UNIT 2 GUIDED NOTES Name: _________________________ Chapter 5: Political Parties - Section 1
Key Terms
• _________________________party: a group of persons who seek to control government by winning elections and holding public office
• political spectrum: the range of political views, from the so-called left to the right • partisanship: strong support for a specific political party and its policies
• single-member districts: a voting district in which only one candidate is elected to each office on the ballot
• _________________________: the largest number of votes cast for an elected office; this number does not have to be a majority of all votes cast
• bipartisan: an approach to policy making in which the two major parties find common ground on an issue
• _________________________: general agreement among different groups on an issue
• coalition: a temporary alliance of several groups who join to form a working majority in a multiparty system
Introduction
What are political parties, and how do they function in our two-party system?
A party is a group of people who try to control government by winning elections and holding public office.
Political Parties:
_________________________candidates Inform and inspire supporters
Encourage good behavior among members Govern once in office
Perform oversight on government actions What is a Party?
Checkpoint: What are the three elements that make up a political party?
The party _________________________is the party professionals who run the party at all levels by contributing time, money, and skill.
The party in government includes the candidates and officeholders who serve at all levels of government.
The party in the electorate are the millions of voters who identify strongly with a particular party and support its policies.
What Parties Do
Parties express the will of the people in government. They can also encourage unity by modifying conflicting views and encouraging compromise.
Parties inform the public and try to shape public opinion, using all forms of media to campaign for or against opposing candidates and policy issues.
Roles of Parties
Parties act as a “bonding agent” to encourage accountability among their candidates and office holders.
Parties play a key roles in governing at all levels.
Legislatures are organized along party lines and parties shape the electoral process.
_________________________guides many legislative votes and appointments to public office.
Parties provide channels of communication between the branches of government.
Parties as “_________________________”
Checkpoint: How do parties perform the watchdog function?
In particular, the minority party keeps a close eye on the actions of the party that controls the executive branch to make sure that it does not abuse its power or violate the public trust.
The Two-Party System
The _________________________and _________________________parties dominate American politics.
Only the candidates from the two major parties have a chance to win most elections.
Why is this the case?
The _________________________opposed political parties.
They saw parties as “factions” that caused disunity and conflict. George Washington warned against the dangers of parties.
Tradition
Once established, parties became part of tradition.
The nature of the election process supports the two-party system. Nearly all American elections take place in single-member
_________________________--only the one candidate who wins the largest number of votes gets elected to office.
This works against third-party candidates, who have little chance of finishing in the top two.
For example, it is very difficult for a third party candidate to get on the ballot in all 50 states.
_________________________Consensus
Americans tend to share a broad ideological consensus.
The United States is made up of many different cultural groups.
While Americans don’t agree on every issue, they do support the same basic _________________________.
Strongly divisive issues have tended not to last for generations. Building Consensus
Both major parties try to be moderate and build consensus.
Both parties tend to have a few major areas of policy differences while being rather similar in other areas.
The similarities between parties arises because both parties are after a majority of voters in any given election. Both parties must compete for the many voters in the middle of the political _________________________.
Political Spectrum - _________________________Systems Multiparty systems are used by many democracies.
They have several major and many smaller parties. Each party is based on a particular interest.
These interests can include economic class, religion, or political ideology. Multiparty systems tend to represent a more diverse group of citizens.
Supporters admire this feature, arguing that it gives voters many more choices among candidates and policies.
However, this diversity often makes multiparty systems less stable. The power to govern must usually be shared by several parties who join in a coalition.
One-Party Systems
Only one political party exists, offering no real _________________________. Some U.S. states and districts are “modified one-party systems.”
In these places, one party repeatedly wins most of the elections and dominates government.
Chapter 5: Political Parties - Section 2 Key Terms
• _________________________system: the practice of awarding public offices, contracts, and other governmental favors to those who supported the party in power
• electorate: the people eligible to vote
• _________________________: a devotion to the interests of a particular region
Introduction
How has the two-party system affected the history of American government?
During different periods in American history, either the Democratic or Republican Party has dominated national politics and the branches of the federal
government.
Recent history has seen the federal government divided between two parties. The Nation’s First Parties
The battle over ratification of the Constitution led to the rise of the first major parties. The _________________________Party was formed by supporters of the Constitution.
They wanted a stronger national government and policies that helped financial, commercial, and manufacturing interests.
Alexander Hamilton and John Adams were key representatives. Democratic-Republican Party
Opposing the Federalists was the _________________________-Republican Party. They wanted a more limited national _________________________, with policies aimed at helping farmers, planters, labor, and small business.
Key leaders such as Thomas _________________________and James Madison favored a strict interpretation of the Constitution.
The Democratic Party
The election of 1796 was the first time two parties fought for the presidency.
The _________________________won, but faded from power after losing the 1800 election.
The Democratic-Republicans later split apart and gave rise to the Democratic Party.
The Era of the Democrats
In the 1830s, President Andrew _________________________began a period of so-called Jacksonian democracy, marked by three major political changes:
Voting rights were expanded to include all white males, not just those with property.
A huge increase in the number of elected offices around the country. The spread of the spoils system.
Democrats v. Whigs
The Democrats drew much of their support from small _________________________, pioneers, and _________________________in the South and West.
Their greatest rivals were the _________________________, who were supported by wealthier _________________________and industrial interests in the East.
The debate over slavery split the Whigs and the Democrats apart in the 1850s. The Democrats were split between northern and southern factions.
