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Unit Two Vocab
Ch.10
Voting Behavior and Public Opinion
Voting Requirements-Voter registration or enrollment is automatic in most
advanced industrial nations, most of which are democracies, but is a requirement
in many countries
Political Socialization- The process through which individuals acquire their
political beliefs and values
Public Opinion- What the public thinks about a particular issue or set of issues at
any point in time
Public Opinion Poll- Interviews or surveys with samples of citizens that are used
to estimate the feelings and beliefs of the entire population
Civil Rights Act of 1964- Wide-ranging legislation passed by Congress to outlaw
segregation in public facilities and discrimination in employment, education, and
voting; created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Voting Rights Act of 1965- The Voting Rights Act, signed into law by President
Lyndon Johnson (1908-73) on August 6, 1965, aimed to overcome legal barriers at
the state and local levels that prevented African Americans from exercising their
right to vote under the 15th Amendment (1870) to the Constitution of the United
States.
Social Capital- Cooperative relationships that facilitate the resolution of collective
problems
Voting Amendments-The Voting Rights Act, signed into law by President Lyndon
Johnson (1908-73) on August 6, 1965, aimed to overcome legal barriers at the
state and local levels that prevented African Americans from exercising their right
to vote under the 15th Amendment (1870) to the Constitution of the United
States.
Ch. 11
VIII. POLITICAL PARTIES, INTEREST GROUPS, ELECTIONS AND THE MASS MEDIA
CH. 11
Freedom of Information Act-The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a United
States federal law that grants the public access to information possessed by
government agencies.
Interest group (primary goal and more)- An organized group that tries to
influence the government to adopt certain policies
Lobbyists- Someone hired by a business or a cause to persuade legislators to
support that business or cause
Party Dealignment- A trend or process whereby a large portion of the electorate
abandons its previous partisan affiliation
Party Eras- Historical periods in which a majority of voters cling to the party in
power
Party Machine- A party organization headed by a single boss or small autocratic
group
Party Platforms- Refers to a political party’s formal statement of its basic
principles
Party Identification- The political party with which an individual identifies
Party Realignment- A central component of realignment is the change in behavior
of voting groups
Political Parties (major/third)- an organized group of people with at least roughly
similar political aims and opinions
Think Tank- A body of experts providing advice and ideas on specific political or
economic problems
Chad- The part of a ballot that comes out when it gets punched
Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reforms Act 2002-banned soft money contributions
to national political parties from corporations and unions; independent
expenditures by corporations, labor unions, trade associations, and nonprofit
organizations are sharply restricted, The elimination of "soft money"
Penny Press-cheap, tabloid-style newspapers mass-produced in the United States
from the 1830s onwards
Yellow Journalism- Journalism that is based upon sensationalism and crude
exaggeration
Muckraking- The action of searching out and publicizing scandalous information
about famous people/opponents in an underhanded way
New Media- Means of mass communication using digital technologies such as the
internet
Fireside Chats- an informal conversation
Talk Radio- A radio format containing discussion about topical issues
Media Bias- The bias or perceived bias of journalists and news producers within
the mass media
Ch. 12 Vocab
Coalition- An alliance for combined action, especially a temporary alliance of
political parties forming a government or of states
Electoral College- A body of people representing the states of the US, who
formally cast votes for the election of the president and president
Ticket-Splitting- When a voter in an election votes for candidates from different
political parties when multiple offices are being decided by a single election
Incumbency-The holding of an office or the period during which one is held
Caucus- a meeting of the members of a legislative body who are members
of a particular political party, to select candidates or decide policy
Delegate- a person sent or authorized to represent others, in particular an
elected representative sent to a conference
Primary Election-a preliminary election to appoint delegates to a party
conference or to select the candidates for a principal, especially
presidential, election.
Open Primary-a primary election in which voters are not required to declare
party affiliation
Closed primaries- A type of direct primary limited to registered party members,
who must declare their party affiliation
General Election- A regular election of candidates for office, as opposed to a
primary election
Initiative- Procedure whereby a certain number of voters may propose a law or
constitutional amendment
Referendum- A state level method of direct legislation that gives voters a chance
to approve or disapprove proposed legislation
Political Efficacy- A broadly shared way of thinking about political and economic
life that reflects fundamental assumptions about how government should operate
Party Realignment- Dramatic shifts in partisan preferences that drastically alter
the political landscape
Front Loading- The tendency of states to choose an early date on the nomination
calendar
Winner Take All- An electoral system in which the party that receives at least one
more vote than any other party wins the election
National Convention- A party meeting held in the presidential election year for
the purposes of nominating a presidential and vice presidential ticket and
adopting a platform
Plurality- The number of votes cast for a candidate who receives more than any
other but does not receive an absolute majority
Voting- A formal expression of opinion or choice, either positive or negative,
made by an individual or body of individuals
Party Base-A group of voters who almost always support a single party’s
candidate
Stump Speech- A standard campaign speech used by someone running for public
office
Coattail Effect- The tendency for a popular political party leader to attract votes
for other candidates of the same party
Presidential Election-is the indirect election in which citizens of the United States
who are registered to vote in one of the 50 U.S. states or the District of Columbia
cast ballots for members of the Electoral College, known as electors
Midterm Election-general elections in the United States that are held two years
after the quadrennial (four-year) elections for the President of the United States
(governors are voted on at this time)
Off Year Election-general election in the United States which is held in oddnumbered years when neither a presidential election nor a midterm election
takes place
Term Limits-laws that limit the number of terms elected officials can serve
Polling Place-a building where voting takes place during an election, typically one
that normally has another function, such as a school.
