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| 4933933033 | public opinion | what the public thinks about a particular issue or set of issues at any point in time. | 0 | |
| 4933933034 | public opinion polls | interviews or surveys with samples of citizens that are used to estimate the feelings and beliefs of the entire population. | 1 | |
| 4933933035 | samples | a subset of the whole population selected to be questioned for the purposes of prediction or gauging opinion. | 2 | |
| 4934032598 | straw poll | unscientific survey used to gauge public opinion on a variety of issues and policies. | 3 | |
| 4933933747 | population | the entire group of people whose attitudes a researcher wishes to measure. | 4 | |
| 4933933748 | push polls | polls taken for the purpose of providing information on an opponent that would lead respondents to vote against that candidate. | 5 | |
| 4933933749 | random sampling | a method of poll selection that gives each person in a group the same chance of being selected. | 6 | |
| 4933933750 | stratified sample | a variation of random sampling; the population is divided into subgroups and weighed based on demographic characteristics of the national population | 7 | |
| 4933934436 | sampling error | errors arising from the size or quality of the sample. | 8 | |
| 4933934437 | statistical modeling | a model that embodies a set of assumptions concerning the generation of some sample data, and similar data from a larger population. | 9 | |
| 4933934438 | tracking polls | continuous surveys that enable a campaign or news organization to chart a candidate's daily rise or fall in support. | 10 | |
| 4933935531 | exit polls | polls conducted as voters leave selected polling places on Election day. | 11 | |
| 4934284980 | What three fatal errors did Literary Digest make in 1936? | drew sample from telephone directories + lists of automobile owners (targeted one group: wealthy Republicans), bad timing (early September), and self-selection (only motivated, wealthier, better educated people responded) | 12 | |
| 5117825598 | Explain 5 shortcomings of polls. | 1. Survey error (margin of error, sampling error) 2. Limited respondent options (full feelings not expressed) 3. Lack of information (poll takers may be uninformed) 4. Difficult measuring intensity of opinions 5. Lack of interest in political issues (apathetic public) | 13 | |
| 5117833489 | political socialization | the process through which individuals acquire their political beliefs and values | 14 | |
| 5117839197 | how gender affects party identification | women - usually vote democratic men - usually vote republican | 15 | |
| 5117842188 | how race + ethnicity affects party identification | Whites, Vietnamese Americans - usually Republican African Americans, Hispanics (though often split), and Chinese Americans - Democratic | 16 | |
| 5117844102 | how age affects political socialization/party identification | era born in affects our view of the proper role of government young adult voters - usually Democratic (liberal position on social issues) middle aged voters - usually Republican (low taxes) elderly voters - usually Democratic (social insurance, were alive during Great Depression) | 17 | |
| 5117845372 | how religion affects political socialization/party identification | shapes attitude towards political issues + American ideals Catholic (though split) and Jewish - usually Democratic Mormons and Protestants - usually Republican | 18 | |
| 5117845967 | how family affects political socialization/party identification | children during early stages usually associate with parents' political views (greatest influence until age 5) | 19 | |
| 5117845968 | how school affects political socialization/party identification | children taught to be patriotic in elementary school (i.e. learning the Pledge of Allegiance, taught respect for the flag) | 20 | |
| 5117846406 | how peers affect political socialization/party identification | strong influence on political perspective from age 5; i.e. Girl Scouts (encourage political participation) | 21 | |
| 5117846842 | how mass media affects political socialization/party identification | Americans have turned away from "traditional" news sources (cable TV, social media, and the internet are the biggest factors); media can often be biased news | 22 | |
| 5117847812 | how leaders/opinion makers affect political socialization/party identification | political leaders, members of news media, and TV hosts easily affect public opinion president can often mold public opinion with use of bully pulpit | 23 | |
| 5117848736 | how political knowledge affects political socialization/party identification | political knowledge + political participation have reciprocal effect on each other; women typically less involved than men | 24 | |
| 5117850896 | how income affects party identification | Low-income - usually Democratic Middle class to high-income - usually Republican | 25 | |
| 5117851893 | how education level affects party identification | low levels of education - usually Democratic higher education - usually Republican (parallels w/income usually) | 26 | |