Many Whigs and antislavery Democrats joined the new Republican Party in 1854.
Era of the Republicans
The Republican Party won 14 of 18 presidential elections from 1860 to 1932. The Civil War crippled the Democrats.
All their powers was concentrated in the South, which they controlled for roughly 100 years after Reconstruction ended.
The Republican dominated nationally.
They had the support of farmers, laborers, business and financial interests, and freed _________________________.
The Republicans benefited from years of economic prosperity. Economic Turmoil
An economic downturn made the election of 1896 critical.
Labor unions joined small farmers and small business owners to back the Democrats.
The Republicans won by appealing to a wider range of voters, but the Democrats gained new support outside the _________________________.
Party Identity: Past and Present
Cartoonist Thomas Nast has been credited with creating the party symbols in is 1874 cartoon for the magazine _________________________.
Originally, neither party adopted his ideas. Over time, each party assumed and revised the symbols, which have become synonymous with party identity. Return of the Democrats
The Democrats won 7 out of 9 presidential elections from 1932 to 1968. The Great Depression sparked the comeback of the Democrats.
With the economy in ruins, the Democrats gained the support of southerners, small farmers, big-city political organizations, labor unions, and minority groups. Era of Divided Government
The Republicans won 7 out of 10 _________________________elections from 1968 to 2004.
The Democrats controlled Congress for most of this period.
Republicans controlled Congress from 1995 to 2000 while Democrat Bill Clinton was President.
This division of power meant that neither party could easily control the agenda of the government without making _________________________.
Republicans in the 1980s
The Republicans made major changes to U.S. foreign trade and domestic policies during the 1980s.
Republican candidates Ronald _________________________and George H.W. Bush won three landslide victories during this period.
Political Parties Today
In recent years, control of Congress, particularly the Senate, has shifted back and forth between the major parties.
Typically newly elected Presidents has a “coattail” effect that brings other candidates from their party to Congress. In recent years, this has not been the case.
Chapter 5: Political Parties - Section 3 Key Terms
• _________________________parties: parties based on a particular set of social, economic, and political beliefs
• single-issue parties: parties focused on only one public-policy issue
• _________________________parties: parties that have split off from one of the major parties; often focused on a single popular leader
Introduction
What role have minor parties played in American politics?
American _________________________parties have fallen into four broad categories: ideological parties, single-issue parties, economic protest parties, and splinter parties.
Minor parties can play a spoiler role in elections by taking critical votes from a major party.
They can also be the first to bring key issues to public attention with their campaigns.
Ideological Parties
Ideological parties are based on a particular set of beliefs that usually involve society, politics, and the economy.
Most of these parties have involved _________________________ideas, such as Socialist, Socialist Labor, Socialist Worker, and Communist parties.
The _________________________Party promotes the opposite view, calling for the elimination of most government functions and programs.
Ideological parties rarely win many votes, but can last for many years. Single Issue Parties
Single issue parties emphasize one public policy issue.
For example, the Free _________________________Party opposed the spread of slavery to the West.
Most single issue parties fade away when their issue is resolved or no longer attracts public interest.
Economic Protest Parties Splinter Parties
Splinter parties split away from one of the major parties.
They are often centered on a particular candidate who fails to win his or her major party nomination, or arise from a strong disagreement within a major party. The _________________________and American Independent parties split from the Democratic Party over states’ rights and civil rights issues.
George C. Wallace, governor of Alabama campaigned for President in 1968 as a member of the American Independent Party.
The Progressive parties of Theodore Roosevelt and Robert La Follette split from the Republican Party.
_________________________party was nicknamed the Bull Moose Party.
Splinter parties tend to break up when their leaders step aside. Minor Party Influence
Minor parties can also play a spoiler role.
By winning electoral votes or even enough popular votes to affect the outcome in a key state, a minor party can affect the outcome of an election.
Affecting Presidential Elections
It is not common for a minor party candidacy to shift the outcome of a presidential election.
Theodore Roosevelt’s candidacy as a _________________________Party member most likely cost Republican William Taft the presidential election of 1912.
Ralph Nader’s _________________________Party may have cost Democrat Al Gore the very close presidential election of 2000 by gaining votes in swing states such as Florida. Raising Public Awareness
The most important role of minor parties is to raise public awareness of controversial issues.
Women’s _________________________, income tax, and regulation of banking and railroads were all first championed by minor parties.
Minor parties challenge the major parties to take action on issues, often accusing them of being part of the problem.
The more successful minor parties’ efforts are to raise awareness of an issue, the more likely it is that major parties will put the idea into their own campaign _________________________.
Minor Party Candidates
In 2008 there were seventeen minor party presidential candidates appearing on the ballot of at least one state.
More than 1,000 minor party candidates also sought seats in Congress or offices in various state and local elections.
Chapter 6: Voters and Voter Behavior - Section 1 Key Terms
• franchise: a synonym for the right to vote • electorate: the potential voting population
• _________________________: denied the right to vote • poll tax: a fee charged before allowing someone to vote Introduction
How have voting rights changed over the course of American history? Over time, voting rights have been extended to more Americans.
Voting qualifications based on property ownership, _________________________, race, and sex have all been eliminated through federal laws and constitutional amendments.
The age requirement for voting has been reduced. The Electorate
The Constitution originally gave the power to decide voter qualifications to the States. At first most States allowed only white male property owners to vote.
