coverage has shifted from a policy frame to a game frame. - focus on unimportant events and topics |
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| members picked for the electoral college that pledge to vote one way but vote the opposite. -could be undemocratic, because votes aren't set. -ensures a malicious candidate won't take the state |
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| the honeymoon period are the first few months of a presidential term aka a presidents "first 100 days" during this time period congress displays more receptivity and public and media show more cooperation. sig: a presidents ideas and policies are more likely to succeed during this time period |
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| the orders the president can enact aren't specifically mentioned in the constitution or that aren't directed by congress. significance: there is not a check on this [unless you count impeachment] |
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| before: soon to be ousted presidents "blanket in their supporters, making it impossible for successors to replace them with patronage party." this legislation in 1883 created the civil service commission. set up qualifications, examinations, and procedures for filling many government jobs. |
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| close stable connections among agencies, interest groups, and congressional commitees. sig: interest groups provide pressure and votes to committees who provide benefits to interest groups |
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| a house or senate seat with no incumbent because death or retirement. these are more competitive! |
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| refers to the avg fall off in the party's vote when the incumbent retires. the retirement slump should be positive for an incumbency advantage to exist. |
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| effort of members of congress to help individuals and groups when they have difficulties with federal agencies. if the help is positive they show their gratitude at the polls |
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| delaying tactic by which one or more senators refuse to allow a bill or resolution to be considered, either by speaking indefinitely or by offering dilatory motions and amendments sig: the existance of it means tht a simply majority of senators is not a winning colition |
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| certain types of stories are more likely to be covered than others. news is often defined as bad news. transition from lap dog to watch dog to junkyard dog |
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| theory that the mass media have little or no effects on public opinion. people tend to ignore information with which they don't agree. people tend to absorb information they do agree with. however there is still subtle media effects: agenda setting, priming and framing. |
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| when the people can enjoy the benefits of group activity w/out bearing any of the costs. problematic for public goods you can enjoy a public good even if you did not contribute to achieving it |
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| indirect attempts to activate elected officials constituency. more common due to technological shifts and the perception of gov is more open |
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| members contribute only money not time. sig: detrimental impact on civic skills |
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| McGovern-fraser commission |
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| 1968 commission changed how democratic delegates were chosen from elitist to voters sig: gave people the power to pick who they wanted in an informed way |
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| states tht are up for grabs. candidates spend more time and money which makes the states seem more important. sig: candidates focus on very specific issues |
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| state of the union address |
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| most prestigious address started in 1913 - part of the presidential power to inform - no real congressional check sig - allows president to take case directly to the public |
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| commitee in 1913 recommended sweeping changes to the executive branch of the us gov sig - resulted in the creation of the executive office of the president |
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| a system of gov in which workers are hired on the basis of party loyalty sig - unfair, creates unexperienced workers and inefficient |
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| a specific congressional designation of the way money is to be spent. controversial |
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| loose competitive relationships among policy experts, interest groups, congressional committees and government agencies |
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| an increase in votes that congressional candidates usually receive when running for their first reelection |
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| members of congress can use teh us mail for free to send communications to constituents this free advertising is sig because media coverage is typically rare |
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| American citizens rate their own member of congress far more favorably than they rate congress as a whole. sig- they still reelect incumbents |
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| group of representatives from the house and the senate who iron out the differences btwn the two houses version of a bill or resolution. can make substantive changes, illustrates the many steps that are necessary for a bill to become a law |
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| persistent conditions and gradual developments do not lend themselves to media coverage. ex the subprime mortgage controversy esp true of television |
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| media effects the standards people use to evaluate public figures or the severity of a problem sig: such things might not hold as much importance as they are portrayed to have |
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| side benefits of belonging to an organization that are only available to members of tht organization |
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| in teh past many interest groups were broad organizations that tackled a range of issues. now they focus only on one issue sig: permits them to follow government more closely |
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