Untitled Quiz

U.S. Chapter 7: Political Participation

• Types of Political Participation: Voting, campaigning, donating to campaigns, contacting elected officials, attending protests, signing petitions, and running for office.
• Importance of Political Participation: It's essential for a self-governing society, allowing citizens to shape public policy and hold government accountable.
• Electoral Rights: The Constitution grants the power to set voting rights and manage elections to individual states.
• Voting Rights Amendments:
  • 15th Amendment (1870): Prohibited denying the right to vote based on race.
  • 19th Amendment (1920): Granted women the right to vote.
  • 26th Amendment (1971): Lowered the voting age to 18.
• Low Voter Turnout Factors:
  • Voter Apathy: Lack of interest or belief that individual votes do not matter.
  • Registration Barriers: Requirements like voter ID or registration deadlines can deter participation.
  • Election Fatigue: Overwhelmed voters with numerous elections throughout the year.
  • Lack of Access: Difficulty with polling place location or long lines.
  • Campaign Negativity: Negative campaigning can discourage voters.
• Voting Trends:
  • Education: Higher education levels are associated with higher voter turnout.
  • Income: Higher income levels are associated with higher voter turnout.
  • Age: Older voters have higher turnout rates.
  • Civic Attitudes: Stronger feelings of political efficacy (belief that one can impact government) and civic duty lead to increased participation.
• Social Capital: Networks of relationships and shared values within a community that facilitate cooperation, trust, and civic engagement. It strengthens democratic societies by fostering a sense of belonging and encourages collective action.
• Successful Political Movements:
  • Shared Goals: A clear and compelling objective that unites participants.
  • Effective Leadership: Charismatic and organized leadership to guide the movement's actions.
  • Effective Communication: Ability to spread the message and mobilize supporters.
• US Voter Participation Comparison: Compared to other developed democracies, the US voter turnout rate is generally lower.

U.S. Chapter 8: Political Parties

• Political Party Influence:
  • Candidate Recruitment: Parties play a crucial role in identifying and supporting potential candidates for office.
  • Election Mobilization: They organize campaigns, raise funds, and mobilize voters.
• Party Realignment: A significant shift in the long-term partisan preferences of voters, often accompanied by changes in the political system and the balance of power.
• Realignment Elements:
  • Critical Election: An election that marks a major shift in the political landscape, often due to a divisive issue.
  • New Party Coalition: New groups of voters align with a particular party.
  • Shifting Party Platforms: Parties adjust their policies to address the concerns of the new coalition.
• 3rd Party Realignment Trigger: The Great Depression. The Democratic Party realigned its policies to promote government intervention in the economy, appealing to working-class voters.
• 4th Party Realignment Trigger: Social and cultural issues like the Civil Rights Movement. The Democratic Party embraced civil rights, attracting African American voters. Following issues included the Vietnam War, Watergate, and economic anxieties, leading to further shifts in party positions.
• Two-Party System: A political system dominated by two major parties, making it difficult for third parties to gain a foothold. The single-member district electoral system, where the candidate with the most votes wins, contributes to this phenomenon.
• Election Systems Comparison:
  • Single Member Districts: One representative is elected from each district.
  • Proportional Representation: Seats in parliament are allocated to parties based on their share of the vote.
• Two-Party System Advantages and Disadvantages:
  • Advantage: Provides stability and clarity in government.
  • Disadvantage: Limits the range of political views and can lead to gridlock.
• Median Voter Theorem: Political candidates will converge towards the ideological center to appeal to the largest number of voters.
  • Assumptions:
    • Ideological Spectrum: Voters are distributed along a single ideological dimension.
    • Single-Peaked Preferences: Voters have a most preferred point on the spectrum.
• Party Support Groups:
  • Democratic: Working-class, minorities, labor unions, women, young voters, urban residents, and liberal-leaning voters.
  • Republican: Wealthy, business groups, rural residents, older voters, religious conservatives, and socially conservative voters.
• Third Party Neglect:
  • Two-Party Dominance: Major parties are well-established and have built-in advantages.
  • Electoral System: Single-member districts make it difficult for third parties to win seats.
  • Lack of Resources: Third parties often struggle to raise funds and compete with major party candidates.
  • Spoiler Effect: Third parties can potentially draw votes away from one of the major parties, potentially affecting the outcome of an election.
• Third Party Influence:
  • Shaping Political Discourse: Can raise issues and bring attention to alternative policy positions, influencing major parties.
  • Shifting Votes: Can draw votes away from major parties, potentially impacting election outcomes.
• Campaign Types:
  • Party-Centered Campaigns: Relied on strong party organizations for candidate support, fundraising, and voter mobilization.
  • Candidate-Centered Campaigns: Emphasize individual candidates, their personal qualities, and their connections to voters.
• Campaign Developments:
  • Media and Technology: The rise of television, internet, and social media has significantly weakened party control over elections.
  • Internet/Social Media Effectiveness: Internet and social media messaging can be effective in targeting specific demographics and spreading information, but these strategies can also be vulnerable to manipulation and the spread of misinformation.
• "Money Chase": The pursuit of campaign contributions, often to the detriment of other campaign activities.
  • Hard Money: Direct contributions to candidates, subject to limits.
  • Soft Money: Contributions to political parties or organizations for activities not directly related to elections, less regulated than hard money.
• Consultants Roles:
  • Fundraising: Raising money from donors.
  • Polling: Conduct surveys to gauge public opinion and voter preferences.
  • Media Strategy: Developing campaign advertising and media strategies.
• Packaging: Presenting a candidate in a way that appeals to voters, including crafting a message, creating an image, and developing a strategy for communicating with the public.