Since 1789, many restrictions on voting rights have been eliminated. At the same time, the power to decide who has the right to
_________________________has been shifting from the States to the federal government.
Stage 1
Religious qualifications for voting were eliminated by 1810.This was followed in the early 1800s by the gradual elimination of
_________________________ownership and tax payment qualifications. By 1850, almost all white males could vote in every State.
Stage 2
After the Civil War, the _________________________ Amendment made it illegal to deny any citizen the right to vote based on their race or color.
In theory, this amendment gave African Americans the right to vote. However, the spirit of this law was violated for nearly 100 years as African Americans were denied the vote in many places.
Stage 3
In 1920, the ratification of the _________________________ Amendment gave women the right to vote.
By 1920, more than half the States had already followed the example set by Wyoming in 1869 and given women the vote.
During the 1960s, the civil rights movement led to new protections for African American voting rights.
The _________________________Rights Act of 1965 defended racial equality in voting.
The _________________________ Amendment eliminated the poll tax in federal elections.
In 1971 the 26th Amendment gave those 18 and older the right to vote.
Voting Qualifications
The Constitution sets five restrictions on the ability of the States to set voter qualifications.
Anyone allowed to vote for members of their State legislature must be allowed to vote for members of Congress.
The _________________________ Amendment bans the States from depriving any person of the right to vote on account of their race, color, or having once been enslaved.
Under the 19th Amendment, no State can deprive any person of the right to vote based
on their sex.
No State can levy a tax on the right to vote for _________________________, Vice President, or members of Congress.
Under the 26th Amendment, no State can deprive any person who is at least 18 years
of age of the right to vote because of their age.
In addition, no State can violate any other provision in the Constitution when setting its voting qualifications.
For example, a State cannot set suffrage qualifications that violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.
Chapter 6: Voters and Voter Behavior - Section 2 Key Terms
• _________________________: foreign-born residents who have not become citizens
• transients: people who plan to live in a State for only a short time
• _________________________: a method of voter identification intended to prevent fraud
• purging: the process of removing the names of voters who are no longer eligible to vote
Introduction
What are the qualifications for voting, and how have they changed over time? The basic requirements for voting are that you must be a U.S. citizen, have established residency in the State where you are casting your vote, and be at least _________________________years of age.
The minimum voting age and minimum length of residency have both been lowered over time.
Citizenship
In most States, foreign-born residents who have not become citizens cannot vote. Citizenship is up to each State to decide.
States can also distinguish between native-born and naturalized citizens, requiring that voters become citizens of that State for a minimum period of time before being allowed to vote.
_________________________A person must also be a legal resident of the State in which he or she votes.
In the past, this meant a person had to be a State resident for at least a year to vote in that State.
Due to federal law and a Supreme Court ruling, most States now set no time requirement for legal residency, or have cut it to 30 days.
_________________________cannot vote in the State where they are living temporarily.
Voters living outside their State, such as soldiers, can cast absentee ballots in their home State.
Age
Under the 26th Amendment, the minimum voting age cannot be older than 18.
Before the passage of this amendment, the minimum age had been 21 in most States.
Some States allow 17-year-olds to vote in primary elections.
Historically, young voters have been less likely to vote than any other age group of eligible voters.
The service of 18-year-olds in the _________________________War helped mobilize public opinion to lower the voting age.
Voter Registration
In almost all States, one must be registered in order to vote. A prospective voter typically provides their age, name, place of
_________________________, address, and length of residence to a registrar or county clerk, who keeps a record of all eligible voters.
Voter _________________________can take place at rallies, fairs, school campuses, and other public places.
In other democracies, voters must be registered by law. Only in the United States is it voluntary.
The Motor Voter Act requires all States to:
Let eligible citizens register when they apply for or renew a _________________________license
Provide voter registration by mail
Make registration forms available at many State offices Should You Need an ID to Vote?
In 2005, _________________________passed a law requiring voters to present photo ID to vote.
In 2008, the Supreme Court ruled that the law was constitutional and did not create a barrier to voting.
This ruling allowed other states to add stronger ID requirements to election laws. Tests and Taxes
Literacy tests for voting were once common, but are no longer used.
These _________________________were often aimed at denying African Americans the vote, with grandfather clauses allowing whites to vote without being tested.
Some States, particularly in the South, also charged a poll tax to vote. In 1964 the 24th Amendment banned the use of any voting taxes. Persons Denied the Vote
Most States disqualify people convicted of serious crimes from voting, although it is often possible for convicted felons to regain their voting rights.
Some States also ban those _________________________discharged from the armed forces from voting.
Chapter 6: Voters and Voter Behavior - Section 3
Key Terms
• _________________________: the practice of drawing electoral district lines in order to limit the voting strength of a particular group or political party
• _________________________: a court order that compels or restrains the performance of some act by a private individual or a public official
• preclearance: the requirement that all changes to State election laws be approved by the Department of Justice before going into effect
Introduction
How did the U.S. fulfill the promise of the 15th Amendment?
After many years, Congress passed a series of federal civil rights and voting acts, most of them adopted in the 1960s.
These laws outlawed practices such as:
Blocking _________________________voter registration Levying poll taxes
Requiring voter _________________________. 15th Amendment
In 1870, the ratification of the 15th Amendment gave African Americans, mostly former
slaves living in the South, the right to vote.
However, this principle had no effect if Congress failed to enforce it.
White authorities used several methods to keep African Americans from voting or to limit their votes.
