The Electoral Process
Caucus is what?
Candidates selected by those in washington D.C
Does the Popular Vote winner always win?
No
What is a Interest Group?
Organization of people who have policy goals and try to influence policymakers to accomplish these goals.
The 2 main sources of media is?
Print Media and Broadcast Media
The Money for campaigns come from?
Private Donations, Individual Donations, and PAC
Open Primary
All voters can participate, 36 states, Tend to set moderate candidates
How many electoral votes are required to win the election?
270
Difference between Political Parties and Interest Groups?
Political Parties work to get candidates elected. Interest groups work to get laws passed
Horse Race Coverage purpose is to?
Focus on polling data and public perception rather than candidate policies
What does PAC stand for?
Political Action Committee
Closed Primary
Only party voters can participate, 14 states, Extreme candidates
What happens if there is a tie?
The House of Reps will decide the winner
What do Interest Groups do?
Bring lawsuits against the government. Make donations to candidates. Influence lawmakers. Advertise Issues on Media/Social Media. Contribute to campaign ads (Tv, radio)
3 essential roles for free press in democracy is?
Serves as a watchdog over government, Sets the public agenda, Supports the free exchange of ideas, information and opinions
Whats the difference between Hard Money and Soft Money?
Hard money is given directly to candidates where limits and regulations apply. Soft money is political donations given to the party that can avoid government regulations.
Disadvantage of closed primaries
Compromise the secrecy of the ballot because voters have to make the party preference known. Tends to exclude independent voters from the nomination process
When should the winner be decided?
A winner must be declared by january 20th or the vice president takes over
What Group is the most influential?
National Rifle Association (NRA)
30 second sound clips used on TV to convey the message of an entire speech
Sound Bites
The Purpose of the FEC is?
To Oversee and enforce campaign finance regulations
What are Political Parties?
A group of people who seek to control the government through winning elections
What are the 3 major flaws in the electoral college?
Winner of popular vote isn't guaranteed to win election. Constitution doesn't force elections to vote the way of the popular vote. If no candidate receives 270 House of Reps makes the decision
Do Interest Groups Focus on one or more goals?
Interest Groups only focus on One Topic
Candidates rely heavily on ____ in order to persuade the public for their vote.
Advertising
The BI Partisan Campaign Reform Act was passed to?
Try and close financing loopholes that allowed soft money to influence elections