Party Time
What are the 4 primary linkage institutions?
Elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.
Explain how the electoral college is a winner take all system.
In most states, the candidate who wins the majority of the popular vote in that state receives all of the state's electoral votes, regardless of the margin of victory
What are 3 contributions to the 'incumbency advantage'?
- Name recognition: voters are more likely to choose a candidate whose name they are familiar with
- Resources and Fundraising: better access to campaign resources and fundraising networks
- Franking Privilege: allows them to send mail to constituents at the government’s expense
- Experience and track record: can point to their experience and track record in office as proof of their ability to govern
- Proven electability: parties are more likely to support and invest in a candidate that has proven he/she can win elections
What is the 'credibility gap'?
Public skepticism about the truthfulness or reliability of information provided by government officials or institutions
Came up during the Vietnam War when discrepancies between official statements and on-the-ground realities became apparent
Identify two differences between primary political parties and political third parties?
Primary political parties ...
- focus on developing broad widespread appeal
- aim to win elections at all levels of government
- aim to influence policy through being the majority party (or sometimes negotiating with the majority party)
Political third parties ...
- focus on more specific, generally less mainstream political issues
- occasionally aim to win elections at lower levels
- serve as a 'spoiler' to the major party in elections
- aim to influence policy by bringing enough awareness/pressure to issues that the primary parties incorporate their policies into their own platform
Explain the difference between the popular vote and the electoral vote.
Popular vote: the total number of votes cast by individual voters across the entire country
Electoral vote: determined by the Electoral College, a group of electors chosen from each state, each state has a certain number of electoral votes, which is equal to its total number of representatives in Congress
What does PAC stand for and what is a PAC?
Political Action Committee: an organization that raises and spends money to support or oppose political candidates or legislation.
What was the fairness doctrine and what happened to it?
Required broadcasters to present balanced and fair coverage of controversial public issues.
Repealed in 1987, as critics argued it restricted free speech and was no longer necessary due to the increasing number of media outlets.
Identify two differences between political parties and interest groups.
Political parties ...
- aim to win elections and gain control of government
- directly create policies from inside the government
- address a broad array of issues to appeal to as many voters as possible
- play a direct role in elections by recruiting, nominating, and supporting candidates for office
Interest groups
- aim to influence policymakers (from either party) and aim to influence
- support candidates who align with their policy positions rather than directly participating in the election process.
- focus on specific issues or sectors and work to influence policy on their specific issues
- influence elections by endorsing candidates, funding political action committees (PACs), or engaging in lobbying and voter mobilization efforts
How/why is 270 the magical number to winning the US presidency?
A candidate must secure at least half plus one of these votes to claim victory. 270 is the minimum majority of the 538 total Electoral College votes needed to win the U.S. presidency.
(538 ÷ 2 = 269 → 269 + 1 = 270)
Explain the difference between connected PACs, non connected PACs, and Super PACs
Connected PACs:
→ tied to organizations like corporations or unions raising funds from members or employees
+ stable funding from a specific base
- limited in who they can solicit money from and how much they can donate to campaigns
Non-connected PACs:
→ independent from any corporation or union, allowing them to raise money from the general public
+ have more flexibility in fundraising
- lack the steady support base that connected PACs enjoy, making funding less predictable.
Super PACs
+ can raise unlimited funds from individuals, corporations, and unions, providing them immense financial power
- cannot directly coordinate with candidates, limiting their influence on campaign strategy despite their financial muscle
What is the "daily me" and what is its biggest weakness/criticism?
Describes a personalized media experience where individuals consume news and information tailored to their preferences, interests, and beliefs, often enabled by algorithms and digital technology
Can lead to echo chambers, where users are primarily exposed to viewpoints that reinforce their existing beliefs, potentially limiting their exposure to diverse perspectives and contributing to polarization in public discourse.
Identify three differences between Democrats and Republicans
Democrats
- Collectivist
- 'Liberal' / Progressive / New School
- Favor government support
- 'Pro choice', 'gun control', looser immigration restrictions, criminal justice reform, pro-LGBT
- Blue / Donkey
Republicans
- Individualist
- Conservative / Old School
- Favor personal freedom
- 'Pro life', 'gun rights', tighter immigration restrictions, law and order, pro traditional marriage
- Red / Elephant
Explain the difference between an open primary, closed primary, and a caucus
open primary: voters can choose which party's primary to participate in, regardless of their registered affiliation
closed primary: restricts participation to registered members of that party only
caucus: a meeting of party members who debate and vote openly, often by physically gathering to show support for a candidate
What was the outcome/impact of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act?
Banned soft money contributions to political parties and restricted issue ads close to elections. (later weakened by court rulings like Citizens United v. FEC)
What is the vocabulary word and definition of the greatest criticism of specifically election coverage?
Horserace journalism: style of news coverage that focuses on the competitive aspects of political campaigns, particularly the standings, strategies, and tactics of candidates, rather than on substantive policy issues or the implications of their proposals
What were the original founding principles of the Democrats and Republicans
Democrats: anti-federalists, opposition to big government, opposition to the elites, populist ideals, individual rights, and limited government
Republicans: opposition to the expansion of slavery, support for free labor, and a belief in the preservation of the Union (included abolitionists, former Whigs, and free-soil advocates)
What are 3 ways that congressional elections differ from presidential elections?
Scope: Congressional elections select representatives for the House and Senate, while presidential elections determine the U.S. president.
Frequency: Congressional elections occur every two years, while presidential elections are held every four years.
Electoral Process: Presidential elections use the Electoral College system, whereas congressional elections rely on a direct popular vote within districts or states.
Campaign Focus: Presidential campaigns focus on national issues, while congressional campaigns often concentrate on local or state-specific concerns.
Voter Participation: Presidential elections usually attract higher voter turnout compared to congressional elections, which typically draw less attention.
Term Length: House representatives serve two-year terms, senators serve six-year terms, and the president serves a four-year term.
What was the reasoning and impact of Citizens United vs Federal Elections Commission?
Ruled that restricting independent political spending by corporations and unions violated free speech rights under the First Amendment.
Decision led to the rise of Super PACs, allowing unlimited spending in elections, greatly influencing political campaigns.
What are three ways a newspaper can create bias while still being factual?
verification: how the information in the story was sourced and corroborated
fairness: how well the story includes and addresses multiple perspectives
awareness: whether or not the story includes stereotypes or assumptions that create a bias
framing: whether the story is written in a way that is more positive or negative than it has to be
word choice: how the story uses vocabulary and phrases that provoke emotion or pass judgment
coverage: the overall variety of stories and perspectives a news organization an organization chooses to highlight / focus on