Media & other stuff
When the media tells some stories and not others, what "role" are they playing?
Agenda Setter
This theory of government holds that open, multiple, and competing groups can check the asserted power by any one group. This theory is one argument in favor of interest groups.
Pluralism
This is the name for a state that isn't predictably won by one party or another.
Swing state
This method of voting considers what a candidate has already done for their people while in pffice.
What is retrospective voting?
This piece of legislation banned soft money although much of it was overturned through the course of several court cases in later years.
The BCRA (McCain-Feingold Act) 2002
Within a population, the group of people surveyed in order to gauge the whole populations' opinions
What is a sample?
This problem occurs when people do not join an organization but enjoy the benefits of it.
free rider
What is the goal during the PRIMARY process if you are running for president?
Get the nomination at the convention
Which level of government (federal/state/local) sets most of the rules with respect to elections?
state
This amendment allowed for the direct election of senators.
17th amendment
A government agency created in 1936 to regulate American radio stations and later expanded to regulate television, wireless communication technologies, and other broadcast media
What is the FCC?
Legal argument written by an interest group who is not a party in a case with the purpose of voicing their opinion on the matter.
amicus brief
the range in which data and results are considered accurate (±4% goal)
What is margin of error?
How do most states allocate their electoral votes?
winner take all
This piece of legislation banned practices designed to keep African Americans from voting, such as literacy tests.
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The election of 1960, specifically the debate between JFK and Nixon, brought to light the new influence of which type of media?
Television
An iron triangle is a relation between what three types of groups?
Congressional committee, federal agency, interest group
incumbency advantage
At what election event do people meet to discuss how to vote on delegates to send to convention for a candidate?
caucus
a candidate in the primary receives the % of a state's delegates based on the % of votes they get from that state; most used system in primaries
What is proportional representation?
This type of reporting tends to focus on polling data and public perception instead of candidate policy, and almost exclusive reporting on candidate differences rather than similarities
What is horserace journalism?
Name 3 actions interest groups take in attempts to influence public policy
Lobbying, litigation, electioneering, use of media, protest
During the last realignment after the 1932 election, what happened to the "solid south"?
Went from Democratic to Republican
How many total electoral college votes are there in a presidential election?
538
This case held that corporations and unions can make financial contributions to political candidates and parties through their own treasuries, overturning parts of the Buckley case. Super PACs were allowed to be created due to the ruling in this case.
Citizens United v. FEC