Term
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Definition
| said to the public, willing to go on record for it |
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Term
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Definition
| can change quicklly, is generally true of issues that are new or situations that change rapidly |
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Term
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Definition
| How strongly people feel about political issues. Connected to relevance |
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Term
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Definition
| Does the issue matter to you right now? Issues that are not clearly relevant tend to have low intensity |
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Term
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Definition
| "Unknown opinion" -people may not relaize they have certain opinions until a political issue brings it out in debate. Often based on little info. |
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Term
The Literary Digest
and
George Gallup |
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Definition
- Sent out postcards asking people who they were going to vote for
- Gallup figures out hte need for "random sampling"
- Sample size: how big is big enough for random samples?
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Term
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Definition
What happens when sample isn't random?
- Margin of Error-- +/-3 measurement
- About 1000 people surveyed is perfect
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Term
Way of influencing a survey:
How You Ask |
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Definition
- Ask biased and unbiased questions
- Asking leading questions
- Ex: Do you think the flat tax is a good idea? OR Wouldnt you agree that intelligent Americans favor a flat tax?
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Term
Ways of influencing a Survey:
Social Acceptability |
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Definition
-Some issues cannot be directly addressed (racism, sexism, gay marriage) so the surveyors ask them without directly asking
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Term
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Definition
People want to say something that makes them look good or have a positive attitude
-Voting a certain way to look good |
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Term
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Definition
-Put all names in and pick
-could survey non-equal categories (too many women, too many from CA, not cost efficient) |
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Term
| Stratfied Random Sampling |
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Definition
We know the need for certain demographics (age, gender, location, etc)
EX: White male over 60-big strata
Black, lesbian, rural, Buddhist female--very small strata |
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Term
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Definition
Using phone #s can reduce the cost of surveys but still have random sampling
-has info of demographics depending on where they live (area code) |
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Term
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Definition
-age, gender, income, location
-all of these are weighted differently
-depending on weight, they survey different people nad outcomes will be diff. |
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Term
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Definition
-New questions are being raised about the way surveys doing sampling
--Cell phone users?
--Caller ID?
--Overall respons rate is dropping |
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Term
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Definition
-Follow a particular candidate
-data over time of how things are changing |
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Term
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Definition
-not an effort to gather data on how people think (not actually a survey)
-used to make people think about issue
-used to plant rumors and taking advantage of rep of good polling companies |
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Term
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Definition
| -Done at polling places at least 100ft away from polling booths to see how people voted |
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Term
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Definition
Demographic characteristics:
--race and ethnicity
--gender
--age and events
--geographic region |
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Term
| Definition of Political Party |
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Definition
1)Run candidates in elections
2)Organized statement of issues (Platform, manifesto, party constitution)
3)Goals-what will they DO |
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Term
| Parties as Dominant Forces |
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Definition
-Control over ballots
-Control over voters
-Control over financing
-Control over Nominations |
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Term
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Definition
-moving of primaries towards the front of the primary calendar
-sets the tone for the rest of the primaries (New Hampshire and Iowa are always first) |
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Term
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Definition
-Process of campaign fundraising before the primary season starts
-candidates getting weeded out due to lack of funding |
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Term
| Candidate-Centered Campaigns |
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Definition
-weak parties mean focus on candidates, not parties
-candidates often try to avoid explicit party labels
-individual becomes more important than the party they represent |
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Term
| How do Cand-Centered Camp. alter public? |
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Definition
-Stronger relationships between voters and reps
-weaker relationships between voters and rep institutions
-"I love my congressman, but hate congress" |
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Term
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Definition
-the parties hold the most control over the executive and legislative branches
-president traditionally viewed as head of his party (if prez changes direction, party will too)
-Most executive appts are made w/party in mind
