Term
| What is political socialization? |
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Definition
| •Political Socialization: the process by which people acquire the values, beliefs, and opinions that affect their involvement in the political system |
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Term
What is the significance of [political socializations (associations)]*
*Basically: socializations associated with politics |
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Definition
| •Through political socialization (associations), people learn to be citizens, or members of a political society. |
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Term
| Know the agents of political socialization and what are their characteristics? |
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Definition
| •Agents of Political Socialization factors that affect political association: family, school, peers, mass media, religion, party, and social groups (Who you socialize with, media, religion, and party.) |
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Term
| What is the secondary group of socialization? |
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Definition
| Secondary Group: organizations and associations that people belong to that help shape and reinforce their views (4-h) |
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Term
| What are the conditions for that group to have an effect on somone’s political socialization? |
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Definition
1) The person really relates to the group’s values or objectives
2) Values and objectives are directly related to some aspect of politics
3) Group does activities to promote a political belief and try to influence its members toward that belief. |
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Term
| What are liberalism and conservatism? What are their military views? |
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Definition
–Liberalism: Big government to redistribute the wealth and create social end economic equality and provide a minimum standard of living for everyone.
Military:Want to be diplomatic (not use force) and accommodate other nations, want to aid nations with needs, especially 3rd world nations and support international organizations.
–Conservatism: Value a free economy and social order (classes); Government role is more to maintain law and order, protect national security and keep our nation prosperous.
MILITARY: foreign policy based on military strength and aid usually in the form of arms to allied governments |
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Term
| What is the order (relationship) between public opinion and policy formation? |
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Definition
| •Peoples opinions about a policy change before the policy its self changes. |
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Term
| What is a political interest group? |
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Definition
| A group of people with common political views who want to change public policy. |
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Term
| What are the characteristics of a political interest group? |
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Definition
1)have the same interests and goals
2) have organization and structure
3) want to influence public policy |
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Term
| What are some of the functions of political interest groups? |
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Definition
–They provide members with a sense of community and security.
–They give people social identity and confidence.
–They help people reinforce their values, make personal goals, and see their achievements.
–Belonging to a group can also be a source $$$ (economic benefit) |
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Term
| What’s the difference between political interest groups and political parties? |
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Definition
–Political interest groups are smaller than parties, especially the major parties.
–P.I.G’s care about policy issues more than political parties do.
-PIG’s care about specific issues, not all issues like parties do.
Ex: National Rifle Association is concerned with the possession of firearms but not with farm subsidies, taxes, or abortion. The Republican Party, however, has taken strong positions on all four issues. |
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Term
| +What are selected benefits? |
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Definition
| Economic, social or political benefits that people get when they are a member of a group. (Credit card companies, AARP) |
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Term
| +What are the 5 factors that influence the power groups have to influence policy? |
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Definition
–Membership Size
–Unity (e.g., Labor Unions on minimum-wage issues)though they may disagree on other issues they can all relate to that one.
–Emotional intensity (e.g., National Rifle Association), small membership, but great success in blocking gun-control legislation.
•Membership distribution if members are dispersed widely all over they have a bigger influence.
•Financial resources give groups more opportunities to prosper (lobbying, paying people, advertising, etc) |
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Term
| What is the concept of revolving door politics? |
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Definition
| When they move from the public to private sector and vice versa |
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Term
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Definition
| PAC’s (Political Action Committees) groups of people with similar beliefs who are involved in election activity; who raise money for and promote candidates and issue positions |
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Term
| What are issue advocacy groups? |
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Definition
| •they stand up for policy positions they like and support candidates with similar stands on the issues. |
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Term
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Definition
| The process of influencing public officials. |
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Term
Define political parties
Who are the “big 3” in parties? What are their characteristics? |
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Definition
| •Political Parties: public organizations whose goals are to nominate and elect candidates for office, organize government, and affect public policy. Democrat, Republican, and ?? |
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Term
Define political parties
Who are the “big 3” in parties? What are their characteristics? |
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Definition
| •Political Parties: public organizations whose goals are to nominate and elect candidates for office, organize government, and affect public policy. Democrat, Republican, and ?? |
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Term
| What are the 3 types of bases for a minor party to form? Be able to identify. |
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Definition
•Professionals: paid workers employed by the party
•Candidates
•Supporters |
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Term
| What are the obstacles for third parties? |
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Definition
•Third parties have never played as significant a role in American political life.
•Two Party Bias
•Getting on the Ballot
•Presidential Races and the Electoral College
•Financial: No Government Funds
•Lack of Media Coverage |
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Term
Know the history of the party:
A) federalists v democratic republicans |
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Definition
•Washington supporters: FEDERALISTS (1ST version)
Modern day republicans / supported washington
–merchants, manufacturers, bankers, creditors, and speculators
–Pro-British in regards to treaties
Opposition to Washington: REPUBLICANS (1st version)
Modern day dems ./ opposed washington
-Actual name was the Democratic-Republicans
-farmers, laborers, debtors, and other less advantaged |
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Term
| Know the history of the party: B) Jacksonian Democrats v Whig |
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Definition
-Andrew Jackson: backed by the economically disadvantaged of small farmers, new voters in new territories, Catholics and other new immigrants
-dropped the “republican” and simply became Democrats
Whig Party: opposition to Jackson’s Democrats
-prosperous farmers, commercial interests, anti-slavery advocates, ran military heroes as candidates |
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Term
| Know the history of the party: C) Democrats v Republicans |
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Definition
•The Civil War and Its Aftermath, 1856-1892
–With the Democrats split over slavery, the Republican candidate, Abraham Lincoln, won the presidential election of 1860 with the smallest percentage of the popular vote in history.