_________________________taxes were charged to keep poor African Americans from voting.
_________________________tests were rigged and used to disenfranchise African Americans.
The _________________________Party, which controlled southern politics, also banned African Americans from taking part in so-called “white primaries” to nominate
candidates.
In 1960, the Supreme Court outlawed gerrymandering based on racial discrimination. The Democratic Party, which controlled southern politics, also banned African
Americans from taking part in so-called “white primaries” to nominate candidates. In 1944, the Supreme Court outlawed the _________________________primary. In 1960, the Supreme Court outlawed gerrymandering based on racial discrimination. Civil Rights Acts
Pressure from the civil rights movement led Congress to act.
The _________________________Rights Act of 1957 created the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, which investigated voter discrimination.
The Civil Rights Act of 1960 allowed federal voting referees to help qualified people register and vote in federal elections wherever federal courts found voter discrimination. The Civil Rights Act of _________________________ outlawed racial discrimination in job related-matters and banned unfair voter registration practices and literacy
requirements.
Federal court orders were used to enforce these provisions.
In 1965, Dr. _________________________, Jr. led a voter registration drive in Selma, Alabama.
National television showed peaceful civil rights marchers being attacked by State police, shocking the country.
Voting Rights Act of 1965
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 protects African Americans against various tactics intended to prevent them from voting.
It led to State poll taxes being overturned in the federal courts. This Act applies to all elections: federal, State, and local. The law has been extended four times and will not expire until _________________________.
It also allowed federal voting examiners to oversee elections and register voters in these areas.
Preclearance
_________________________states that no new or changed election laws can take effect in a state where less than half the eligible electorate had registered or voted in 1964, unless first approved by the Department of Justice.
Preclearance has led to many court cases.
These cases most often involve changes to the location of polling places, the boundaries of election districts, election deadlines, qualifications of candidates, or shifts from district elections to at-large elections.
Amendments to the Act
The voter-examiner and preclearance provisions now apply to every community with a minority language population of _________________________ or more.
In these areas, ballots and other official election materials must be printed in English and the languages of the minorities involved.
The ban on literacy tests now applies to all elections.
Some States and counties have been removed from the law’s coverage through the bail-out process.
To be removed, a State or county must show that it has not applied any voting procedures in a discriminatory way for at least 10 years.
Today the law still applies to everywhere in eight States, as well as parts of eight others.
Chapter 6: Voters and Voter Behavior - Section 4 Key Terms
• _________________________election: a congressional election held in the even years between presidential elections
• ballot fatigue: a phenomenon that results in fewer votes being cast for offices at the end of an election ballot
• political _________________________: having an influence on politics
• political _________________________: the process by which people gain their political attitudes and opinions
• gender gap: the difference between the political choices of men and women • party identification: the loyalty of people to a specific party
• _________________________voting: the practice of voting for candidates from only one party
• independent: a person with no party affiliation Introduction
What factors influence voter behavior?
Voters are influenced by sociological factors such as income, occupation, education, gender, age, religion, ethnic background, geography, and family. Voters are also influenced by psychological factors such as political party identification, specific candidates, and key issues.
Nonvoting
Millions of Americans do not _________________________.
Many people who do vote do not cast votes for every candidate on the ballot. These people are called “nonvoting voters.”
Statewide offices and the presidency receive the most votes. Voter turnout is highest in presidential election years.
More people vote in _________________________state elections than in primaries or special elections.
Voter Turnout
Voter turnout varies from election to election, but presidential elections always draw more voters than off-year elections.
What factor does the blue at the top of each bar represent, and what is that factor called?
People Who Cannot Vote
Many people cannot _________________________vote.
This includes resident aliens, people with disabling mental conditions, and adults in prison.
Many others simply cannot vote.
Some 5-6 million people are too ill or disabled to vote.
Other people do not vote due to their religious beliefs or because they are traveling.
Others may not be able to vote due to discrimination aimed at them. Actual Nonvoters
Checkpoint: Why do people choose not to vote?
They may feel that their votes will not _________________________local or national government or they may not trust political institutions.
Western voters in presidential elections may feel that the election has been decided by eastern and central states before they can vote.
Voters vs. Nonvoters
The people most likely to vote:
Have higher levels of _________________________, _________________________, and _________________________
Are older, married, long-time residents with strong party affiliation Studying Voting Behavior
Checkpoint: What three sources are used to gather data about voter behavior? The results of specific elections
_________________________polls and surveys of public opinion
Studies of political socialization—how people gain political attitudes and opinions Voters are influenced by a combination of sociological and psychological factors.
_________________________includes a voter’s personal qualities and their group affiliations.
_________________________includes how a voter sees politics.
Sociological Influences
Every voter has several qualities that combine to influence their votes. A majority of the following groups tend to vote Republican:
Voters with higher incomes (such as professional and business people) Voters with higher levels of _________________________
Older voters (though this has varied in the past 30 years) Protestants
A majority of the following groups tend to vote for _________________________. Women (by a 5-10 percent margin)
African Americans (by large margins since the 1930s)
_________________________ (this varies among Latino groups)
Catholics and Jews Geography affects voting:
Southerners once voted heavily _________________________, but now Republicans win many southern elections.
A majority of voters in the suburbs, small cities, and rural areas tend to vote Republican.
In general, family members tend to vote in similar ways. Party Affiliation
Party identification is the strongest _________________________ of how a person will vote.
Party loyalists are likely to vote for all of their party’s candidates in any election. This tendency has decreased recently as more people identify themselves as independents with no party affiliation.