-Nomination porcess controlled by parties |
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Term
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Definition
-in the legislature, party divisions determine who the speaker of the House is, who chairs the committee, etc
-most of major functions of the legislature are based on which party is in power
-The probability of a bill will even recieve a hearing is almost perfectly correlated w/ which party introduces it |
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Term
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Definition
-Partisan first hurdle to nomination
-Partisanship often defines decision making process
-OF COURSE politics get in the way at the Supreme Court level and lower |
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Term
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Definition
| formal statement of a parties principles and policy objectives |
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Term
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Definition
| Tasks that involve direct contact with voters or potential voters |
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Term
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Definition
| The party to which more than 50% of the elected legislators belong |
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Term
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Definition
| The party to which less than 50% of the elected legislators belong |
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Term
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Definition
| Political scientists view that a function of a party is to offere a clear choice to voters by establishing priorities or policy stances different from those of rival parties |
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Term
| 3 Faces of Parties: Party in the Electorate |
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Definition
-Individuals who identify w/ or tend to support a party
-independent--a voter who does not belong to any organized party, syn for unaffiliated voter |
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Term
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Definition
-Af. Am. ethnic minorities, women, no college education
-Working class
-Liberals |
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Term
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Definition
-Men, White, college education
-Upper/middle class
-conservatives |
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Term
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Definition
-Began with Great Depression
-FDR wanted to provide safety net for the most vulnerable
-Civil Rights for Af Am, expansion of social welfare progress
-Gay rights, environmental protection, pro-choice |
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Term
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Definition
-Want smaller govt. w/ less social welfare programs
-advocate stronger govt role in regulating traditional moral values
-Conservative Christians
-pro-life, anti-gay marriage, protection of business owners, decreased role for fed govt in economy/social welfare issues
-larger role for State govt. |
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Term
| 3 Faces of Parties: The Party Organization |
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Definition
| -Foraml party apparatus, including committees, party leaders, conventions, and workers |
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Term
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Definition
-Every 4 years they meet and decide on a nominee for pres and make a platform
-DNC or RNC (Dem or Rep National Com.)
-Most impt role of national chaire is to raise funds (if party wins election, then the national chair role is smaller bc the prez becomes prominent spokesperson) |
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Term
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Definition
| A role that the party out of power plays, highlighting its objections to policies and priorities of the govt in power |
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Term
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Definition
| -Buckley v. Valeo--decided that parties functions of edu and mobilizing voters and contesting elections help to ensure democracy |
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Term
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Definition
| Supreme Court interpretation of campaign finance law that enabled political parties to raise unlimited funds for party-building act. Such as voter registration drives and Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) efforts |
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Term
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Definition
-recruit candidates for office, raise campaign funds, and mobilize voters
-shaping individual engagement and indiv. participation
--election season--END OF AUGUST TO 1st WEEK OF NOVEMBER |
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Term
| 3 Faces of Parties: Party in the Government |
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Definition
| the partisan identification of elected leaders in local, conty, state, and federal govt. |
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Term
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Definition
| -The situation that exists when congress is controlled by one party and the presidency by the other |
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Term
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Definition
-A shift in party allignment or electoral support
-Thought parties threatened the stability of fledging democracy
-Parties discourage independence in thought and action |
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Term
| The FIRST Party System: Development of Parties |
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Definition
-Washington--deeply opposed to parties and formed Federalists with Alex Hamilton
-Thomas Jefferson--opposed strongly to central govt and formed Anti-Feds
---His followers known as "Jeffersonian Republicans" and later "Democratic-Repubs"
-Called ERA OF GOOD FEELINGS |
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Term
| The SECOND Party System: The Democrats Rise to Power |
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Definition
| -Jacksonian Democrats--Andrew Jackson emphasized leadership thru merit rather than birth |
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Term
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Definition
| a philosphy supporty the rights and empowerment of the masses as opposed to elites |
