Interest Groups/Lobbyists
Define interest group.
A group of people who advocate for public policy that supports their common interest.
What does a PAC do?
Raises money which is then donated to a candidate's campaign
Define political party.
A group of people with common interests who seek to win elections and occupy government.
What are the 2 ways in which a candidate could be nominated for President?
-Caucus
-Primary
What are 3 forms of mass media?
-Internet
-Social Media
-Radio
-Television
-Newspaper
-Magazine
Define lobbyist.
A person who works for interest groups to develop public policy with politicians.
What is the major difference between a PAC and a SuperPAC?
PACs are limited in how much money they can raise/spend; SuperPACs are not
Name 4 active political parties in the U.S.
ANSWERS WILL VARY
Define swing voter
A person who does not vote for the same party every time. Focus more on the person over party affiliation
What is media bias?
The tendency for a media outlet to be skewed in information reported/how they report it towards one ideology.
Describe 2 examples of how lobbyists work to influence politicians.
-donations to campaigns
-take them out to dinner
-buy tickets to major events
-promise campaign support
-MORE
How is a PAC different from an interest group?
Interest groups negotiate with politicians to get policies passed (political power)
Name and define 1 of the 3 TYPES of third party.
SPLINTER: split from one of two dominant parties out of dissatisfaction/disagreement
SINGLE-ISSUE: group of people who focus on one major issue of importance to them
IDEOLOGICAL: group of people who share common interests different than a dominant party
What does it mean to "saturate the country"? Include an example of this process in your answer.
Reach as much of the country as possible and dominate the news cycle.
EXAMPLES WILL VARY
What is selective attention?
The tendency for a person to find news from outlets from which one already agrees. (i.e. a conservative person would choose conservative news outlets or vice versa.)
Name one pro and one con of the participation of lobbyists in our government.
PROS
-Encourage outsider participation
-Can help connect voters to politicians
-Can help guide policy issues
CONS
-Can be biased
-Use immoral tactics to persuade politicians
-Can dominate political attention
What are the 2 rules that SuperPACs must follow?
-Must reveal their donors
-Cannot work directly with a candidate's campaign
Name (from left to right) the 5 ideologies on the American political spectrum.
Progressive
Liberal
Moderate
Conservative
Far Right
What 2 factors help define a battleground state?
-Population is 50/50 split by political party
-Have significant number of electoral college votes
-Informing the public
-Shaping public opinion
-Setting the political agenda
Name an interest group and give an example of a policy they would advocate for.
Answers will vary
Give an example of a current interest group operating in the United States AND describe policies that they would advocate for.
Answers will vary
(If studying on your own: Google it)
Name 2 reasons that third parties are important even in a two-party system
ANSWERS WILL VARY
(You will have answers on your 11.1 worksheet)
Explain the modern Electoral College process.
Each state gets electoral votes = Reps + Senators
538 total electoral college vote; a candidate needs 270+ to win
The candidate that wins the state gets ALL of the state's electoral votes (except Maine/Nebraska)
Name 4 ways that social media is utilized for political communication
-Ad campaigns
-Town halls
-Public engagement
-Participating in viral trends
-Spreading information (stances)
-Attacking opposition
-ETC.