Chapter 8, 9, 6, 10 | POLS 1101 - American Government, Quizzes of Local Government Studies

Download Chapter 8, 9, 6, 10 | POLS 1101 - American Government and more Quizzes Local Government Studies in PDF only on Docsity! TERM 1 Public opinion DEFINITION 1 the aggregate of individuals attitudes or beliefs sharedPublic opinion is the aggregate of individual attitudes or beliefs. Public opinion can also be defined as the complex collection of opinions of many different people and the sum of all their views, or as a single opinion held by an individual about a social or political topic. TERM 2 Consensus DEFINITION 2 general agreement among the citizenry on an issue TERM 3 divisive opinion DEFINITION 3 public opinion that is polarized between two quite different positions TERM 4 nonopinion DEFINITION 4 lack of an opinion on an issue or policy among the majority TERM 5 political socialization DEFINITION 5 the process by which people acquire political beliefs and attitudes TERM 6 peer group DEFINITION 6 a group consisting of members sharing common social characteristics. These groups play an important part in socialization process, helping to shape attitudes and beliefs TERM 7 opinion leader DEFINITION 7 one who is able to influence the opinions of others because of position, expertise, or personatlity TERM 8 media DEFINITION 8 channels of mass communication TERM 9 agenda setting DEFINITION 9 determining which public policy questions will be debated or considered TERM 10 managed news DEFINITION 10 Managing the news refers to acts that are intended to influence the presentation of information within the news media. TERM 21 era of good feelings DEFINITION 21 the years from 1817 to 1825 when name Monroe was president and had in effect no political opposition TERM 22 democratic party DEFINITION 22 one of the two major american political parties evolving out of republican party of thomas jefferson TERM 23 whig party DEFINITION 23 a major party in the U.S. during the first half of the 19th century formally established in 1836. The whig party was anti jackson and represented a variety of regional interst TERM 24 republican party DEFINITION 24 one of the two major american political parties. emmerged as an antislavery party and connoted of former northern whigs and antislavery democrats TERM 25 reverse income effect DEFINITION 25 tendency for wealthier states to favor democrats and less wealthy to favor rebulicans TERM 26 party in the elctorate DEFINITION 26 those members of the general public who identify with a political party or who express a preference for one party over another TERM 27 party orginzation DEFINITION 27 the formal structure and leadership of a political party TERM 28 party in government DEFINITION 28 all of the elected and appointed officials who identify with a political party TERM 29 national convention DEFINITION 29 During the French Revolution, the National Convention comprised the constitutional and legislative assembly of France and sat from 20 September 1792 to 26 October 1795 (the 4th of Brumaire of the year IV under the French Republican Calendar adopted by the Convention). TERM 30 party platform DEFINITION 30 a document drawn up a each national convention outlining the policies, positions, and principles of the party TERM 31 national committee DEFINITION 31 a standing committee of a national political party established to direct and coordinate party activites between national party conventions TERM 32 state central committee DEFINITION 32 the principal organized structure of each political party which each state. This committee is responsible for carrying out policy decsisons of the party's state convention TERM 33 unit rule DEFINITION 33 a rule by which all of a states electoral votes are cast for presidential candidate receiving a plurally of the popular vote in that state TERM 34 patronage DEFINITION 34 rewarding faithful party workers and followers with government employment and contracts TERM 35 divided government DEFINITION 35 In the United States, divided government describes a situation in which one party controls the White House and another party controls one or both houses of the United States Congress. TERM 46 swing voters DEFINITION 46 voters who frequently swing their support form one party to another TERM 47 tipping DEFINITION 47 a phenomenon that occurs when a group that is becoming more numerous over time grows large enough to change the political balance in a district, state or country. Ex immigration TERM 48 voter turnout DEFINITION 48 Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election. (Who is eligible varies by country, and should not be confused with the total adult population. TERM 49 rational ignorance effect DEFINITION 49 an effect produced when people purposely and rationally decide not to become informed on an issue because they believe that their vote on the issue is not likely to be a deciding one TERM 50 registration DEFINITION 50 the entry of a persons name onto the list of registered voters for elections TERM 51 caucus DEFINITION 51 a meeting of party members designed to select candidates and propose policies TERM 52 closed primary DEFINITION 52 a type of primary in which the voter is limited to choosing candidates of the party of which he or she is a member TERM 53 open primary DEFINITION 53 a primary in which any registered voter can vote TERM 54 australian ballot DEFINITION 54 The secret ballot is a voting method in which a voter's choices in an election or a referendum are both secret and anonymous. Tabulated by government officials at public expenses TERM 55 office block or massachusetts ballot DEFINITION 55 a form of general election ballot in which candidates for elective office are grouped together under the title of each office. It emphasizes voting for the office and the individual candidate rather than for the party TERM 56 party column or indiana ballot DEFINITION 56 a form of general election ballot in which all of a partys candidates for elective office are arranged in one column under the partys label and symbol. It emphasizes voting for the party rather than for the office or individual TERM 57 coattail effect DEFINITION 57 the influence of a popular candidate on the electoral success of other candidates on the same party ticket. The effect is increased by the party column ballot which encourages straight ticket voting TERM 58 elector DEFINITION 58 a member of the electoral college which selects the president and vice president. Each sates electors are chosen in each presidential election year according to state laws TERM 59 presidential primary DEFINITION 59 a statewide primary election of delegates to a political partys national convention, held to determine a party's presidential nominee TERM 60 superdelegate DEFINITION 60 a party leader or elected official who is given the right to vote at the party's national convention. Superdelegates are not elected at the state level TERM 71 corrupt practices acts DEFINITION 71 a series of acts passed by congress in an tempt to limit and regulate the size and sources of contributions and expenditures in political campaigns TERM 72 hatch act DEFINITION 72 an act passed in 1939 that restricted the political activities of government employs. It also prohibited a political group from spending more than 3 million in any campaign and limited individual contributions to a campaign committee to 5000 TERM 73 hard money DEFINITION 73 this refers to political contributions and campaign spending that is recorded under the regulations set forth in law and by the federal election commission TERM 74 political action committee DEFINITION 74 a committee set up by and representing a corporation labor union, or special interest group TERM 75 soft money DEFINITION 75 campaign contributions unregulated by federal or state law, usually given to parties and party committees to help fund general party activities TERM 76 issue advocacy advertising DEFINITION 76 advertising paid for by interest groups that support or oppose a candidate or a candidates position on an issue without mentioning voting or elections TERM 77 super pac DEFINITION 77 a political committee that can accept unlimited contributions from individuals and corporations to spend supporting a candidate as long as its efforts are not coordinated with the candidates own campaign TERM 78 independent expenditures DEFINITION 78 nonregulated contributions from PACs, organizations and individuals. The funds may be spent on advertising or other campaign activities, so long as those expenditures are not coordinated with those of a candidate TERM 79 beauty contest DEFINITION 79 a presidential primary in which contending candidates compete for popular votes but the results do not control the selection of delegates to national convention TERM 80 front runner DEFINITION 80 the presidential candidate who appears to be ahead at a given time in primary season TERM 81 front loading DEFINITION 81 the practice of moving presidential primary elections to the early part of the campaign to maximize the impact of these primaries on the nomination TERM 82 credential committee DEFINITION 82 a committee used by political parties at their national conventions to determine which delegates may participate. The committee inspects the claim of each prospective delegate to be seated as a legitimate representative of his or her state TERM 83 battleground state DEFINITION 83 a state likely to be so closely fought that the campaigns devote exceptional effort to winning the popular and electoral vote there