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Term
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Definition
| The practice of rewarding political supporters with jobs |
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Term
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Definition
| Made up of southern farmers and northern industrialists worried about hte effect that the Dems populism wuld have on the economic elites |
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Term
| The THIRD Party System: the Republicans Rise to Power |
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Definition
-Whigs-gone because slavery divided them into pro-slavery and abolitionists
-Republicans (Grand Old Party) |
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Term
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Definition
| Big-city party organization that exerted control over many aspects of life and lavishly rewarded supporters |
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Term
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Definition
| System in which a party leader rewarded political supporters with jobs or govt contracts in exchange of support of party |
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Term
| The FOURTH Party System: Republican Dominance |
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Definition
-McKinley ushered in an era of Repub dominance
-Roosevelt ran as Progressive
-Progressive Party advocated wide spread govt reform and sough to limit power of pol. bosses
-Recorded voter registration and Secret Ballots were implemented
-Direct Party Primary established and civil service reform was expanded
-Business elites and industrial working class, Northern Af. Am., women |
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Term
| The FIFTH Party System: Democratic Dominance |
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Definition
| -Stock Market Crash of 1929--Great Depression! |
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Term
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Definition
| -Broad socail welfare program in which the govt would bear the responsibility of providing safety net to protect the disadvantaged citizens |
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Term
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Definition
| Group composed of Southern Dems, northern city dwellers, immigrants, poor, Catholics, labor unions, blue-collar workers, Af Ams, women, that elected FDR to presidecny FOUR TIMES |
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Term
| Definition of Interest Groups |
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Definition
Like a political party, IGs organize around common political goal
----has policy goals, wants to attract members
THEY DO NOT RUN CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE! |
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Term
| PAC (Political Action Committee)Definition |
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Definition
| A group that can give money to elected officials and candidates |
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Term
| Patterns of IG Membership |
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Definition
-Based on Occupation
-Social Class
-Education |
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Term
| Percent of Americans in an IG |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
-primarily focused on economic issues
-business groups, unions, agriculture
-primary interest is fiscal policy, taxes, tariffs, etc |
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Term
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Definition
-Primary focus on issues concerning general public
-govt regulation |
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Term
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Definition
| -very narrow focus on policy issue |
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Term
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Definition
-Broad ideological platforms
-looks a lot like a party, and not very many of them |
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Term
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Definition
-Lobbying govt on behalf of govt.
-can represent the interests of
----States, cities, foreign nations
-Direct consequence of federalism |
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Term
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Definition
-From 1900 to the late 1930s scholars described media influence as direct, immediate, and effective
-model argued that media messages are "injected" into the public and have their intended effect. Propaganda exemplifies this |
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Term
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Definition
-1940-60's, scholars described media effects as minimal, nonexistant and relatively unimportant compared to other factors
-Pluralist idea that a multitude of voices and messages together w/ media competition cancel out the potential effects of any one view
-idea that audiences are not passive |
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Term
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Definition
-Framers saw it as vital and necessary to keep public informed and govt honest
-Freedom of press is part of 1st Am.
-Jefferson "Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press and that cannot be limited w/o being lost"
-Jefferson-would prefer newspapers w/o a govt. |
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Term
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Definition
-Attached to political paerties thru 19th century
-Newspapers acted as the arm of the party in the public
-small literate audiences so news was tailored to them |
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Term
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Definition
-as more people became literate, newspapers couldnt target the upper class
-lower class not as politically informed about issues, but more informed about the PEOPLE of politics |
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Term
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Definition
-most powerful yellow journalist
-used his papers to pressure the president to intervine
-published flase reports of spanish atrocities
-MAY have started the Spanish-Am. war... |
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Term
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Definition
| -A theorty that holds that policy making is a competition among diverse IGs that ensure the representation of individual interests |
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Term
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Definition
