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| a proposed law or policy change that is placed on the ballot by citizens or interest groups for a popular vote. |
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| face-to-face meetings at which voters enrolled in a party choose a nominee. |
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| a primary election in which voters can participate in the nomination of candidates, but only of the party in which they are enrolled for a period of time prior to primary day. |
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| the condition in American government wherein the presidency is controlled by one party while the opposing party controls one or both houses of Congress. |
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| the presidential electors from each state who meet after the popular election to cast ballots for president and vice president. Majority election (50% + 1 vote needed to win). 270 votes to win. |
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| the point in history when a new party supplants the ruling party, becoming in turn the dominant political force; in the United States, this has tended to occur roughly every 30 years. |
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| nonprofit independent groups that receive and disburse funds to influence the nomination, election, or defeat of candidates. Named after Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code, which defines and provides tax-exempt status for nonprofit advocacy groups. |
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| a regularly scheduled election involving most districts in the nation or state, in which voters select officeholders; in the United States, general elections for national office and most state and local offices are held on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November in even-numbered years (every four years for presidential elections). (page 225) |
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| a candidate running for re-election to a position they he or she already holds. |
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| the party that holds the majority of legislative seats in either the House or the Senate. |
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| the party that holds a minority of legislative seats in either the House or the Senate. |
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| the process by which large numbers of people are organized for political activity. |
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| an electorate that selects all candidates at large from the whole district; each voter is given the number of votes equivalent to the number of seats to be filled. |
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| the process by which political parties select their candidates for election to public office. |
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| a primary election in which the voter can wait until the day of the primary to choose which party to enroll in to select candidates for the general election. |
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| an individual voter's psychological ties to one party or another. |
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| Political action committee (PAC) |
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| a private group that raises and distributes funds for use in election campaigns. |
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| organized groups that attempt to influence the government by electing their members to important government offices. |
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| elections to select a party's candidate for the general election. |
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| Proportional representation |
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| a multiple-member district system that allows each political party representation in proportion to its percentage of the total vote. |
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| a procedure to allow voters to remove state officials from office before their terms expire by circulating petitions to call a vote. |
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| the practice of referring a measure proposed or passed by a legislature to the vote of the electorate for approval or rejection. |
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| status in society based on level of education, income, and occupational prestige. |
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| the right to vote; also called franchise. |
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| parties that organize to compete against the two major American political parties. |
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| the percentage of eligible individuals who actually vote. |
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| a political system in which only two parties have a realistic opportunity to compete effectively for control of the government. |
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| Citizens participate directly in government affairs |
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| Formal election procedures for voting and formal mechanisms for citizen participation (via representatives) |
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Strong incumbents draw weak challengers
Weak incumbents draw strong challengers |
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| Why has voter turnout declined in America? |
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Definition
o Lowering the voting age increased the pool of "eligible voters"
o Belief in efficacy of voting is declining among all voters
o America has many more elections than other democracies |
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| What is the voter turnout percentage in America? |
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Definition
o 48% of eligible voters vote in presidential elections
o 85% of registered voters vote in presidential elections
o 30% of eligible voters vote in mid-term elections |
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| What countries have high voter turnout? |
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The right to vote.
Initially limited by the states to white males over 21 who owned property or paid taxes. |
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| Gave black men the right to vote |
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| Gave women the right to vote. Ratified in 1920. |
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| Gave 18-year-olds the right to vote. |
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| Voting Rights Act of 1965 |
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| Landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. |
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| Pre-primary primary for whites only, prevented blacks from voting in primaries. |
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| First state to allow women to vote in General Election |
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| First state to allow women to vote in Primary Elections |
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| "The more salient the election, the higher the turnout" |
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| Unconventional Participation |
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Uncommon behavior that threatens or defies government channels or the dominant culture. Examples: protests and marches (Direct Political Action). People participating in unconventional ways tend to share three characteristics:
o Distrust of the political system
o A strong sense of political efficacy
o A highly developed sense of group consciousness |
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| Studied bowling leagues and observed reduced participation over time. People have less time to commit to investing in Social Capital. |
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| Financial Contribution Limits |
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Definition
$5,000 limit for candidates
NO LIMIT for contribution to political party. |
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o Primary Elections: Decide which candidates will run in the general election. Plurality elections. Types of primaries:
o Open: anyone can vote
o Closed: only party members can vote
o Runoff Elections: Tiebreaker elections after primary but before General Election
o General Election: Candidates are voted into office by the voting public (270 votes for president)
o Referendum: Voting public votes on a specific policy, usually related to spending |
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| How many Congressional districts in Texas |
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Definition
| Texas has 36 Congressional districts. |
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| 1993, ruled that congressional districts must be contiguous. |
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| 1995, Outlawed racial gerrymandering |
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1963, Districts must be based on population and not geographical size
"One person, One vote" |
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o Majority: 50% + 1 vote
o Plurality: Most votes
o Proportional Representation: % of popular vote (common in european elections) |
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| Redrawing districts for party advantage |
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| The party that wins the presidency usually does well at state and local levels. |
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| Vote now, checked for legality at a later date, used when there are questions about a voter's eligibility. |
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| Federal Election Commission (FEC) |
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| Sets limits on contributions for all federal elections. |
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| Presidential Campaign Budget |
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| A cluster of primaries held in early March |
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| Earliest primary in the nation. Sets the tone for the general election. |
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| Incumbents have access to free postage, which they use to campaign. Candidates have spend up to over $100 million in franking privileges in the past. |
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1) Party ID/Loyalty
2) Candidate Characteristics (race, religion, physical appearance)
3) Issues |
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| National Voter Registration Act |
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Definition
| 1993, Required states to offer voter registration opportunities to any eligible person who applies for or renews a driver's license or public assistance |
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Voting based on perception of the success of society.
Americans tend to vote this way. |
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| Voting based on the perception of one's self-success. |
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| Voting based on what happened in the previous term. |
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| Voting based on what might happen in the future term |
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| "Non-voters get what they want" |
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| Non-voters get what they want, when it comes to salient issues. |
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| Founded during the 1828 presidential bid of John Quincy Adams. |
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| Jeffersonian Democracy and the Democratic-Republican Parties united in 1850s and backed the nomination of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 |
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