More people are also willing to vote for some candidates from the opposing party, “splitting” their ticket.
Independents
It is estimated that from _________________________ to one third of all voters today are independents.
Independent voters once tended to be less concerned, less informed, and less active in politics than Democrats or Republicans.
In recent years, a rising number of independents are young people with above average levels of _________________________, income, and job status.
Candidates and Issues
Short-term factors such as particular candidates or key issues can swing voters in any specific election.
The image projected by a _________________________ —personality, style, character, appearance, and ability—influences voters.
Emotional, publicized issues such as civil rights, war, scandals, or the economy can also sway voters.
Why Vote?
Is it really true that only those persons who vote have a right to complain? Why or why not?
Chapter 7: The Electoral Process - Section 1 Key Terms
• _________________________: a group of people who meet to select candidates for election
• direct primary: an election held in a party to pick the party’s candidates
• closed primary: a party’s nominating election in which only party members can vote
• open primary: a party’s nominating election in which any qualified voter can vote • blanket primary: an election in which all voters can vote for candidates from
every party
• runoff _________________________: an election held if no one wins a majority in the main primary
• nonpartisan elections: an election in which candidates are not identified by party labels
Introduction
What methods are used to choose candidates for public office? Candidates are nominated for public office through:
Self-announcement
_________________________ Convention
Direct primary Petition
The Nominating Process
Checkpoint: What is nomination?
_________________________ is the process of selecting the candidates who will seek public office. It is a key function of American political parties.
In our two-party system, the nominating process puts limits on the choices available to voters in the general election.
In countries where one party wins most general elections, whoever wins the nomination is usually elected to office.
Nominations can be made by _________________________, caucus, convention, direct primary, or petition.
Self-Announcement
A person who wants to run for office can simply announce that fact. Whenever a
_________________________ -in candidate appears, self-announcement has been used.
The Caucus
In the early republic, key party members met in caucuses to nominate candidates. Party members in State legislatures held caucuses to nominate candidates for State offices, while party caucuses in Congress nominated presidential
Caucuses were criticized as being too small, private, and out of touch with everyday party members.
The Convention
_________________________ replaced caucuses.
Party voters choose delegates who attend conventions, where they pick party candidates and elect delegates to attend higher level conventions.
Conventions were soon controlled by party bosses. The Direct Primary
By law, the direct primary is now the nominating method used by the major parties in most States.
Qualified voters cast private ballots for their preferred candidate. The person receiving the most _________________________ is nominated.
The States regulate and conduct party primaries.
A _________________________ primary is closed to all but declared members of a party. Usually this means being a registered party member.
An _________________________ primary is open to all qualified voters. Open v. Closed Primaries
Closed primaries help make candidates more responsive to their party, force voters to choose a party affiliation, and keep the opposing party from “raiding” a primary and picking the weakest candidates.
Open primaries do not exclude independent voters. In many cases, open primary voters can also keep their choice of party private.
Other Types of Primaries
In 8 States the primary winner must receive a majority of the votes. If no one does this, then a runoff primary is held between the top two vote getters.
In most States, nearly all elected _________________________ and municipal officers are elected in nonpartisan elections, where candidates are not identified by party labels. The majority winner may be awarded the office or run unopposed in a general election. Forms of Primaries in State Elections
Depending on the State, party voters may use the presidential primary to choose delegates to their national party convention, to choose the candidate they want to be their party’s presidential nominee, or both.
Evaluating Primaries
Primaries put the nominating process into the hands of the everyday party members.
Drawbacks include the fact that primaries make campaigns more expensive and voter turnout in primaries is usually less than half what it is for general elections. The primary process also emphasizes name familiarity over talent and can cause divisions within a party.
Petition
At the local level, _________________________ may be nominated by petitions signed by a minimum number of qualified voters in the election district.
Many States require minor party and independent candidates to be nominated by petition.
Chapter 7: The Electoral Process - Section 2 Key Terms
• _________________________: the medium by which a voter registers a choice in an election
• absentee voting: the process of voting without going to polling places on election day
• coattail effect: when a strong candidate at the top of a ballot attracts support for lesser candidates in his or her party
• _________________________: a voting district
• polling place: the place where voters in a precinct vote Introduction
How are elections conducted in the United States?
Elections are conducted by qualified voters casting secret ballots under the supervision of precinct election boards.
Depending upon State and local laws, voters may cast
_________________________ within precincts at polling places on election day, at polling places just before election day, or by mail-in absentee ballot in the weeks leading up to the election.
Administering Elections
The federal government sets the rules, such as the November election dates, for electing members of Congress and the President.
_________________________ also requires the use of
_________________________ ballots, bans corruption, protects voting rights, and regulates campaign financing.
The Help America Vote Act of 2000 requires States to:
replace _________________________ -operated and punch-card voting machines improve their administration of elections
_________________________ voter registration systems allow provisional voting
Election Day
Most States hold elections for State office in November of every even-numbered year, on the Tuesday following the first Monday.
Some States, such as New Jersey and _________________________, elect State officials in odd-numbered years.
City, county, and other local election dates vary from State to State, usually taking place in November or in the spring.
Early Voting
_________________________ voting involves casting ballots before election day. States have greatly expanded early voting in recent years.
Voters can apply for absentee ballots in advance and usually mail them to their local election office before election day.
Two-thirds of the States also let voters cast ballots at polling places for a period of several _________________________ before election day.
What Happens to a Ballot?