| 5117871846 | how job occupation affects party identification | executives, professionals, white collar workers, stay-at-home moms - usually Republican trial lawyers, educators, blue collar workers, labor union members - usually Democratic | 27 | |
| 5117872407 | how marital status affects party identification | married - more republican single - more democratic widowed - more democratic divorced/separated - more democratic | 28 | |
| 5117953274 | how political ideology affects party identification | liberals tend to go Democratic, conservatives tend to go Republican | 29 | |
| 5117955331 | how current political issues affect party identification | respective judgement - "punish" the party in power during economic downturns + vice versa perspective judgement - vote based on what the candidate pledges to do if elected | 30 | |
| 5117852388 | the six voting amendments | 15th, 17th, 19th, 23rd, 24th, and 26th | 31 | |
| 5117853030 | 15th amendment | prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizen's "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." (African Americans can vote) | 32 | |
| 5117857335 | 17th amendment | established the popular election of United States Senators by the people of the states | 33 | |
| 5117860115 | 19th amendment | granted American women the right to vote | 34 | |
| 5117860665 | 23rd amendment | extends the right to vote in the presidential election to citizens residing in the District of Columbia by granting the District three electors in the Electoral College, as if it were a state | 35 | |
| 5117863854 | 24th amendment | prohibits any poll tax in elections for federal officials | 36 | |
| 5117864871 | 26th amendment | lowered voting age from 21 to 18 ("Old enough to fight, old enough to vote") | 37 | |
| 5117950186 | What are three purposes of political conventions? | venue to formally nominate the parties' presidential candidate; increase voter's interest in the upcoming election; engage the faithful party members + energize them for the general election campaign | 38 | |
| 5117960551 | political party | an organized group with shared goals and ideals that joins together to run candidates for office and exercise political and electoral power | 39 | |
| 5117964435 | goal of political parties | win office in order to influence public policy | 40 | |
| 5117965289 | political party vs interest groups | candidates are nominated to run under the political party label | 41 | |
| 5117969069 | Are political parties found in the US Constitution? | they aren't mentioned in the document; emerged around the 1800s | 42 | |
| 5117973209 | What distinguished the first two political parties? | Federalist Party (dissolved in 1820) - stronger central government (favor Constitution) Democratic-Republicans - state sovereignty (favor govt under Articles of Confederation) | 43 | |
| 5117980881 | What was unique about Monroe's presidency? | party competition nearly nonexistent (Era of Good Feelings; from 1817-1825) | 44 | |
| 5117985341 | How did the country change during the period 1820-1840 and how did this affect party organizations? | party organizations develop in the state level due to expansion westward (most states abolished property requirements for white male suffrage). Increase in the electorate. | 45 | |
| 5118024231 | Who was the first president to be nominated via large party convention? | Andrew Jackson - 1832 election | 46 | |
| 5118029528 | Explain the differences of the Democratic and Whig party platforms. | Democratic (succeeded Democratic-Republicans) - republicanism, weak fed govt, states' rights, agrarian interests (especially Southern planters), strict interp. of the Constitution (i.e. Andrew Jackson) Whig (proceeded Republican party) - national unity, limit power of president, banking, economic protectionism to stimulate manufacturing (i.e. Henry Clay) | 47 | |
| 5118029529 | What issue split up the Whig party? | Whig party divided over the slavery issue - 1854, formed the new Republican party (anti-slavery activists) | 48 | |
| 5118076293 | what changes developed during the Golden Age (1860-1932) of political parties? | party stability + loyalty, dominance of party organizations in local + state govts., impact on millions of voters | 49 | |
| 5118093756 | political party machines | (most prominent in Golden Age) a party organization that recruits voter loyalty w/tangible incentives (housing, employment, food, social events, social mobility) and is characterized by a high degree of control over member activity; generated intense loyalty + voter turnout | 50 | |
| 5118101329 | What changed over a couple of decades to bring about the end of the golden era + weakening of the party system? | govt. takes over functions previously performed by political parties (printing ballots, conducting elections, and providing social welfare services), the decrease in the flow of immigrants during the 1920s (political machines lose power), shift of population from urban areas --> suburbs (privacy and detachment); population growth (legislative districts grow; difficult for politicians to interact w/public) | 51 | |
| 5118103067 | After WWII, the party system weakened leading to _______________________________. | candidate-centered politics (parties have less control over issues + campaigns give candidates considerate power over how they conduct themselves) | 52 | |