U.S. Chapter 10: Media and Politics

• Freedom of the Press: Guaranteed by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Framers considered this freedom crucial for informing the public and scrutinizing the government.
• Media Functions:
  • Informing the Public: Providing news and information about events and issues.
  • Watchdog Role: Investigating and exposing wrongdoing by government officials or other powerful entities.
  • Political Forum: Providing a platform for public debate and political discourse.
• Media Concepts:
  • Framing: The way in which news stories are presented, emphasizing certain aspects over others, which can influence how audiences interpret and understand the information.
  • Priming: The media's ability to make certain issues salient in the public's mind, shaping public opinion and agenda-setting.
  • Agenda Setting: The media's power to influence what issues are considered important by the public.
• Yellow Journalism: A style of journalism characterized by sensationalism, exaggeration, and a focus on entertainment value over factual reporting. It's different from objective journalism because it prioritizes grabbing attention over accuracy.
• FCC: Federal Communications Commission, a government agency that regulates the broadcast media in the US.
  • Fairness Doctrine: Required broadcasters to present balanced coverage of controversial issues, later repealed, leading to greater freedom in media content.
• High-Choice Media System: The proliferation of cable TV channels and the rise of the internet have created a media landscape where viewers have access to a wide range of programming and information sources.
  • Consequences:
    • Increased Media Fragmentation: Less shared experience with news and information, potentially leading to polarization.
    • Echo Chambers: People primarily consume media that reinforces their existing beliefs, limiting exposure to diverse viewpoints.
• Partisan Media: Media outlets that tend to favor a particular political party or ideology.
  • Partisan Outrage: Partisan media can contribute to political polarization by emphasizing negative stories about opposing parties and viewpoints, increasing anger and distrust.
  • Partisan Journalism Reasons:
    • Profitability: Appeal to a specific audience or generate revenue based on advertising.
    • Ideological Commitment: Promoting a particular set of values or worldview.
• Entertainment Media: Media outlets that focus on entertainment rather than serious news reporting.
  • Entertainment Journalism Reasons:
    • Public Demand: Audience interest in lighter content and soft news.
    • Competition for Attention: Attracting audiences to stand out in a crowded media market.
• Hard News vs. Soft News:
  • Hard News: Factual, timely, and objective reports on current events.
  • Soft News: Features, human-interest stories, entertainment, or lifestyle topics.
• Current Media System Consequences:
  • Political Polarization: Partisan media and echo chambers contribute to more extreme views and less common ground.
  • Decreased Trust in Media: Erosion of public trust in media institutions due to perceived bias or misinformation.
  • Difficulty in Separating Fact from Fiction: The rise of fake news and misinformation challenges the public's ability to distinguish between credible and unreliable information.
• Internet and Social Media Echo Chambers: Online platforms facilitate the formation of echo chambers by suggesting content based on user preferences and engagement, leading to a narrowing of perspectives.
• Fake News and Reality Apathy: The proliferation of fake news and misinformation can erode public trust in information and lead to a cynical detachment from reality, creating a sense of apathy or disengagement.

U.S. Chapter 9 & TX Chapter 12: Interest Groups

• Successful Interest Group Factors:
  • Resources: Funding, membership, and access to expertise are crucial in lobbying efforts and advocacy.
  • Leadership: Effective leaders can mobilize members, strategize, and maintain the group's focus.
  • Cohesiveness: A strong sense of unity and shared purpose among members is vital for achieving group goals.
• Interest Group Types:
  • Economic Groups: Represent the interests of businesses, corporations, labor unions, and other economic entities.
  • Citizen Groups: Represent the interests of individuals or groups on social, ideological, or public policy issues.
• Economic Group Influence: Often more influential than citizen groups due to:
  • Greater Resources: Typically have more money, staff, and expertise to devote to lobbying.
  • Clearer Interests: Their goals are easier to define and align with specific policy objectives.
  • Greater Access: Have closer relationships with government officials and policymakers.
• Inside Lobbying: Direct communication with government officials, including meeting with lawmakers, attending hearings, and providing information or expertise to policymakers. Examples include providing testimony at legislative hearings, drafting bills, and organizing meetings with lawmakers.
• Iron Triangle: A close relationship between an agency, congressional committee, and an interest group that works together to advance their shared interests.
  • Points:
    • Government Agency: Responsible for implementing policy.
    • Congressional Committee: Oversees the agency and oversees legislation.
    • Interest Group: Aims to influence the agency and its legislation.
• PAC: Political Action Committee - A private group that raises and spends money to elect or defeat political candidates.
  • Spending Limits: Subject to federal campaign finance laws, with limits on contributions and spending.
• Super PACs: Independent political action committees that can raise unlimited funds from individuals, corporations, and unions.
  • Advantages: Greater freedom in spending and can spend unlimited amounts on elections, compared to traditional PACs.
• Super PAC Power Granting Supreme Court Opinion: Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010).
• Texas Legislature and Interest Groups: The Texas Legislature is highly influenced by lobbying groups, as it holds significant power over policymaking.
  • Impact:
    • Lobbying Efforts: Strong presence of lobbyists due to the legislature's power to set state policy.
    • Campaign Contributions: Significant funding from interest groups, impacting elections and legislative decision-making.
• Texas Plural Executive: Divides executive power among various elected officials (Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller, etc.).
  • Impact:
    • Multiple Targets: Lobbyists must target multiple offices to influence state-level policy.
    • Complex Relationships: Different agencies have different relationships with interest groups.
• Texas Ethics Commission: An independent state agency that enforces laws governing lobbying and campaign finance in Texas.
  • 30/20 Rule: Limits the amount of money a political contributor can give to a candidate in a statewide election.
  • Individual Spending Limits: $5,000 per candidate per election cycle.
  • PAC Spending Limits: $25,000 per candidate per election cycle.