Exam 3
Government American National Government with Karen Sebold at University of Arkansas - Fayetteville
About this deck
By: Laura Cooper
Created: 2011-12-05
Size: 61 flashcards
Views: 94
Created: 2011-12-05
Size: 61 flashcards
Views: 94
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political ideology and the common types
*a cohesive set of beliefs that forms a general philosophy about the role of govt
common types:
-liberal (favor large govt)
-conservative (favor limited govt)
-libertarian (favor no govt)
-populist (favor as much govt as possible)
liberal
today this term refers to those who generally support:
-social and political reform
-extensive governmental intervention in the economy
-the expansion of federal social services
-more vigorous efforts on behalf of the poor, minorities, and women
-and greater concern for consumers and the environment
conservative
Those who generally support the social and economic status quo and are suspicious of efforts to introduce new political formulae and economic arrangements. They believe that a large and powerful govt poses a threat to citizens' freedom
libertarian
-the political philosophy that is skeptical of any governmental intervention as a potential threat to individual liberty
-one who favors minimal govt and maximum individual freedom
populist
any political discourse that appeals to the general mass of the population, to the "people" as such, regardless of class distinctions and political partisanship: "a folksy appeal to the 'average guy' or some allegedly general will."
lifestyle effects and generational effects
both influence the way a person votes
public opinion
-citizens' attitudes about political issues, leaders, institutions, and events
-influenced by our values or set of beliefs, which form our political ideology
political trust
the degree in which individuals express trust in the govt and political institutions, usually measured through a specific series of survey questions
political socialization
-the process of how you gain your political attitudes
-the induction of individuals into the political culture
-learning the underlying beliefs and values on which the political system is based
socialization elements
the family
social groups
differences in education
political conditions
the media
sample size
-determines the degree of reliability in polling
-a small group selected by researchers to represent the most important characteristics of an entire population
-helps form political surveys by polling a small group of people to represent the whole country
sample error
(also called margin of error)
polling error that arises based on the small size of the sample - since the group is so small, sometimes it doesn’t completely reflect the whole population
selection bias
polling error that arises when the sample is not representative of the population being studied, which creates errors in over-representing or under-representing some opinions
goal of public opinion surveys (What are they trying to achieve?)
-to accurately and proportionately reflect the population
-they are striving to completely show what is in the minds of the voters, what they like, what they dislike, who they support, who they don’t support, etc.
gender gap
The pronounced difference between men and women in national security issues represents the gender gap (slide on BlackBoard)
education gap
(figure 6-2 on pg 215-216)
-public opinion is varies substantially with the amount of education one has received
-college graduates are more likely to participate and get involved in politics
trend in most important issue over the last 5 years
concern over the economy is increasing (BB slides)
sources of news
-broadcast media
-print media
-the Internet
broadcast media
(television and radio) reaches more Americans than any other type of media, but covers few topics and is not indepth with its coverage. Just alerts viewers to issues and events
print media
(newspapers and magazines) the most important source of news, break all stories to the world and provide many details. Instead of alerting, it mainly informs viewers with all details
the Internet
growing in importance over the years as a news source, much more used by young Americans. Allows quick and frequent updating as well as both broadcast and print media
functions of the media
-entertainment
-reporting the news
-identifying public problems
-socializing new generations
-providing a political forum
-making profits
regulation of the media
regulate content and ownership (no nudity, no vulgar language past a certain hour, etc.)
Telecommunications Act
-loosened federal restrictions of media ownership
-allowed more competition
-made it illegal to make indecent sexual materials accessible to minors on the Internet (later struck down)
Why is free media necessary for a democracy?
-voters need info to make informed choices at the polls
-citizens would have no knowledge of govt actions other than what the govt chose to
reveal
-to highlight aspects of govt policies and actions that would otherwise be known only to
insiders with technical knowledge
corporate ownership of the media and diversity of opinion
90% of the media in the US are owned by the following:
-Walt Disney
-News Corporation (Murdoch, Fox)
-Time Warner
-Viacom
-CBS
-GE
*not much diversity because most of the news is coming from the same source
framing
the power of the media to influence how events and issues are interpreted
priming
process of preparing the public to take a particular view of an event or political actor
agenda setting
the power of the media to bring public attention to particular issues and problems
money in presidential elections (why is it necessary?)
-used to fund presidential campaigns
electoral college
the presidential electors from each state who meet after the popular election to cast ballots for president and vice president
how many delegates from the electoral college are needed to win the general election?
270 out of the 538 delegates
The Hatch Act
said public servants cannot contribute to campaigns
The Federal Election Campaign Act
-governs campaign finances by allowing the PACs to make larger contributions to a campaign than one individual is allowed to contribute.
