APGOV UNIT 3 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS/ VOCAB
CHAPTER 9 Political Parties
This chapter examines political parties, exploring the evolution and impact of the two-party system.
1.
What is the meaning of a political party? What functions do parties in America perform?
2.
Trace the development of the United States party system through its four periods. Explain why
parties have been in decline since the New Deal.
3.
How has party identification changed over the years and what affect has it had on elections?
4.
Describe the structure of a major party. Distinguish major from minor parties.
5.
Describe the basic organization of American political parties. How do party politics at the local,
state, and national levels differ? Which level is most important and why?
6.
Indicate whether there are major differences between the two major parties. Describe some of the
issue differences between delegates at Democratic and Republican conventions, and compare their policy
positions with those of rank-and-file party members.
7.
What are the political and policy consequences of having a two-party system? How have third
parties made a difference?
8.
In what ways have American political parties declined? What are the principal rivals of the
political parties? Speculate on the future of political parties in America.
CHAPTER 10 Elections and Campaigns
This chapter focuses on the process of campaigning involved in each type of election.
4.
Demonstrate the differences between the party-oriented campaigns of the nineteenth century and
the candidate-oriented ones of today, contrasting the major elements of successful campaigns.
5.
What is the role of money in campaigns? Discuss the major sources campaign funding under the
current laws. What campaign finance reforms have been adopted? What effects have they had?
6.
Outline the processes for electing presidents and members of Congress, and discuss the major
differences between the two types of contests shape who runs and how it affects their campaign strategy.
7.
Describe what the Democrats and Republicans each must do to put together a successful national
coalition to win an election.
8.
Outline the major arguments on either side of the question of whether elections do or do not result
in major changes in public policy in the United States.
6.
What is the electoral college and how does it work? What biases are in the electoral process?
7.
How is a candidate nominated for the presidency? What functions do national party conventions
perform? What criticisms have been raised about the nomination process?
8.
What are the positive and negative features of Political Action Committees? How might they
affect politicians and policymaking?
9.
Discuss the elements of a successful political campaign and the impact of campaigns on voters?
CHAPTER 11 Interest Groups
This chapter surveys the variety of interest groups operating in the U.S. and assesses their impact.
1.
What are interest groups? How do interest groups differ from political parties? Why do the
characteristics of United States society and government encourage a multiplicity of interest groups?
2.
What are the different types of interest groups? What are their primary goals, what strategies do
they use, and how successful have they been?
2.
Describe relations between leaders and rank-and-file members of groups, including why members’
priorities may not determine the leaders’ actions.
3.
What are the principal strategies that groups use to affect policymaking, especially the lobbying
techniques used to gain public support? Which strategy seems to be the most effective, and why?
4.
List the laws regulating conflict of interest, and describe the problems involved with revolving
door government employment.
6.
What are single-issue groups and how effective have they been in American politics?
7.
What impact do political action committees have on interest group behavior? Evaluate PAC’s role.
CHAPTER 12 The Media
This chapter examines the evolution and present status of relations between the government and media.
1.
Explain the historical development of the print and broadcast media in the U.S. and indicate the
differences between the party press and the mass media of today. Use examples to illustrate your answer.
2.
Demonstrate how the characteristics of the electronic media have affected the actions of public
officials and candidates for national office.
3.
Describe the impact of the pattern of ownership and control of the media on the broadcasting of
news. Show how wire services and TV networks have affected national news coverage. Discuss the
impact of the “national press.”
4.
Discuss the issue of media bias and give illustrations. Assess the impact of bias on the electorate.
5.
Describe how the media shape public opinion. What are the consequences of the media’s influence
on public opinion? Explain why a free press is critical to our democratic system of government and how
they have hindered the growth of democracy.
6.
What is the policy agenda? Who are the policy entrepreneurs and how do they utilize the media to
get their issues on the policy agenda?
Ch. 9 – Political Parties
Caucus
Congressional campaign committee
Democratic Party
Divided government
Economic-Protest Party
Factional Party
Grass-roots organization
Ideological party
Independent
Jacksonian Democrats
Linkage institution
Minor Party
National chairman
Ch. 10 – Campaigns and Elections
527
15th Amendment
19th Amendment
24th Amendment
26th Amendment
Australian Ballot
Blanket primary
Buckley v. Valeo
Bundling
Caucus
Closed primary
Coattails
Elector
Electorial College
Eligible Voter
FECA
National Committee
National Convention
Nominating Convention
One-Issue Party
Party decline
Party platform
Patronage
Personal following
Plurality system
Political efficacy
Political machine
Political party
Proportional representation
Reagan Coalition
Realigning period
Republican Party
Republican Revolution
Solidarity Party
Spin-off Party
Split-ticket voting
Sponsored party
Straight-ticket voting
Superdelegates
Third party
Two-party system
Winner-take-all electoral –
system
Whig Party
Federal Election Commission
Focus Group
Front-loading
Front runner
General election
Gerrymandering
Hard Money
Hatch Act (1939)
Incumbent
Independent Expenditures
Initiative
Iowa Caucus
Malapportionment
McConnell v. FEC
New Hampshire Primary
Open primary
Party Coalitions
Party Realignment
Political Action Committee (PAC)
Position issue
Presidential debate
Primary election
Prospective voting
Retrospective voting
Runoff primary
Soft Money
Spots
Super Tuesday
Swing Voters
Third Party
Valence issue
Visuals
Ch. 11 – Interest Groups
501(c)(3) organization
501(c)(4) organization
Amicus curiae
Collective good
Direct mail
Economic interest group
Electioneering
Elitist theory
Environmental Movement
Federal Election Campaign Act
Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act (1946)
Feminist Movement
Free rider
Grassroots Lobbying
Gridlock
Ideological interest group
Institutional Interest
Interest group
Iron Triangle
Labor Movement
Lobbying
Material incentive
Membership Interest
Political Action Committees
Public-interest lobby
Pluralist theory
Political cue
Purposive incentive
Ratings game
Revolving door
Selective Incentive
Social movement
Soft Money
Solidary incentive
Subsidy
Unions
Ch. 12 – The Media
Adversarial press
Agenda setting (Gatekeeper)
Attack Advertisement
Attack journalism
Blogs
Communication Decency
Act- (1996)
C-Span
Electronic Media
Equal time rule
Feature stories
Federal CommunicationsCommission
Feeding frenzy
“Fourth Branch”
Fractionation
Freedom of the Press
Front Runner
Gatekeeper function
Horse race coverage
Internet
Insider stories
Investigative Journalism
Issue advertisement
Kennedy-Nixon debates
Libel
Managed News
Marketplace of ideas
Media consultant
Media event
Muckraker
Narrowcasting
National Media
Near v. Minnesota (1931)
Loaded language
Popular Press
Press Secretary
Prior restraint
Public agenda
Routine stories
Scorekeeper
Selective attention
Sensationalism
Sound bites
Spin
Spin doctor
Spot advertisement
Telecommunications Act of1996
Trial Balloon
Watchdog
White House Press secretary
White House Press Corps
Yellow Journalism