| 5118103116 | candidate-centered politics | politics that focus on the candidates, their particular issues, and character rather than party affiliation | 53 | |
| 5118106146 | What other people have increased in power as a result of weaker political parties? | interest groups and lobbyists | 54 | |
| 5118050229 | maintaining (political parties) | presidential elections in which the majority party continues its control of the presidency | 55 | |
| 5118050230 | deviating (political parties) | presidential elections in which a portion of the majority party voters cross party lines (due to the influence of short term variables); causes the outcome of the election to swing in favor of the minority party candidate. | 56 | |
| 5118050235 | reinstating (political parties) | majority party voters who crossed party lines in the previous election (a deviating election) return to the party fold and vote the majority party candidate into office (the majority party is reinstated into control of the presidency) | 57 | |
| 5118051115 | dealignment (political parties) | a large portion of the electorate abandons its previous partisan affiliation, without developing a new one to replace it | 58 | |
| 5118080975 | party realignment (political parties) | dramatic shifts in partisan preferences that drastically alter the political landscape | 59 | |
| 5118051116 | secular realignment (political parties) | the gradual realignment of party coalitions, based more on demographic shifts (i.e. increase in Hispanic proportion) than on shocks to the political system (opposed to party realignment) | 60 | |
| 5162231384 | critical election | an election that signals a party realignment through voter polarization around new issues and personalities. | 61 | |
| 5118054338 | Three critical elections | 1800 Election (a realigning election; formation of Democratic-Republicans), 1860 Election (Whig party dissolves, forms Republican party which wins the election); 1932 Election (the Great Depression causes people to favor the Democratic party over the Republican party) | 62 | |
| 5119135484 | evolution of the two-party political system | early period (1789-1792): only factions (Feds. v. Anti-feds) -> Federalists v. Democratic-Republicans (1796-1816) -> Era of Good Feelings (1817-1824) -> Whigs v. Jacksonian Democrats (1828-52) -> Democrats v. Republicans (1854-present) | 63 | |
| 5119149574 | party polarization in the modern era | -liberals become increasingly Democratic, conservatives become increasingly Republican (rare conservative democrats + liberal republicans) -increasingly polarized Congress |  | 64 |
| 5119165749 | barriers to third party success | -major parties may steal best ideas from 3rd parties -single member districts -winner-take-all system for electoral college -rules for public financing (fund their own campaigns)+ debates (polling at 15% to be invited) -1.5 signatures required to appear on the ballot | 65 | |
| 5119174134 | importance of third parties | bring important ideas + controversial issues to the forefront; act as safety valves for dissident groups; promote actual change; way station for people en route to another party,etc | 66 | |
| 5119179692 | ideological third parties | longest-lived; different from typical majority mind-set (Libertarian, Green Party) | 67 | |
| 5119179693 | single-issue third parties | focus on one public-policy issue (Know-Nothing, Prohibition, Green) | 68 | |
| 5119180514 | economic third parties | formed during times of economic discontent (Greenback, Populist) | 69 | |
| 5119180515 | splinter third parties | formed by a group breaking away from a major party (Bull Moose, Dixiecrats, American Independent Party) | 70 | |
| 5118116948 | National Chairperson | primary spokesperson for the party during the 4 yrs between elections, keep party financially strong, damping down factionalism, negotiate candidate disputes, prepare machinery for the next presidential election | 71 | |
| 5118116949 | National Committee | make arrangements for the national conventions (reevaluate policies and nominate a candidate for presidency) and coordinate subsequent presidential campaigns | 72 | |
| 5118116950 | DCCC | raise and distribute campaign funds for House and Senate seats, develop campaign strategies, recruit candidates, and conduct on-the-ground campaigns. | 73 | |
| 5118116951 | RCCC | raise and distribute campaign funds for House and Senate seats, develop campaign strategies, recruit candidates, and conduct on-the-ground campaigns. | 74 | |
| 5118117348 | National Convention | a party meeting held in the presidential election year for the purposes of nominating a presidential and vice presidential ticket and adopting a platform. | 75 | |
| 5118117349 | delegates | representatives to the party conventions elected by citizens participating in primary elections and grassroots caucuses. | 76 | |
| 5118117350 | superdelegates | delegates to the Democratic Party's national convention whose vote at the convention is unpledged to a candidate; this position is reserved for a party official (called unpledged delegates for Republican party) | 77 | |
| 5118117351 | state central committee | supervises the collection of local party organizations | 78 | |
