Political Parties
What are Political Parties?
a group of people who seek to control the government through winning elections
What are Special Interest Groups?
Organization of people who have policy goals and try to influence policymakers to accomplish these goals
What is agenda setting?
Most people rely on the media for all or most of their information regarding politics, meaning whatever the media chooses to talk about is the information that people receive
What are PACs (Political Action Committees)?
Organizations formed by businesses and corporations or labor unions to make donations to political campaigns
What is the required number of electoral college votes a candidate must receive to win the election?
270
What are the functions of Political Parties?
Nominating Candidates, Informing and Activating supporters, Bonding Agent, Governing, Watchdog
What is the purpose of Interest Groups?
Bring lawsuits against the government, Make donations to candidates, Influence lawmakers (lobbying), Advertise issues on social media/ media
What are the different sources of Media?
Print Media, Newspapers, Magazines, Broadcast media, Television, Radio, Social Media
What is the difference between hard money and soft money?
Hard Money is money given directly to candidates where limits and regulations apply and soft money is political donations given to the party that can avoid government regulations
What is the district plan?
A proposed reform in which states would have 2 electors to represent state as a whole, each district in the state would also have an elector to represent them
What are party conventions?
A meeting of party delegates to vote on matters of policy and in some cases, select party candidates for public office
How can interest groups affect policymaking?
Lobbying, Electioneering, Litigation, Gaining public support
What is Media Staging?
A time where a political candidate has an organized press-interaction, press invited (i.e. press conference), Allows the candidate to control what is said
What is the difference between PACs and Super PACs?
PACS have limitations and regulations on how much they can donate ($5,000) and Super PACS are independent expenditure groups that do not give any limits on spending.
What are major flaws of the electoral college?
Nowhere in the Constitution does it say electors must vote the way of the popular vote, which diminishes the purpose of the individual voter; the House of Representatives is the tie breaker
What is the Watchdog Function?
Criticizes the political party in power, provides scrutiny and criticism (sometimes unfair) about the ruling politicians who differ from their party
What is the difference between political parties and Interest Groups?
Political parties work to get candidates elected, Interest groups work to get laws passed
What is Media Bias?
The opinions of the media, many Americans believe the media has a conservative or liberal bias, Nevertheless, Most professional journalists strive to be fair and unbiased in their reporting
What is the Bi Partisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain- Feingold Act)?
A Supreme Court case that was passed as a way to try to close financing loopholes that allowed soft money to influence elections
Why is the House Of Representatives' involvement with the electoral college problematic?
Each state only gets 1 vote in the Electoral College. If state reps can’t agree on how to use that 1 vote, the state forfeits its vote, since we have 50 states, this can end in a tie
What is the function of a bonding agent?
Helps ensure a good performance of its candidates, background checks, and ensures the quality of candidates
What different kinds of Interest Groups are there?
Economic, Single-issue, Public Sector
What is the role of the free press in a democracy?
A successful society must be informed, ensuring that every American has constant access to important and trustworthy news.
How does campaign finance influence democracy?
Gives wealthy people/groups an unfair advantage in electing candidates they support, Impacts who votes/ impacts who can run as a candidate
What is the Proportional Plan?
a proposed reform of the electoral college in which each candidate gets same percentage of electoral votes as popular votes