Elections
What is the electoral college?
The process by which the US president is indirectly elected.
What is media considered as?
Considered a linkage institution.
What are 527 groups?
Political organizations that are not regulated by the Federal Election Commission or by a state elections commission, and are not subject to the same contribution limits as PACs.
What is an amendment?
An amendment is a change or addition to the Constitution. When drafting the Constitution, the Framers detailed an amendment process in Article V that gave citizens avenues to change the Constitution.
What is the US Constitution and what is its purpose?
A nation's basic law. It creates political institutions, assigns or divides powers in government, and often provides certain guarantees to citizens.
What does it mean by majority vote?
The winner gets over 50% of the vote.
What is the purpose of a watch-dog in government?
Responsibility of media to make public aware of corruption, unethical actions & try to keep government honest
What is a PAC?
A private group that raises and distributes funds for use in election campaigns.
What is the only amendment to be passed by popular vote rather than the state legislatures?
17th: senate is elected directly
New Jersey vs Virginia plan?
New Jersey: The proposal at the Constitutional Convention that called for equal representation of each state in Congress regardless of the state's population.
Virginia: The proposal at the Constitutional Convention that called for representation of each state in Congress in proportion to that state's share of the U.S. population.
Closed primary vs Open primary?
Closed primary: only a party's registered voters can vote in this primary (no independents or other parties may participate)
Open primary: anyone can vote to choose a presidential candidate in this primary (however, you may only vote in one primary/election cycle)
What is agenda setting?
The media's focus on an issue may cause the government to move to deal with the issue because it is on the cover of the newspaper or a lead story on the network news.
What was Buckley Vs. Valeo?
It held that restrictions on individual contributions to political campaigns and candidates did not violate the First Amendment because it served a government interest by guarding against unscrupulous practices.
What is the difference between amendment 18 and amendment 21?
Amendment 18 prohibits the use of alcohol, whether for selling, buying, or drinking purposes, but Amendment 21 repeals Amendment 18 and reopened the use of alcohol in the United States.
What does article one state in the US Constitution?
Article One grants Congress various enumerated powers and the ability to pass laws "necessary and proper" to carry out those powers.
What is the purpose of an exit poll?
Exit polls are also used to collect demographic data about voters and to find out why they voted as they did. Since actual votes are cast anonymously, polling is the only way of collecting this information.
Journalism that exploits, distorts, or exaggerates news to create sensation. Originally used to start a war.
What is the Federal Communications Commission (FEC) and what do they do?
Created in 1934. Controls airwaves for license and content. TV is heavily regulated. Equal Time Doctrine: networks must sell advertising time to all candidates. Fairness Doctrine: Networks must present contrasting views (No longer in effect because of the number of cable stations and narrowcasting)
How is an amendment ratified?
The traditional constitutional amendment process is described in Article V of the Constitution. Congress must pass a proposed amendment by a two-thirds majority vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives and send it to the states for ratification by a vote of the state legislatures.
What are the six big ideas of the Constitution?
Limited government, republicanism, checks and balances, federalism, separation of powers, popular sovereignty.
Why are primaries important?
Primaries determine the number of delegates a candidate will receive during the nominating convention. They also help political parties determine their state's interest in key issues.
How does mass media affect the outcomes of elections?
The relationship between politics and the mass media is closely related for the reason that media is a source in shaping public opinion and political beliefs. As a result, political figures and parties are particularly sensitive towards their media presence and the media coverage of their public appearances.
What are special interest groups?
A special interest group (SIG) is a community within a larger organization with a shared interest in advancing a specific area of knowledge, learning or technology where members cooperate to affect or to produce solutions within their particular field, and may communicate, meet, and organize conferences.
Why are amendments changed or new ones added?
Constitutions need to be amended over time to adjust provisions that are inadequate, to respond to new needs, including supplementing rights, etc. Otherwise, the text of a constitution cannot reflect social realities and political needs over time.
What was Marbury vs Madison?
The 1803 case in which Chief Justice John Marshall and his associates first asserted the right of the Supreme Court to determine the meaning of the U.S. Constitution. The decision established the Court's power of judicial review over acts of Congress, in this case the Judiciary Act of 1789.