| 5118117856 | precinct committee members | the smallest voting unit; usually takes in a few adjacent neighborhoods and is the fundamental building block of the party (the foot soldiers of a party) | 79 | |
| 5118117857 | YDA/YRNF | members can be up to the age of 35; provides loyal and energetic foot soldiers for campaigns and voter mobilization | 80 | |
| 5118117858 | various interest groups | provide money, labor, or other forms of assistance to parties | 81 | |
| 5118118250 | think tanks | institutional collection of policy-oriented researchers and academics who are sources of policy ideas | 82 | |
| 5118141699 | four functions of political parties | Glue; Organize government; present candidates to run for office; formulate + promote party policy | 83 | |
| 5118119386 | The Congressional Caucus Era | like parliamentary system; caucuses in Congress (meetings of polarized Congress members) nominated presidential candidates (lasted from 1800-1828) | 84 | |
| 5118119387 | National Conventions of Party Regulars | intro of national nominating conventions; delegates to these conventions were individuals active in party organization affairs at the state and local levels | 85 | |
| 5118119388 | Mixed System | 35-45% of delegates chosen by presidential primaries (mass popular involvement), other delegates were organization activists | 86 | |
| 5118120108 | The Plebiscitary Model | presidential primaries used to select a clear majority of delegates to national conventions; states not using primaries were required to open their party-run delegate selection procedures to all registered voters identifying with either party | 87 | |
| 5119238190 | Super Tuesday | many states scheduled their presidential primaries or caucuses on one Tuesday in March after the New Hampshire primary | 88 | |
| 5118120862 | invisible primary (in association w/the Plebiscitary Model) | refers to the activities of candidates and relevant others in the year or so before delegate selection process | 89 | |
| 5118121485 | Primary elections | election in which voters decide which of the candidates within a party will represent the party in the general election. | 90 | |
| 5118121486 | Closed primaries | a primary election in which only a party's registered voters are eligible to cast a ballot. | 91 | |
| 5118121487 | open primaries | a primary in which party members, independents, and sometimes members of the other party are allowed to participate. | 92 | |
| 5118121890 | crossover voting | participation in the primary election of a party with which the voter is not affiliated. | 93 | |
| 5118121891 | runoff primary | a second primary election between the two candidates receiving the greatest number votes in the first primary (11 states) | 94 | |
| 5118121892 | general election | election in which voters decide which candidates will actually fill elective public offices. | 95 | |
| 5118121893 | initiative | a process that allows citizens to propose legislation or state constitutional amendments by submitting them to the electorate for popular vote, provided the initiative supporters receive a certain number of signatures on petitions supporting the placement of the proposal on the ballot (24 states + DC) | 96 | |
| 5118121894 | referendum | the state legislature submits proposed legislation or state constitutional amendments to the voters for approval | 97 | |
| 5118122320 | recall | an election in which voters can remove an incumbent from office prior to the next scheduled election. | 98 | |
| 5118129754 | winner-take-all primary | the candidate who wins the most votes in a state secures all of that state's delegates (Republicans prefer this process, Democrats opposed) | 99 | |
| 5118130085 | proportional representation primary | candidates who secure a threshold percentage of votes are awarded delegates in proportion to the number of popular votes won (Democrats favor this process) | 100 | |
| 5118130086 | caucus | a closed meeting of party activists in each state who selected the party's choice for presidential candidate. | 101 | |
| 5118130844 | Why have many states switched to presidential primaries? How does it test a potential president? | more democratic - accessible not only to party activists but registered voters; similar to the general election - tests the candidate and a chance to display some of the skills needed to be a successful president | 102 | |
| 5118130845 | front-loading | the tendency of states to choose an early date on the nomination calendar. | 103 | |
| 5118131425 | Who does front-loading help? | benefits the front-runner candidate; opponents have little chance to turn the competition around once they fall behind | 104 | |
| 5118131844 | What is the electoral college? Why 538? Why is 270 important? | representatives of each state who cast the final ballots that actually elect a president 538 electors representing the # of senators and representatives each state has + 3 electors for DC must win at least 270 electoral votes to win presidency | 105 | |