Paper ballots are collected and taken to a counting facility.
_________________________ ballots are mailed to the counting facility or brought to the polling place.
_________________________ ballots are sent electronically or stored and sent manually.
The Coattail Effect
A _________________________ candidate, on the other hand, can cost a party votes. Holding State and local elections on different days from federal elections might reduce this coattail effect.
Precincts and Polling Places
Precincts are small voting districts with a polling place in or near them.
Precinct election boards supervise the voting process, opening and closing the polls at times set by State law.
_________________________ boards must also ensure that ballots and voting devices are available and that only qualified voters cast ballots. They often count votes as well. Each party can have a poll watcher at a polling place to monitor the process.
Casting Ballots
Ballots can take many forms, from paper sheets to _________________________ records.
Voting was once public, but now every State requires the use of a secret ballot.
By 1900, most States used the Australian Ballot, which remains the basic form of ballot used today. This ballot type:
Is printed at public expense
Lists the names of all _________________________ Is given out only at the polls
Is marked in _________________________ Office-Group Ballot
Most States use the office-group ballot.
All candidates for an office are _________________________ together under the title of that office, often in random order.
This method is favored because voters must consider each choice, office by office. Party-Column Ballot
Some States use the _________________________ -column ballot, which lists all candidates under their party’s name.
This encourages straight-ticket voting and the coattail effect. Bed-Sheet Ballots
Critics say this length makes it hard for voters to know all the candidates and their _________________________.
Some argue that only those who make public policy should be elected, while the many local officials who administer policies could be appointed to office.
Electronic Vote Counting
Voting systems based on electronic data processing include optical scanners and direct response electronic voting machines (DREs).
Some fear that DREs could be attacked by computer hackers. Vote-by-Mail Elections
A number of States conduct some of their voting on local city or county measures by mail.
_________________________ holds all its elections by mail.
Critics fear that vote-by-mail is subject to fraud and may lack privacy.
Supporters say the method increases voter _________________________, costs less than operating polls, and is as reliable as other voting methods.
Online Voting
Online voting may be the wave of the future, having been used on a small scale in presidential primaries.
Supporters say online voting will be more convenient, less _________________________, and likely to increase voter participation.
Critics fear technical problems, computer viruses, and hackers. They also point out that not all Americans can afford a home computer.
Chapter 7: The Electoral Process - Section 3 Key Terms
• _________________________ (PAC): the political arms of special interest groups • _________________________: a grant of money, usually from the government • hard money: campaign contributions given directly to candidates and subject to
legal limits
• _________________________ money: campaign contributions given to parties and other political organizations in unlimited amounts
Introduction
The amount of money spent on political campaigns is huge and grows with each election cycle.
Some of the rising campaign expenses include items like advertising (with TV ads being most expensive), polls, mass mailings, campaign staff, and travel. The ability to raise money is thus critical for federal office seekers.
Campaign Spending
In 2008, presidential candidates spent some $2.5 billion.
In September alone, Obama and McCain each spent an average of: $_________________________ million on TV and radio ads $4.1 million on travel
$2 million on campaign worker salaries $800,000 on polls
Some $1.5 billion was spent on House and Senate contests in 2008.
It now costs about $1 million to run for a House seat, and up to 20 times that to campaign for a Senate seat.
What factors may account for the rise seen in the chart to the right? Sources of Funding
Most money comes from private givers, such as small contributors, wealthy individuals, political action committees (_________________________), temporary fundraising groups, and candidates themselves.
Campaigns, particularly presidential campaigns, receive public funds from federal and state treasuries as well.
The Internet has become a major fundraising tool, particularly for outsider candidates. Barack _________________________ raised some $230 million via the Internet in 2008, mostly in sums of less than $100.
Candidates also raise money through telethons and fundraising dinners.
People typically give money because they believe in a party or candidate, wish to influence public _________________________, or want improved access to government. Regulating Finance
Federal laws require the disclosure of campaign finances, limit contributions and expenditures, and provide federal funding for presidential elections.
The _________________________ Election Commission often struggles to enforce campaign finance laws due to a lack of staff and funds.
Disclosure Requirements
Each candidate has a single committee responsible for all campaign spending and recording all campaign contributions.
Contributions over _________________________ must be identified by date, purpose, and the name of the giver. Contributions of more than $5,000 must be reported to the FEC.
Cash gifts of more than $100 are prohibited, as are contributions and spending from foreign sources.
Limits on Contributions
No person can give over _________________________ to a federal candidate in a primary or general election.
No person can give more than $5,000 to a PAC or $28,500 to a national party in a single year.
No person can give more than _________________________ total in a two-year election cycle.
Before these limits were imposed in 1974, individuals often gave larger amounts. PAC Contributions
More than 4,000 political action committees (PACs) are active today:
Most represent special interest groups such as business associations and labor unions. They can raise money only from members.
Other PACs are unconnected committees that can raise money from the public. No PAC can give more than $5,000 to a candidate in a primary or general election. But a PAC can give to as many candidates as it chooses and give up to $15,000 a year to a political party.
Limits on Expenditures
This is because candidates spend money to share their message with the American people.
Public Funding
The _________________________ Election Campaign Fund, established in 1971, uses taxpayer money to help fund pre-convention campaigns, national party conventions, and presidential election campaigns.
The system is set up so that only candidates with national _________________________ can qualify for funding.
If a presidential candidate accepts public funding for the general election, his or her campaign cannot take funds from any other source and is limited in what it can spend.
