Electoral Behavior and Political Parties
Ratified in 1870, it outlawed discriminatory practices to enhance voter participation.
The 15th Amendment prohibits citizens from being denied the right to vote on account of race, color, or previous conditions of servitude, reinforcing voter protection.
Define free press.
Uninhibited institutions that provide additional checks on the government.
What is a Super PAC, and how does it differ from connected and non-connected PACs?
A Super PAC raises unlimited funds for independent expenditures. Connected PACs are linked to corporations and can only raise money from members or employees, while non-connected PACs are not tied to any organization & can raise money from the public.
What is an interest group and how do they affect policymaking?
An interest group is a group of people all interested in changing the government that come together to influence policy-making by taking direct or indirect action within the government like lobbying (direct or indirect) or iron triangle
The U.S. has a two-party system, however there are other independent parties. What are some challenges these third parties face in elections?
Electoral College Winner-Takes-All -> The candidate who wins receives the entire representation for that district (except NE & ME)
Single-member districts -> These districts are prone to be gerrymandered therefore favoring one of the two major parties and making it impossible for any of the third parties to win.
Ballot Access Law -> In article 1 section 4 it gives the States the authority to determine the times, places, and manner in which federal elections are conducted, therefore every state has their ballot access requirements
How does the media serve as a linkage institution? State at least two terms and define them.
Traditional Press: Newspapers, one of the oldest and most credible sources of media
Investigative Reporting: Began with muckrakers in the Progressive era to expose corruption, abuse of power, and other controversial social events
National Political News: Popular newspapers like The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. Radio broadcasts and TV like NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, and Fox News.
Internet: The endless web includes news sites like Politico and Huffington Post. National newspapers have also gone digital.
Social Media: “Easy to get” and tailored news to individuals. Allows direct connections between individuals and news outlets.
What was the purpose of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) enacted in 2002?
To regulate campaign finance and increase transparency
What are the three main types of interest groups and what do each of them do?
Public Interest Groups: Interest groups that are open to the public to participate in
Single-Issue Groups: Interest groups that focus on one specific issue
Ideological Groups: Interest groups that follow certain beliefs
Before 1993, there was concern about the low voter turnout in political elections. Some of the causes were the lack of allocation for registration sites and the complex registration process. What act was ratified in the late 20th century to increase voter registration and participation?
The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), also known as the Motor Voter Act, increased the locations where citizens can register to vote like at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)to increase voter participation in young people and minorities.
What is narrowcasting? Provide an example and reasoning.
Media outlets with an intended audience and targeted information. Examples include Social Media, Mail, Podcasts, and TV stations.
Which Supreme Court case ruled that spending money on political campaigns is a form of protection under the First Amendment?
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commision (FEC)
What are the pros and cons of an interest group?
Pros: Offer incentives to participants: Material, Purposive, & Solidary; benefits between policymakers, Iron Triangle, and Issue networks
Cons: Pluralism (group is more important than individual), free rider problem, can cause competition amongst each other
Poll taxes were historically used to disenfranchise African American voters and poor whites, what document ratified in 1964 prohibits this practice?
The 24th Amendment prohibits the use of poll taxes in the federal elections, therefore it eliminates systemic racism to ensure equal access to the polls.
What is the role of the Federal Communications Commission? And what did it seek to prevent?
It regulated the electronic media content of radio, TV, and satellite broadcasts. Acted to prevent network ownership monopoly.
What significant law was passed in 1974 to regulate campaign financing?
Federal Elections Campaign Act (FECA)
What are some strategies that interest groups use to change policymaking?
Direct Lobbying: Going directly to policymakers to change policy
Insider Strategies: changing policy from within the government; influencing policymakers: senators, President
Outside Strategies: protests, organizations, sit-ins, etc
Issue Networks: interest groups, congressional, social media, and bureaucracies who debate about an issue
Iron Triangle: the beneficial relationship among bureaucracies, interest groups, and congress
Revolving Door: people working in government like public officials or senators then leaving to become a lobbyist
Intergovernmental Lobbying: Governments that lobby other governments
Linkage Institutions: connects individuals to government
Explain the different types of voting models that influence how a person casts their vote.
Rational-Choice -> Vote if it benefits the voter the most
Retrospective -> Looking back at a candidates track record or a party’s history
Prospective -> Looking ahead; which candidates has a vision that I support
Party-line -> Being loyal to a party, not a candidate
Define gatekeeping and explain why it’s controversial.
Gatekeeping is only providing news based on what issues people see as important. Leaves out small details and other issues solely to enhance big issues.
How does soft money differ from hard money in campaign financing?
Soft money is given to parties or groups and is less regulated, while hard money is given directly to a candidate's campaign and is more regulated.
How are interest groups similar and different from political parties?
Similar: influence change in policy-making, representative in a way
Different: Interest groups don’t have an official platform, Interest groups don’t have an official leader or elected official like political parties, interest groups influence while parties change, interest groups tend to focus more on specific issues whereas parties focus more on broad.