Back to AI Flashcard MakerPolitical Science /AP Gov Unit #5 Vocab: Parties, Elections, Interest Groups and Media Part 2
AP Gov Unit #5 Vocab: Parties, Elections, Interest Groups and Media Part 2
This deck covers key vocabulary and concepts related to political parties, elections, interest groups, and media in the context of American government. It includes definitions and explanations of terms relevant to understanding the political landscape.
Critical Election
a major national election that signals a change in the balance of power between the two parties
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Key Terms
Term
Definition
Critical Election
a major national election that signals a change in the balance of power between the two parties
Party Era
time period when one party wins most national elections
Era of Divided Government
a trend since 1969, in which one party controls one or both houses of Congress and the president is from the opposing party
Nomination
the formal process through which parties choose their candidates for political office
Delegate
a person who acts as the voters’ representative at a convention to select the party’s nominee
Primary Election
an election in which a state’s voters choose delegates who support a particular presidential candidate for nomination or an election by a plurality vo...
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
Critical Election | a major national election that signals a change in the balance of power between the two parties |
Party Era | time period when one party wins most national elections |
Era of Divided Government | a trend since 1969, in which one party controls one or both houses of Congress and the president is from the opposing party |
Nomination | the formal process through which parties choose their candidates for political office |
Delegate | a person who acts as the voters’ representative at a convention to select the party’s nominee |
Primary Election | an election in which a state’s voters choose delegates who support a particular presidential candidate for nomination or an election by a plurality vote to select a party’s nominee for a seat in Congress |
Open Primary | a primary election in which all eligible voters may vote, regardless of their party affiliation |
Closed Primary | a primary election in which only those who have registered as a member of a political party may vote. |
Caucus | a process through which a state’s eligible voters meet to select delegates to represent their preferences in the nomination process |
Super Delegate | usually, a party leader or activist who is not pledged to a candidate based on the outcomes of the state’s primary or caucus |
Front-Loading | a decision by a state to push its primary or caucus to a date as early in the election season as possible to gain more influence in the presidential nomination process |
National Convention | a meeting where delegates officially select their party’s nominee for the presidency |
Candidate-Centered Campaign | a trend in which candidates develop their own strategies and raise money with less influence from the party elite. |
Two-Party System | a system in which two political parties dominate politics, winning almost all elections |
Proportional Representation System | an election system for a legislature in which citizen vote for parties, rather than individuals, and parties are represented in the legislature according to the percentage of the vote they receive |
Single-Member Plurality System | an election system for choosing members of the legislature where the winner is the candidate who receives the most votes, even if the candidate does not receive a majority of the votes |
Third Party | a minor political party in competition with the major parties |
Interest Groups | Voluntary association of people who come together with the goal of getting the policies that they favor enacted. |
Social Movements | large groups of citizens organizing for political change |
Theory of Participatory Democracy | the belief that citizens impact policymaking through their involvement in civil society |
Civil Society | the formal and informal organizations that are not part of the state apparatus but operate in public |
Pluralist Theory | a theory of democracy that emphasizes the role of groups in the policymaking process |
Elitist Theory | theory of democracy that the elites have a disproportionate amount of influence in the policymaking process |
Policy Agenda | the set of issues to which government officials, voters, and the public are paying attention |
Collective Action | political action that occurs when individuals contribute their energy, time, or money to a larger group goal |
Collective Good | also called a public good; a public benefit that individuals can enjoy or profit from even if they do not help achieve it |
Free Riders | individuals who enjoys collective goods and benefits from the actions of an interest group without joining |
Selective Benefits | benefit available only to those who join the group |
Economic Interest Groups | a group advocating on behalf of the financial interests of members |
Public Interest Groups | group that acts on behalf of the collective interests of a broad group of individuals |