•The Republican Era, 1896-1928
–As the twentieth century began, the Republicans emerged as the majority party. The Republicans gained adherents in the Northeast and the Midwest.
–The Democrats picked up support in the grain-producing states of the prairies and the silver-mining states of the Rockies. The South was staunchly Democratic. (Note this shift!)
•The Roosevelt Realignment, 1932-1968
–Great Depression
•Republicans lost Presidency and Congress
•People wanted change
•Familiar?
FDR’s new deal sealed the platform for the Democrats |
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Term
| What is a party platform? |
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Definition
• a party platform expresses the parties position.
–Differences between party platforms among candidates are important |
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Term
| What is responsible party government? |
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Definition
| A model where major parties take separate positions on things just to stick to what their party supports, or their parties’ “Platform”. |
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Term
| What are the parties’ influences on the executive and judiciary branch? |
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Definition
–Presidents, governors, and mayors =leaders
–Legislators want to support leaders from their own party.
–Political fates are usually bound together.
Ex. Republican unity - everyone in the party, legislators, everyone wanted to support the tax cuts proposed by President George W. Bush.
–Are more likely to support people from their own party. Kind of like bribery. They can appoint them to things, give them resources, etc. |
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Term
| What’s the idea behind the concept “tyranny of the majority”? |
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Definition
| We have a representative democracy not a direct one to avoid having the majority be tyrannical or too controlling. |
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Term
| What does the expansion of suffrage lead to? |
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Definition
| More representative government and more competitive political parties. |
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Term
| How much power do states have in determining election rules? |
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Definition
They can establish regulations on voter registration, how people get access to ballots, and rules for electoral challenges, and can make it easy or hard to run for office
•The authority of the states to conduct general elections extends to primaries as well. |
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Term
| What are the factors that effect voter turnout? |
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Definition
•Apathy (not caring) is why most non-voters don’t vote.
•Increasingly negative feelings about how the gov. is performing.
-a lot of people don’t feel like the system works so don’t vote.
-What age you are
-Education. Smart people vote more because they understand the issues.
–The Republican Party:
•Tend to be better educated, have higher incomes
Vote more regularly than Democrats |
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Term
| What 3 things does voting indicate? |
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Definition
1.Weather or not people have participated equally and gotten equal information.
2.how satisfied or not the populace is with things.
3.Shows how representative the government will probably be and who will probably benefit. |
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Term
| What’s the difference between retrospective voting and prospective voting? |
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Definition
RETRO: When people vote based on past experience with the parties running.
•Pro:– Voters think about who they will be better off with based on what the candidates say and how the candidates relate to the voters personal beliefs. |
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Term
| What’s the difference between a primary and a caucus? |
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Definition
–Primary: Where main people running for offices are chosen.
–Caucuses: Meetings held by parties at a local level by parties about getting support and win!!! |
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Term
| What is the electoral college? How many does a president need to get? |
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Definition
| They are people elected to represent each states votes on the election. States get a certain amount of ppl in the college based on population. You need 270 to win. |
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Term
| What are citizen ballot initiatives? |
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Definition
•Citizen ballot initiatives: changes initiated by citizens which are put on petitions and if they get enough support get put on a ballot.
-allowd in 24 states |
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Term
| What are legislative referendums? |
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Definition
Changes initiated and put on the ballot by state legislatures for the approval or disapproval of voters
–All 50 states |
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Term
| What’s the concept of the media and the watchdog relationship? |
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Definition
| It puts media and politicians at odds at times and keeps people accountable and in check. |
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Term
| What was yellow journalism? |
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Definition
| •Yellow Journalism: Written on yellow paper, these stories are over the top and exaggerated like tabloids, and are easy to read. |
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Term
| What’s the significance of the internet in regards to media and information? |
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Definition
| Instant information and access to anything people want to know immediately. |
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Term
| Why does the media “slant” the story…what’s the concept? |
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Definition
• -Slant stories to make them more interesting, to tell the story in a way that is slanted toward one side or another.
•Newslant → Newsworthy: Things that are more likely to capture and hold an audience. |
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Term
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Definition
| –News Spin: The spin that the media puts on things that happen. |
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Term
| Be able to identify a sound bite |
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Definition
| –Sound Bite: small part of speech, interview, or conversation used to highlight an aspect of the communication |
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Term
| What are the two ways politicians attempt to manipulate the news? |
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Definition
1.Staging: trying to affect coverage
•Wearing pins, staging events, releasing certain info
–When to release info is crucial: timing is everything
–Artful Leak
- Political Advertising |
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Term
| What are the 5 effects the media has on electoral politics? |
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Definition
•Tends to affect voter’s awareness rather change opinion
•Decides which issues are important to the election based on coverage and how people will view candidates
•By emphasizing certain issues, press sets the campaign agenda and helps shape public debate
•Shapes environment for governing |
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Term
| What is a feeding frenzy? |
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Definition
| The tendency of journalists to focus on the same story |
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