AP Government Unit 5 Part 1

The many different ways that people take part in politics and government

the right to vote

The belief that one's political participation makes a difference.

Voting based on what is perceived to be in the citizen's individual interest

voting based on the past performance of a candidate

voting for a candidate because you favor his or her ideas for handling issues

Supporting a party by voting for candidates from one political party for all public offices at the same level of government.

the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election

Structural barriers to voting include laws and systems that disproportionately limit access, such as voter ID laws, limited polling places, and restricted registration processes.

A clause in registration laws allowing people who do not meet registration requirements to vote if they or their ancestors had voted before 1867.

a requirement that citizens show that they can read before registering to vote

A requirement that citizens pay a tax in order to register to vote

the practice of keeping blacks from voting in the southern states' primaries through arbitrary use of registration requirements and intimidation

Require individuals to first place their name on an electoral roll in order to be allowed to vote

the people can elect their representatives in the middle of the term of the executive. ... Only a fraction of a body's seats are up for election while others are not until the terms of the next set of members are to expire.

Elections held in years when the president is on the ballot.

A state-level method of direct legislation that gives voters a chance to approve or disapprove proposed legislation or a proposed constitutional amendment.

procedure whereby voters can remove an elected official from office

A procedure by which voters can propose a law or a constitutional amendment.

A voting district

individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern

When a network or organization is partisan to a party and influences it's viewers through their ideological orientales news programs

any event, idea, opinion or topic in a given subject that is relevant to the present day.

A term indicating an individual's acceptance of knowledge, beliefs, and practices related to a particular faith.

groups that help elect people and shape policies

private organizations whose members share certain views and work to shape public policy

The channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the government's policy agenda. In the United States, linkage institutions include elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.

the citizens eligible to vote

a party's efforts to inform potential voters about issues and candidates and to persuade them to vote

The period before any votes are cast when candidates compete to win early support from the elite of the party and to create a positive first impression of their leadership skills.

In January or February of a presidential election year Presidential candidates campaign hard in Iowa -- a win in Iowa or New Hampshire can help fundraising and build momentum for future primaries and caucuses.

First Presidential primary and its winner becomes the media's major attention

States that are not clearly pro-Republican or pro-Democrat and therefore are of vital interest to presidential candidates, as they can determine election outcomes

Candidate or party with the most votes cast in an election, not necessarily more than half.

The candidate or party that wins more than half the votes cast in an election.

The recent tendency of states to hold primaries early in the calendar in order to capitalize on media attention.

Campaign style emphasizing close personal contact between candidate and voters

A political party's statement of its goals and policies for the next four years. The platform is drafted prior to the party convention by a committee whose members are chosen in rough proportion to each candidate's strength. It is the best formal statement of a party's beliefs.

the chairman of the national committee of the political party who usually acts as the head of the party's permanent organization and has general direction of party strategy especially during election campaigns.

A person appointed or elected to represent others

party leaders and elected officials who become delegates to the national convention without having to run in primaries or caucuses

The boost that candidates may get in an election because of the popularity of candidates above them on the ballot, especially the president.

developing product or service offerings customized for the appropriate customer segment and then pricing and communicating these offerings for the purpose of enhancing customer/constituents relationships

parties often ask viable candidates to run and target seats they see as winnable

choosing the media that will bring the most effective advertising message to the targeted consumer

An electoral "earthquake" where new issues emerge, new coalitions replace old ones, and the majority party is often displaced by the minority party. Such periods are sometimes marked by a national crisis and may require more than one election to bring about a new party era.

A process in which a substantial group of voters switches party allegiance, producing a long-term change in the political landscape.

Weakening of partisan preferences that points to a rejection of both major parties and a rise in the number of independents.

someone who represents a political party that is neither Democrat nor Republican

a candidate who is not associated with any political party