-increased the availability of funds to political candidates which meant in turn that the new technology could be used more extensively
-"candidate-centered"
Presidential Matching Funds System
candidates can either use all donor contributions or choose to use public funds to match what they have raised, even though that creates a debt for themselves. Most use their own money
Buckley v. Valeo
decided that it is the right of individuals to spend their own money to campaign for office and that they should not have a limit on how much of their own money they put into their election. However, one exception is that if candidates accept federal funding for their campaign, then they have a limit to how much they can put in
The Bi-Partisan Campaign Reform Act
imposed campaign-spending restrictions by prohibiting party committees from raising or spending any funds not subject to federal limits. Banned soft money. Also made sure that any ad released had to be “stood by” the candidate, or any words must be approved
Function of elections in democracy
-allows the people to vote for who they want to lead the country
-foundation of our democracy
-legitimatize the government
-promote accountability among the leaders-politically protect different groups in society
National primaries in the US
-purpose is to nominate a candidate to run for the party in the general election
-the two most important ones: Iowa and New Hampshire
front-loading
States may seek an early date for their primary elections. This practice has been criticized for serving the front-runner who often has the most resources to get a message out to more people more quickly than opponents
soft money
-a contribution to a political party that is not accounted as going to a particular candidate, thus avoiding various legal limitations
-money spent to indirectly support or oppose a candidate
PACs
political action committees that are organized for the purpose of raising and spending money to elect and defeat candidates
Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission (2010)
-decisions that concluded that ads can say whatever they want and are not censored
-they can attack another candidate as much as they want, it is constitutionally acceptable
Voter turnout in the US
Most people who vote are people with money and people with an education
Voter registration in the US
-people need motivation to vote, not just a removal of barriers
-the Motor Voter Act made it easier to register so more people did
-but it didn't increase voters (it actually declined in the 1992 election by 6% after the law went into effect)
responsible party government
-1 national party and 50 state parties
-a set of principles that idealizes a strong role for parties in defining their stance on issues, mobilizing voters, and fulfilling their campaign promises once in office
electoral realignment
-the point in history when a new party supplants the ruling party, becoming in turn the dominant political force
-in the US, this has tended to occur roughly every 30 years
divided government
the condition in American govt wherein the presidency is controlled by one party while the opposing party controls one or both houses of Congress
political parties - function
-organized groups that attempt to influence the govt by electing their members to important governmental positions
-they nominate candidates, structure the vote choice, propose policy alternatives, and coordinate actions of elected officials
political parties - history
1860s - 1930s: Republicans dominant
1930s - 1960s: Democrats dominant
party machines
-strong party organizations in late 19th and early 20th century American cities
-were led by ‘bosses’ who controlled party nominations and patronage
plurality rule vs. majority rule
plurality: highest number of votes wins (not necessarily majority)
majority: majority (more than half) of votes wins
third parties in the US
those parties in the united states that are underrepresented due to the Republican and Democrat parties
interest group pluralism / ideal pluralism
-the theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government
-the outcome of the competition is compromise and moderation
-“the flaw in the pluralist heaven is that the heavenly chorus sings with a
strong upper-class accent”
interest groups - function
individuals who organize to influence the governments programs and policies. They seek to have their views and interests heard by the government, and also they try to influence the government to make new policies that benefit them
interest groups - history
-increased in number during the New Deal Era
-interest groups increase as the size of govt increases
interest group tactics
indirect: advertising and demonstrations and create ratings systems
direct: lobbying, testifying before Congress and rulemakers, “help” draft
policy, and fund campaigns
free rider
those who enjoy the benefits of collective goods but did not participate in acquiring them
law of large groups
-advanced by Mancur Olson
-a principle stating that "the larger the group, the further it will fall short of providing an optimal amount of collective good"
iron triangles
the stable, cooperative relationship that often develops among a congressional committee, an administrative agency, and one or more supportive interest groups
neocorporatism
-based on voluntary agreement between govt and labor and business interests
-goal is primarily economic
-focuses on keeping costs and inflation in check so that the country can be competitive in international trade and maintain and enhance the domestic standard of living
About this deck
By: Laura Cooper
Created: 2011-12-05
Size: 61 flashcards
Views: 94
Created: 2011-12-05
Size: 61 flashcards
Views: 94
About StudyBlue
STUDYBLUE makes things that make you better at school.
Things like online flashcards with photos and audio.
Things like personalized quizzes and friendly reminders about when (and what) to study next.
Think of it as a digital backpack™: access to all of your study materials online and on your phone.
STUDYBLUE exists to make studying efficient and effective for every student, for free. Join us.
“I have used this website for three exams, and I see a huge difference in my test results.”
Naj
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