| 5118132584 | Why did the framers chose the electoral college method? | a compromise between selection of president by Congress and those who favored selection by direct popular election; works without political parties, covers both nominating and electing phases of presidential selection, produces a nonpartisan president | 106 | |
| 5118133171 | What flaw was discovered in 1800 in the Electoral College? How was it fixed? | Electoral College elected president and vice president from the same pool of candidate thus each elector given two votes; 1800 - Jefferson + Burr tied, House of Reps. decided who was P and who was VP; fixed by the 12th Amendment - required electors to make their presidential and vice presidential nominating separately | 107 | |
| 5118134037 | Problems with the electoral college system. | a president selected received fewer votes than his opponent three times in the 19th century; margin of electoral college results needed is very small (i.e. 2000 election of Bush v. Gore - 271 votes v. 267 votes, respectively) | 108 | |
| 5118134917 | 2 ideas to reform the electoral college + their advantages | use national popular vote to elect the president (more democratic) and the congressional district plan (can be adopted w/o constitutional amendment) | 109 | |
| 5118122825 | Congressional v. Presidential elections | Congressional elections gain little national attention; nominees can be drastically different in terms of publicity (some well-known and famous, others obscure, local office holders) | 110 | |
| 5118122826 | incumbency advantage | incumbents more likely to win reelection | 111 | |
| 5118123864 | reasons for incumbency advantage | -staff support (i.e. House members + Senators have permanent staff, non-permanent staff, and interns; helping a constituent gains approval), -visibility (more well-known to their district), -the scare-off effect (challengers may be intimidated by the incumbent's recognition, experience, and connections) | 112 | |
| 5118124256 | reasons for incumbents losing | -redistricting (could be in the same territory as some other incumbent) -scandals (financial/sexual improprieties) -presidential coattails ( successful presidential candidates carry into office congressional members of the same party), -midterm elections (people punish the president's party by their 6 year b/c they want change, may punish the president's party for any economic downturn) | 113 | |
| 5118124257 | midterm elections | an election that takes place in the middle of the presidential term | 114 | |
| 5118125278 | Why are Senatorial elections different than representative elections? | different scheduling (only 1/3 of seats come up for election every 2 years), well-known, well-funded candidates can fight political tides | 115 | |
| 5118126000 | income impact on voter turnout | higher income - more likely to vote; thinks their financial status could be affected lower income - less likely to vote; alienated from politics, thinks nothing will change fro them | 116 | |
| 5118126001 | education impact on voter turnout | more educated - more likely to vote, informed about politics less educated - less likely to vote | 117 | |
| 5118126002 | race/ethnicity impact on voter turnout | Whites - more likely to vote African Americans, Hispanics, and other minorities - less likely to vote | 118 | |
| 5118126338 | gender impact on voter turnout | women vote at a slightly higher rate than men (b/c majority of electorate) | 119 | |
| 5118126339 | age impact on voter turnout | those 30+ years old more likely to vote than those younger; those 70+ years old less likely to vote; only 50% of 18-29 year olds vote | 120 | |
| 5118126762 | civic engagement impact on voter turnout | individuals who participate in civic organizations, trade and professional organizations, labor unions, and church/religious services more likely to vote | 121 | |
| 5118126763 | interest in politics impact on voter turnout | only about 5% of the American population are identified as very politically active; only 10% of American adult population contribute time or money to a party or candidate during a campaign | 122 | |
| 5118127273 | 6 reasons why people don't vote | other commitments (conflicting schedules), difficulty of registration (voluntary, a citizens' responsibility), number of elections (America frequently has elections, some people choose to not participate in all), voter attitudes (apathetic, alienated, or turned off by poor quality of elections), and weakened influence of political parties | 123 | |
| 5118127850 | 6 ideas to increase voter turnout | make election day a holiday, enable early voting, permit mail + online voting, make registration easier, modernize the ballot, and strengthen parties | 124 | |
| 5153608844 | Which US states give proportional Presidential electoral college votes to candidates? | Nebraska and Maine | 125 | |
| 5159882074 | winner-take-all system in the electoral college | whichever candidate receives a majority of the popular vote, or a plurality of the popular vote (less than 50 percent but more than any other candidate), takes all of the state's Electoral votes. | 126 | |
| 5159884070 | proportional system in the electoral college (Nebraska and Maine) | electors would be selected in proportion to the votes cast for their candidate or party, rather than being selected by the statewide plurality vote | 127 |
