Interest Groups
Political Party
The Media
Easy words
Hard words
100
Engaging in activities aimed at influencing public officials, especially legislators, and the policies they enact
What is lobbying
100
Election system in which the candidate with the most votes win.
What is winner take all system
100
Media that emphasize the news
What is news media
100
A term the founders used to refer to political parties and special interests or interest groups.
What is Faction
100
The political arm of an interest group that is legally entitled to raise funds on a voluntary basis from members, stockholders, or employees to contribute funds to candidates or political parties
What is a political action committee
200
Employment cycle in which individuals who work for governmental agencies that regulate interests eventually end up working for interest groups or businesses with the same policy concern.
What is revolving door
200
A minor party dedicated to the environment, social justice, nonviolence, and the foreign policy of nonintervention. Ralph Nader ran as the Green party's nominee in 2000.
What is green party
200
The process by which individuals screen our messages that do not conform to their own biases.
What is selective exposure
200
A collection of people who share a common interest or attitude and seek to influence government for specific ends. Interest groups usually work within the framework of government and try to achieve their goals through tactics such as lobbying.
What are interest groups
200
A tactic in which PACS collect contributions from like-minded individuals and present them to a candidate or political party as a bundle which increases the PACS influence.
What is bundling
300
Relationships among interest groups, congressional committees and subcommittees, and the government agencies that share a common policy concern.
What is issue network
300
Governance divided between the parties, as when one holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of congress.
What is divided government
300
The process by which individuals perceive what they want to in media messages.
What is selected perception
300
A company with a labor agreement under which Union membership can be a condition of employment
What is an open shop
300
Unlimited and undisclosed spending by an individual or group on communications that do not use works like "vote for" or "vote against" although much of this activity is actually about electing or defeating candidates.
What is issue advocacy
400
An official document, published every weekday, which lists the new and proposed regulations of executive departments and regulatory agencies.
What is federal register
400
A local or judicial election in which candidates are not selected or endorsed by political parties and party affiliation is not listed on ballots.
What is nonpartisan election
400
A close contest; by extension, any contest in which the focus is on who is ahead and by how much rather than on substantive differences between the candidates
What is horse race
400
An individual who does not to join a group representing his or her interests yet received the benefit of the groups influence.
What is a free rider
400
Unlimited amounts of money that political parties previously could raise for party building purposes. Now largely illegal except for limited contributions to state and local parties for voter registration and get out the vote efforts
What is soft money
500
A large body of people interested in a common issue, idea, or cornerback that is of continuing significance and who are willing and to take action. Movements seek to change attitudes or institutions, not just policies.
What is movement
500
The Supreme Court has ruled that individuals, groups, and parties can spend unlimited amounts in campaigns for or against candidates as long as they operate independently from the candidates. When an individual, group, or party does so, they are making an independent expenditure.
What is independent expenditure
500
Means of communication that are reaching the public, including newspapers and magazines, radio, television, films, recordings, books, and electronic communication.
What is mass media
500
A person who is employed by and acts for an organized interest group or corporation to try to influence policy decisions and positions in the executive and legislative branches
What is a lobbyist
500
The Supreme Court has ruled that individuals, groups, and parties can spend unlimited amounts in campaigns for or against candidates as long as they operate independently from the candidates. When an individual, group, or party does so, they are making an independent expenditure.
What is independence expenditures
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