| -A theory that holds that a group of wealthy, educated individuals holds the most political power |
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Term
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Definition
1)Educate the public about policy issues
2)Provide average citizens w/ an avenue of access to activism
3)Mobilize citizens and stimulate them to participate in civic and political affairs
4)Perform electoral functions (endorse and rate candidates, mobilize campaign volunteers and voters)
5)Provide info and expertise to policy makers
6)Can protect the common good
7)Integral part of govts system of checks and balances |
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Term
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Definition
-PACs make campaigns expensive and lopsided (those candidates w/o large PAC contributions have no chance)
-Elites are more likely to dominate IGs |
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Term
|
Definition
-Those who identify as upper/mid and middle class are more likely to join
-Higher education is common |
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Term
| IG Participation based on OCCUPATION |
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Definition
-higher incomes--have money to spend on organization dues
-occupations in which IG activity is useful, for example, Law
-Doctors and lawyers are commonly members for the incentives of joining
-teachers and tradespeople are likely to be part of UNIONS
-executives in business and idustry are also likely
-Working class is less likely to be a part
-Depends on what you grew up with
-Can't afford dues, less job security, have children and can't attend meetings, not likely to own computer, lack leisure time
-COLLEGE STUDENTS 2x as likely to join, most avid participants |
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Term
| Solidary Incentives for joining IGs |
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Definition
| Motivation to join is based on the companionship and satisfaction derived from socializing with others that it offers |
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Term
| Purposive Incentives for joining IGs |
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Definition
| Based on belief in the groups cause from an ideological or moral standpoint |
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Term
| Economic Incentives for joining IGs |
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Definition
| Motivation to join an IG based on the group works for policies that will provide members with material benefits |
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Term
| How IG's Succeed--Organizational Resources |
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Definition
| membership and financial resources |
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Term
| How IG's Succeed--Membership |
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Definition
large numbers increase groups influence-- "strength in numbers"
---AARP-one of the largest with 35 mill. Issues are not addressed for fear of the wrath of so many people |
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Term
| How IG's Succeed--COHESION |
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Definition
|
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Term
| How IG's Succeed--INTENSITY |
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Definition
| Measure of how strongly members feel about the issues they're targeting |
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Term
| How IG's Succeed--Demographics |
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Definition
| well educated, geographically dispersed, affluence |
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Term
| How IG's Succeed--Financial Resources |
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Definition
Money can buy power
-Hire experienced and effective staff and lobbyists
-Money funds raising MORE money
-Political Action Committee--group that raises and spends money to influence the outcome of an election
-Organizational Environment--leadership and presence/absense of opposition from other groups
-Leadership--strong, charismatic leaders contribute to the influence group has, enhances reputation |
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Term
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Definition
| When other, oppoising groups are NOT present, policy makers are more likely to rely on group's views |
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Term
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Definition
| Can benefit directly or indirectly |
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Term
| Corporate and Business interests |
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Definition
| Large corporate and small business IGs are among the most successful |
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Term
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Definition
| IGs that represent collective groups of industries or corporations |
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Term
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Definition
| Includes national labor unions and umbrella orgs of unions |
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Term
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Definition
-Disproportionate amont of infulence due to small amount of farmers compared to general population
---AFBF-Am. Farm Bureau Federation-5 mil members, one of most influential |
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Term
| Trade and Professional Intersts |
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Definition
| nearly every professional career has a group that focuses on interests |
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Term
|
Definition
Outcomes shared by the general public, also called public goods
---cannot be denied people who are not members |
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Term
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Definition
| The phenomenon of someone deriving benefits from other people' actions |
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Term
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Definition
| Idea that from an economic perspective, is not rational for people to participate in collective action when they can secure the collective goods w/o participating |
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Term
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Definition
-Promotes rights of consumers
---got harness seat belts required in back seats
---safety of prescription drugs, energy policy
---each Dec they release a list of unsafe toys |