A lack of _________________________ support and the rising cost of campaigns may doom the public funding program.
In 2008, Barack Obama became the first candidate to refuse federal funds for the general election, raising more than $300 _________________________ privately. Hard and Soft Money
Federal law puts limits on hard money—contributions given directly to candidates. In the 1980s, the major parties began raising millions in unregulated
_________________________ money—funds given to parties or political organizations.
In 2000, some $500 million in soft money had been raised. This money could be spent on “issue ads” supporting or opposing certain policies.
In 2002, the McCain-Feingold Law banned soft-money contributions to political parties. But independent political groups, often called “_________________________ s,” still can and do raise millions in soft money.
Groups such as 527s spent several hundred million dollars in soft money during the 2008 presidential campaigns.
How has regulation of hard and soft money changed since the 1990s? Chapter 8: Mass Media and Public Opinion - Section 1 Key Terms
• public affairs: events and issues that concern the people at large, such as politics and the making of public policies
• mass media: those means of communication that reach large, widely dispersed audiences simultaneously
• peer group: those people with whom one regularly associates, including friends, classmates, co-workers, and neighbors
• opinion _________________________: any person who has an unusually strong influence on the views of others
Introduction
What is public opinion, and what factors help to shape it?
Public _________________________ consists of the attitudes held by a significant number of people about public affairs—matters of government and politics. It is shaped by a wide variety of factors, such as family, school, race, occupation, gender, mass media, peer groups, opinion leaders, and historic events.
Different Publics
Public opinion in the United States is typically divided.
Any given public issue is likely to have separate groups with their own points of view. In addition, people disagree about which public issues are important.
Few issues capture the attention of all _________________________. Most issues are of little interest to the majority.
Public Affairs
Public affairs include events and issues involving politics, public issues, and the making of public policies.
Examples include political parties, candidates, taxes, unemployment, national defense, foreign policy, and so forth.
Technically, public opinion includes only those views that relate to _________________________ affairs.
Public Opinion
Public opinion consists of those attitudes publicly expressed by a large number of people about matters of _________________________ and politics.
Political Socialization
Public opinion is shaped by many different factors throughout our lives.
This process begins in early childhood and involves the influence of many experiences and relationships. Two of these are family and school.
Family Influences
_________________________ have a strong influence on the basic beliefs that will shape the political views of their children.
_________________________ tend to favor the political parties supported in the households in which they were raised.
School Influence
Schools try to prepare students to become good _________________________ by educating them about our political system.
Schools also give students an informal education about decision-making, influence, and compromise.
Other Factors
In general, occupation and _________________________ background are usually more significant than factors such as gender or place of residence.
However, the nature of the issue can change what factors influence people’s views on it.
Four other key factors that influence public opinion are the mass media, peer groups, opinion leaders, and _________________________ events.
Mass Media
The mass media includes radio, _________________________, magazines, and newspapers.
More than _________________________ percent of the 115 million U.S. households have a television, and most are turned on for eight or more hours a day.
Peer Groups
Checkpoint: How does one’s peer group shape his or her attitudes?
Belonging to a peer group tends to _________________________ what a person has already come to believe.
Opinion Leader
Some people listen to and draw ideas from opinion leaders.
Many opinion leaders hold public office, while others are journalists or prominent members of society.
The Great _________________________
Historic events can shape public opinion and policy.
In the 1930s, the Great Depression wrecked the U.S. economy, shifting popular support to Democrats and persuading many Americans to support an increased role for the national government in U.S. economic and
social life.
The 1960s and 1970s
In the 1960s, the nation was shaken and divided by the civil rights movement, the _________________________ War, and the assassinations of President
_________________________ and Martin Luther King, Jr.
The 1970s saw the Watergate scandal and the resignation of President Nixon.
The events of these two decades caused many American to lose respect and trust of their government.
Chapter 8: Mass Media and Public Opinion - Section 2 Key Terms
• _________________________: the instructions a constituency gives its elected officials
• interest group: a private group that works to shape the making of public policy • public opinion poll: a tool used to collect information by asking people
questions
• _________________________ vote: a nonscientific poll that asks many people the same question
• universe: the whole population that a poll aims to measure • sample: a representative slice of the total universe
• random sample: a polling group of randomly selected people
• _________________________ sample: a polling group constructed to reflect the major characteristics of a given universe
Introduction
How is public opinion measured and used?
The most common polls are straw polls, while the most accurate measures of public opinion are scientific polls.
Officials use public opinion to guide their public policy decisions. Measuring Public Opinion
Election results reflect public opinion to some degree, but often express voters’ views only on a few broad issues.
The people also express their opinions in e-mails, letters, phone calls, or public meetings.
The _________________________ both mirrors and helps shape public opinion. Interest groups share the views of their members in hopes of influencing policy.
Public officials get feedback on public opinion from their many contacts with the public, in the form of mail, phone calls, public meetings, and personal visits with constituents. Pubic Opinion Poll
Public opinion is best measured by polls that ask people questions, but
_________________________ polling techniques are needed to get accurate results.
Straw Polls
Straw polls try to measure public opinion by asking many people the same questions, often by _________________________, email, or mail.
This method is very unreliable, as there is no guarantee that the people who respond represent an accurate _________________________ of the population.
For example, a straw poll during the Great Depression picked the wrong presidential winner because it overlooked the large number of poor people who voted.
Scientific Polls
Scientific polls are more _________________________.
