Political Participation
Although this form of participation does not involve voting, it is considered one of the strongest indicators of political engagement, often involving donating money, canvassing, or volunteering for a candidate
campaign participation
What major scandal led to the FEC being created?
The Watergate Scandal.
What is the vocabulary word that describes hyper-partisanship in government systems and political participants.
Partisan Polarization
This demographic group has consistently voted Democratic in presidential elections since the 1960s, largely due to party positions on civil rights and social programs.
African American Voters
This age group consistently has the lowest voter turnout in U.S. elections, despite having the largest eligible population.
18–29-year-olds
What was the court case that established the precedent of corporations, PACs and others being able spend money without limitation in support of candidates under the premise of free-speech.
Citizens United V. FEC (Federal Elections Commitee)
(Previous unit question!) What is the vocabulary word for relationships between Congress, Bureaucratic systems, and interest groups.
Iron Triangles
This agent of political socialization is considered the strongest influence on an individual’s long-term party identification.
Family Ties
Explain how federalism impacts political participation in the United States. Provide one example of how state-level decision-making affects voter turnout.
-Federalism allows states to make their own rules about elections, which creates variation in how accessible voting is across the country. States may choose policies that either expand or restrict participation.
-One example is same-day voter registration. States that allow voters to register and vote on the same day typically have higher turnout because the process is easier and has fewer barriers.
What is the classification of a type of system that encourages citizens to participate in voting?
Get-Out-The-Vote System (GOTV)
What is the term for voting based on a candidate's or party's past performance.
Retrospective Voting
Explain how education level influences voter behavior. Provide one example of how this affects turnout.
Higher levels of education are associated with increased political awareness and a stronger understanding of political issues. Individuals with more education tend to vote at higher rates because they are more confident navigating the voting process and more likely to see voting as a civic duty.
Describe two factors that contribute to lower voter turnout in the United States compared to other democracies. Then explain one reform that might increase turnout.
-registration requirements. In the U.S., individuals must register themselves, which adds an extra step that discourages participation.
-A second factor is weekday elections, which force many people to vote during work or school hours.
- One reform that could increase turnout is making Election Day a national holiday, which would give people more time and reduce scheduling conflicts.
Describe to what extent how PACs impact election cycles and their outcomes.
(Example) Political Action Committees moderately impact election cycles by manipulating the media in favor of one candidate in an attempt to sway voters in favor of one candidate, often helping one party outspend the other.
Describe how and to what extent the electoral college influences elections and their outcomes.
(Example) The electoral college greatly influences presidential outcomes by altering the voting system from a broadly representative vote by population to narrowing the impacts of population by giving states electors.
Describe two ways that party identification affects voter behavior. Then explain how one of these patterns has changed in recent elections.
Party identification provides voters with a stable lens through which they interpret political events and choose candidates. First, strong party identifiers are more likely to vote consistently for their party’s candidates. Second, party identification shapes how voters view issues, often guiding their preferences even if they lack detailed policy knowledge. Recently, the number of independent voters has increased, leading to more split-ticket voting in some regions, though polarization has also caused many independents to behave like “hidden partisans.”
A state passes a law that automatically registers all eligible citizens to vote when they get a driver’s license. After the law goes into effect, the number of first-time voters increases significantly.
Identify the type of reform described and explain why it increases political participation.
ex…
The reform is automatic voter registration (AVR). AVR increases participation because it removes administrative barriers, especially for younger or less politically active citizens, making it easier for them to show up and vote without completing extra paperwork.
Explain the importance of financial expenditures on elections on their outcomes and a candidates outreach over the population and their respective base.
Financial expenditures are important on elections because they impact a candidates ability to reach voters through GOTV systems and targeted political advertisements. For example, GOTV systems that encourage voter participation can cause one party's base to come in greater number than the other respective parties, even if a larger portion of the population was in favor of the other candidate. This displays how the amount of money spent impacts election results by showcasing how money given to a candidate by PACs or other sponsors can be used to effectively manipulate voter outcome.
Explain how and to what extent third parties outside of Republicans and Democrats impacts decision making in the government through their own ideologies.
(example) Third parties greatly impact decision making in government even with minimal representation due to being able to sway outcomes in congress in tightly divided senates and HoRs. For example, a libertarian could vote against or in favor of a bill depending on how much power it gives to federal government regardless of which party presented the bill.
A suburban, middle-income voter who attends church weekly is more likely to vote Republican, but in the 2020 and 2024 elections, suburban voters shifted more toward Democratic candidates.
Identify one reason why suburban voter behavior has changed and explain how this reflects broader trends in U.S. politics.
Ex… One reason suburban voter behavior has shifted is increased demographic diversity in suburban areas, including younger voters, immigrants, and college-educated professionals who lean Democratic. This shift reflects broader trends such as urbanization, polarization, and changing cultural attitudes, which have reshaped traditional voting blocs.