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Term
|
Definition
-Promote protection of environ, wildlife, conservation of natural resources
---look to stall undesired actions
------sitting in a tree to prevent removal
------increase public awareness |
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Term
|
Definition
-Among most influential
-Christian orgs effective in Repub
-Emphasize "pro-family" values |
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Term
| Direct Strategies to Advance Interests |
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Definition
-Actual contact between reps of IG and policy makers
-most effective to hire a former govt worker bc most ex-officials enjoy good relationships w/ former colleagues adn have intimate knowledge about policy making process |
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Term
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Definition
To communicate directly with policy makers on an IGs behalf
-almost always lawyers |
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Term
|
Definition
| The fluid web of connections among those concerned about a policy and those who create and administer policy |
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Term
|
Definition
1)Members of Congress
2)Executive departments and agencies
3)Organized IGs is sometimes referred to as the IRON TRIANGLE |
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Term
|
Definition
| The interaction of mutual intersts among members of congress, exec agencies, and organized intersts during policy making |
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Term
|
Definition
| can challenge court decisions, ensure laws passed are keeping in touch w/ current constitutional interpretation |
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Term
| Providing Info and Expert Testimony |
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Definition
IGs sometimes use celebrities as experts knowing it will attract greater attention
--Elmo-music Ed
--Michael J. Fox-Parkinson's
--Bono-African debt relief |
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Term
| Indirect Strategies to Advance Interests |
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Definition
Use intermediaries to advocate for a cause or generally to attempt to persuade the public, including policy makers to embrace groups position
--likely to be ongoing rather than targeted at specific piece of legislation |
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Term
|
Definition
| educate public and hope people iwll be concerned enough to do something |
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Term
|
Definition
| Practive of using public outreach to build favorable public opinion of an org. |
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Term
|
Definition
Working to influence the elcetions of candidates who support the orgs issues
--campaign contributions are a key element |
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Term
|
Definition
-People can see and hear politics
-lowering attention span
-Change in criteria for selecting candidates
-Kennedy/Nixon debates
-Homogenization of news |
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Term
|
Definition
-Instant news, constantly updated
-Less fact checking and more potential accuracy problems (Dick Cheney dead)
-True internet news VS. web portal for brick and mortar news source
-Blogging and Youtube
-Who is the source?? |
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Term
|
Definition
| Media as reporter of facts and events |
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Term
|
Definition
| Media as communications tool for leaders |
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Term
|
Definition
| Media as investigator of wrong-doing |
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Term
| Public-Representative Role |
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Definition
| Media on behalf of the public |
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Term
|
Definition
| Media may have significant influence on which issues are discussed |
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Term
|
Definition
Federal Election Campaign Act
--placed limitations on campaign contribution |
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Term
|
Definition
-Until 1888, all states had PUBLIC voting
-Australian ballot was a Progressive Era reform (Made it a secret ballot)
-The Party Check-off is a way to discourage split-ticket voting |
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Term
|
Definition
-Still significant debate about how we actually calculate turnout
-Turnout after WWII peaked in 1960 and never really recovered |
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Term
| Election Turnout Percentages |
|
Definition
1996- 49%
2000-52%
2004-54%
2008-56%
Turnout for Congressional elections is even lower at 30-40% |
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Term
|
Definition
Italy-88%
Spain-87%
Germany-78%
UK-69%
USA-52%
Switzerland-46% |
|
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Term
| State and Local races: turnout=LOW |
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Definition
| -Many school board elections have average turnouts in single digit range |
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Term
| Turnout among younger voters |
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Definition
-The group with the worst turnout performance over time is voters between the ages of 18-24
-Problems is getting worse over time
-Even in "youth vote" election in 2008, turnout was low |
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Term
|
Definition
-Voter apathy and lack of interest
-Voter registration laws
---Only country that we have to register OURSELVES before we vote
---some states have same day reg, others have 15-30 days before, if you dont reg, no vote
-Perceived lack of choice |
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Term
|
Definition
| People only vote when govt is doing something they don't like, otherwise they stay home |
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Term
|
Definition
-US rules out so many people to vote
-Some people can lose their elegibility to vote if convicted of a felony or in jail |
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Term
|
Definition
-The more you're asked to vote, the less you're going to for lack of time
"Election Fatigue" |
|
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Term
| Consequences of Low Turnout |
|
Definition
-Only slightly more than 1 in 4 eligible voters actually voted for Obama in 2008
-In many congressional races, the ratio is 1 in 8 voters selecting winner
-IS THIS STILL A DEMOCRACY? |
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