AP Government Unit 5: Dynamics of Political Participation

Suffrage

The right to vote.

15th Amendment

Prohibits denial of voting rights based on race, color, or previous servitude.

17th Amendment

Established the direct election of Senators by the people.

19th Amendment

Prohibits denial of voting rights based on sex, granting Women's suffrage.

24th Amendment

Prohibited poll taxes in federal elections.

26th Amendment

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Outlawed literacy tests and required federal approval before changes to election laws in certain states.

National Voter Registration Act (1993)

Commonly known as the 'Motor Voter Act', it allows registration during driver's license application.

Rational Choice Voting

Voting based on perceived individual best interests.

Retrospective Voting

Voting based on the recent past performance of a party or candidate.

Prospective Voting

Voting based on predictions of future performance by a party or candidate.

Party-Line Voting

Supporting candidates from one political party across all offices.

Political Efficacy

The belief that one's vote matters.

Incumbency Advantage

The tendency for sitting members of Congress to be re-elected.

Hard Money

Political contributions limited by law that go directly to a candidate.

Soft Money

Unregulated contributions to political parties for general activities.

Independent Expenditures

Money spent by outside groups on ads not coordinated with candidates.

Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) - 1974

Created the Federal Election Commission to enforce campaign laws.

Buckley v. Valeo (1976)

Ruled candidates can spend unlimited personal money on their campaigns.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) - 2002

Banned soft money contributions to national parties.

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

Ruled political spending by corporations is protected speech under the First Amendment.

Iron Triangle

A mutually beneficial relationship between an interest group, congressional committee, and a bureaucratic agency.

Issue Networks

Temporary networks of interest groups and policy experts formed around specific policy issues.

Grassroots Lobbying

Mobilizing members to contact their representatives to influence policy.

Voter ID Laws

Laws requiring photo ID to vote, often criticized for disenfranchising voters.

Gerrymandering

Redrawing district lines to favor a particular party.

Primary Election

An election where voters nominate candidates for the general election.

Caucus

A meeting of party members to choose candidates for the general election.

Front-loading

The practice of scheduling primaries early to gain media attention.

Electoral College

The body that formally elects the President and Vice President of the United States.

Winner-Take-All System

A system where the candidate with the most votes in a state wins all electoral votes of that state.

Super PACs

Independent political action committees that can raise and spend unlimited sums of money on electioneering.

Watchdog

The role of the media in investigating public officials and exposing wrongdoing.

Narrowcasting

Media programming focused on a specific topic aimed at a particular audience.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one's existing beliefs.

Amicus Curiae Briefs

'Friend of the court' briefs filed by interest groups to influence a Supreme Court decision.

Class Action Lawsuits

Lawsuits that combine multiple plaintiffs with similar grievances.

Political Action Committees (PACs)

Organizations that pool campaign contributions from members to donate to candidates.

Dealignment

The trend where a large portion of the electorate abandons its previous partisan affiliation.

Political Parties

Organizations that contest elections to win control of government.

Linkage Institutions

Channels that connect the people to the government, such as political parties, interest groups, and media.

Mobilization and Education

The process by which parties energize voters through campaigns and outreach.

Platform Creation

The development of a written list of goals and policy positions by a political party.

Two-Party System

A political system dominated by two major parties.

Direct Primaries

Elections where voters choose party nominees directly.

Critical Election

An election signaling a significant shift in party allegiance.