Civic Participation Test: Unit 1 - Gagnon

Civic Participation

• Voluntary civic participation: voting in an election, petitioning a representative, running for political office
• Involuntary civic participation: serving on a jury, paying taxes, obeying the law

Government Levels

• Citizens can vote for candidates and policies at local, state, and federal levels

Respect for Opinions

• Citizens should be respectful of differing opinions to promote healthy exchange of ideas and perspectives

Voting

• The potential impact of not voting because one believes their vote doesn't count is that it can lead to different election results
• The Pledge of Allegiance was originally created to promote loyalty and patriotism, especially among children

Senate Elections

• The 17th amendment allowed Senators to be elected by popular vote in their state
• Senators are elected every six years following the ratification of the 17th amendment
• Prior to the 17th amendment, senators were elected through state legislature elections

House of Representatives

• House of Representatives members run for election or reelection every two years

Presidential Elections

• The primary purpose of the 12th amendment is to outline the election process for the President and Vice President by the Electoral College
• If no person receives a majority vote in the Electoral College, the president is elected by the House of Representatives
• The number of electors for each state in the Electoral College is equal to the number of House of Representatives members plus Senators for that state

Political Parties

• Political parties play a crucial role in a democratic government, developing policy and bridging the gap between the people and their government
• Partisanship in the context of politics refers to a strong support of a political party
• The dominant two-party system in the United States is composed of the Republicans and the Democrats

Election Process

• The first step in an election process is nomination
• A presidential primary election is an election where voters express a preference for their presidential and vice-presidential candidates for a certain political party
• The purpose of a national convention for a political party is to choose candidates for the presidential election

Political Party Platforms

• The primary purpose of a political party's platform is to serve as the party's formal statement of basic principles, viewpoints on major policy issues, and objectives

Election Terms

• A precinct is a location where a person casts their ballot
• Super PACs differ from regular PACs in that they have no restrictions on the use of funds
• Super PACs can make unlimited independent expenditures, while regular PACs can make direct contributions to candidates
• The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) of 2002 aims to eliminate nearly unlimited contributions by interest groups and national political parties