Battleground States- can lean republican or democrat, candidates spend much
time in this state campaigning (aka a Swing State)
Electoral Vote-a vote cast by a member of the Electoral College.
General Election-a regular election of candidates for office, as opposed to a
primary election
Absentee Voting- vote cast by someone who is unable or unwilling to attend the
official polling station to which the voter is normally allocated
Ch. 13 Vocab
Nomination Campaign-That part of a political campaign aimed at winning a
general election
General Election Campaign-an election in which all or most members of a given
political body are chosen
Campaign Manager-is a paid or volunteer individual whose role is to coordinate a
political campaign's operations such as fundraising, advertising, polling, getting
out the vote (with direct contact to the public), and other activities supporting the
effort, directly
Finance Chair- The director of finances, they determine where the money goes
and where it comes from
Communications Director-responsible for managing and directing an
organization's internal and external communications
Press Secretary-a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to
act as spokesperson for the United States government administration, especially
with regard to the President, senior executives, and policies.
Campaign Consultant-advising and assisting political campaigns
Pollster-person who conducts or analyzes opinion polls
Voter Canvass- That part of a political campaign aimed at winning a general
election
Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV)- Two types of political campaigns, both aimed at
increasing their voter turnout
Political Action Committees (PACs)- A group created and organized for the
purpose of receiving donations and contributing money received directly or
indirectly
527 Political Committee- A tax-exempt organization created for the purpose of
influencing the election or appointment
501 (c) Group- Non-profit groups which are tax exempt and cannot participate in
elections or campaigns
Super PACs- A type of independent political action committee which may raise
unlimited sums of money
Independent Expenditures- A political campaign communication that expressly
advocates for the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate
Public Funds- The funds of every political division of a state wherein taxes are
levied for public purposes
Iron Triangles- The link between interest groups, congress and bureaucracy
Matching Funds- Funds that are set to be paid in equal amount to funds available
from other sources
Positive Ad- An ad highlighting the good a candidate has done
Negative Ad- An ad that attacks the other candidates policies or criticized what
they have said
Contrast Ad- An ad that compares the records and proposals of the candidates
with a bias towards the sponsor
Inoculation Ad- A preemptive advertising tactic in which one party attempts to
foresee and neutralize potentially damaging criticism from another party
Ch. 14 Vocab
Mass Media- the media
News Media- An umbrella term for all sources of news (including: to, radio,
newspapers, magazines, webpages and blogs)
Yellow Journalism- Journalism that is based upon sensationalism and crude
exaggeration
Muckraking- The action of searching out and publicizing scandalous information
about famous people in an underhanded way
Narrowcasting- Transmit a television programs, especially by cable or otherwise
disseminate information
Citizen Journalists- The collection, dissemination, and analysis of news and
information by the general public
On the Record- Making a public or official statement
Off the Record- Making a private or unofficial statement
On Background- A reporter can use the information but cannot name or quote
you directly
Deep Background- A term that is used in the United States that means the
information may not be used but is in the journalists mind to enhance their views
on the issue
Content Regulations- Government attempts to regulate the substance of mass
media
Equal Time Rule- The rule that requires broadcast stations to sell air time equally
to all candidates
Press Release- A document offering an official comment or position
Press Briefing- A relatively restricted session between a press secretary or aide
and the press
Press Conference- An unrestricted session between an elected official and the
press
Media Effects- The influence of news sources on public opinion
Agenda Setting- The constant process of forming the list of issued to be
addressed by government
Framing- The process by which a news organization defines a political issue
consequently affects the opinion about the issue
Sound Bite- short clip of speech or music extracted from a longer piece of audio,
often used to promote or exemplify the full length piece
Ch. 15 Vocab
Social Capital- The networks of relationships among people who live and work in
a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively
Civic Virtue- Morality or a standard of righteous behavior in relationship to a
citizens involvement in society
Interest Group- An organized group that tries to influence the government to
adopt certain policies or measures
Pluralist Theory- Organization of people with shared policy goals entering the
policy process at several points to try to achieve those goals
Disturbance Theory- Interest groups form to counteract the influence of others
Transactions Theory- The theory that political power is distributed among a wide
array of diverse and competing interest groups
Collective Good- Something of value that everyone gets
Public Interest Group- Seeks collective good, does not selectively or materially
benefit its members
Economic Interest Group- Promotes financial interest of its members (business,
laborers, farmers etc.)
Lobbyist- Interest group representative who tries to use political techniques to
persuade a politician of behalf of a client
Trade Association- A group that represents a specific industry
Lobbying-A communication by someone other than a citizen acting on his own
behalf
Patron- A person who finances an individual event or activity
Free Rider Problem- The problem faced by unions and other groups when people
do not join because they can benefit from the group’s activities without officially
joining
Honest Leadership and Open government Act of 2007- Ban on gifts, disclosure
requirements and time limits when moving from government to lobbying for
private lobbyers