There are hundreds of polling organizations in the U.S. today. Gallup and Pew are two of the best known.
Scientific polls have five basic steps: Define the universe to be surveyed Construct a _________________________ Prepare valid questions
Select and control how the poll is taken
Universe and Sample
The universe is the group whose opinions the poll tries to discover. For large groups, pollsters create a sample, or representative slice.
A _________________________ sample is made of randomly selected people. Most national polls use random samples of 1,500 people to represent the U.S. population. The law of _________________________ says that a proper random sample can be quite accurate.
A typical margin of error in a scientific poll is plus or minus _________________________ percent.
A quota sample is less complicated but less accurate.
Pollsters try to create a quota sample so that it reflects the major characteristics of a given universe, such as race or gender.
People often belong to more than one category, making it hard to create an accurate sample.
Interviewing and Analyzing
How _________________________ interact with people can affect poll accuracy. Most polls today are telephone surveys.
Pollsters use computers to analyze and publish polling data. Evaluating Polls
When evaluating the _________________________ of a poll, ask yourself the following questions:
Who is responsible for the poll? Polls sponsored by political campaigns may try to mislead voters.
Why is the poll being conducted? Polls meant to boost a candidate’s approval ratings are not reliable.
When evaluating a poll’s _________________________, ask yourself the following questions:
What is the poll’s universe? Ask if the sample is truly representative.
How were questions written and asked? Leading questions can alter results.
When was the data collected? Opinions change quickly during elections.
Checkpoint: What is difficult for polls to measure?
Scientific polls are fairly accurate, but have difficulty measuring the intensity, stability, and relevance of opinions.
_________________________: how strongly someone holds an opinion.
Stability: how likely an opinion is to change.
_________________________: how important an opinion is to the person who holds it.
Limits on Polls
Democracy is more than measuring public opinion, and polls are not substitutes for elections.
Minority interests must be protected against the excesses of majority views and actions. Polls are best at focusing attention on public questions and stimulating discussion of them.
Chapter 8: Mass Media and Public Opinion - Section 3 Key Terms
• _________________________: a means of communication
• weblog: Web site postings usually devoted to a specific subject, like politics • public agenda: the societal problems that the nation’s political leaders and the
general public agree need government attention
• _________________________ bite: short, focused reports that can be aired in about 30-45 seconds
Introduction
How has the development of different media helped inform the public about politics? People can now get political information from a wide range of media, including television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and the Internet.
Accessibility to political news has thus increased, though in-depth coverage of news events may not have improved.
The Role of Mass Media
The five major types of mass media that influence American politics today are
_________________________, _________________________, radio, newspapers, and magazines.
Mass media in the United States are independent of government control.
At the same time, most people gain their knowledge of government and politics from the mass media.
The Role of Mass Media
How has the percentage of Americans who get their campaign news from network news and the Internet changed since 2000?
Television
Television news began to boom in the _________________________.
TV replaced newspapers as the main source of political information in the 1960s and is the main source of news for 80% of _________________________ today.
Three major national networks—ABC, CBS, and NBC—dominated early television news.
The major networks have been challenged in recent years by independent
broadcasting groups, cable broadcasters such as _________________________, and the Public Broadcasting System (PBS).
Newspapers
Newspapers were the main news source in the _________________________ and early nation.
Newspapers were so influential in the late 1800s that so-called yellow journalists were able to use sensational editorials and headlines to help push America into war with Spain.
Today more than 10,000 newspapers are published in the United States. About 45% of the nation’s adult population read a newspaper
_________________________.
But the number of daily newspapers has been declining as people turn to radio, TV, and the Internet for news.
A few major newspapers still have national influence, in part because they cover stories in greater depth.
In the 1920 and 1930s _________________________ became a major source of political news.
Radio remains influential today due to its _________________________, the popularity of talk radio, and radio’s ability to focus on specific groups of listeners.
Magazines
The first political magazines appeared in the mid-1800s.
In the decades before radio and TV, magazines were the major national news medium. Some 12,000 _________________________ are published today. Time, Newsweek, and U.S. News & World Report are key sources of political news and commentary.
Other magazines with smaller circulations also focus on public affairs. The Internet
The Internet is fast becoming a leading source of political news and information, behind TV but now ahead of radio, newspapers, and magazines.
Nearly _________________________ of Americans say they go online on a regular basis. Most newspapers, magazines, and television stations maintain Web sites, usually with free content.
The same is true of government _________________________, interest groups, political parties, public officials and candidates.
Today there are also many weblogs and podcasts devoted to topics involving government and politics.
Media and Public Opinion
The media plays a large role in shaping the public agenda, the
_________________________ problems that leaders and the public focus upon.
People rely on the media for most of the information they receive on public issues.
The media plays a key role in _________________________ what policy issues the public thinks and talks about, by emphasizing some issues and stories while ignoring or downplaying others.
The media may not tell people what to think, but in a way, it does tell them what to think about.
Media and Politics
Politicians are also strongly influenced by major news organizations, including the major TV and cable networks, news magazines, and newspapers.
Media and Electoral Politics
_________________________ for public office use the media to appeal directly to the people without having to rely as much on their political parties.
They also control their media image and manipulate media coverage, using staged events and sound bites to present themselves in a positive way and get maximum exposure.
Limits on Media Influence
Most radio and TV programs do not cover _________________________ affairs, and their news coverage is not typically in-depth.
Few people follow media coverage of political events very closely.
People tend to follow _________________________ news that agrees with their own views.
