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Politics Flashcards

(84 cards)

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1
Q

What does ideology mean?

A

One’s beliefs, opinions, or convictions

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2
Q

What does conservative mean?

A

Belief that protection of freedom is most important
Smaller gov bigger military

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3
Q

What does liberal mean?

A

Belief that equality is universal and it’s the government’s job to protect it

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4
Q

What does public opinion mean?

A

Combination of many individuals’ expressed feelings about government and political issues

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5
Q

What is a policy?

A

A government action or regularion

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6
Q

Define politics

A

Concerned with influencing or guiding government policy

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7
Q

What is a political party?

A

An organization made up of people who share similar ideas about the way a country should be governed

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8
Q

What is a candidate?

A

Person seeking elected office as a government leader

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9
Q

What is a one-party system?

A

All elected officials are from the same party

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10
Q

What is a two-party system?

A

Most elected officials are from either party and elected by majority vote

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11
Q

What is a multi-party system?

A

Three or more parties compete for control of government
Typically elected through plurality not majority
Results in coalition between parties

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12
Q

Define campaign organizations

A

Groups that help get candidates elected
Typically volunteers or low-paid
Non-government staff workers

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13
Q

Margins of error that are higher than +/- 5% are…

A

Unscientific/straw

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14
Q

Margins of error that are less than +/- 5% are…

A

Statistically significant

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15
Q

Which amendment prohibits denying a citizen the right to vote based on that citizens race, color or previous condition of servitude?

A

15th amendment

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16
Q

Which amendment granted women’s suffrage?

A

19th amendment

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17
Q

Which amendment changed the voting age from 21 to 18 during the Vietnam conflict?

A

26th amendment

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18
Q

Define campaign propaganda

A

Techniques used to promote a candidate by appealing to voters in varying ways

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19
Q

What is a challenger?

A

Individual running against incumbent in an election

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20
Q

What is a contested election?

A

A special election initiated when the legality or validity of the result of a previous election is challenged by the losing candidate

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21
Q

What are democrats?

A

Major political party that tends to be moderately liberal

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22
Q

What is the electoral college?

A

System of electing the POTUS called for by the Constitution
Winner-take-all system

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23
Q

What is a general election?

A

Election that takes place on the first tuesday after the first monday in november

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24
Q

What is the incumbent?

A

Individual seeking re-election

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25
What is media bias?
News reporting that is skewed towards one political philosophy
26
What is a moderate?
Individual who doesn’t hold extreme views on any political issue
27
Define nomination
Act or system of suggesting a person to run for office
28
What are the forms of nomination?
Self-nomination Petition Primary Caucus Convention
29
What is an opinion poll?
Survey of the public to find out what they’re thinking about key issues or which candidate they’re going to vote for
30
What is a plank?
One issue that a political party stands for
31
What is a platform?
The main issues and ideas that a political party cares most about (collection of planks)
32
What is a political caucus?
Formal meeting of members/officials of a political party to deal with party business
33
What is a political compass?
4-square chart used to show balance between political control and economic control
34
What are political interest groups?
Organizations that work to influence political parties and politicians in favor of the issue or companies they represent
35
What is a political primary?
An election where members of one political party are running against each other to be selected to represent that particular party
36
Anyone can vote in an…
Open political primary
37
Only people who are members of a political party can vote in a…
Closed political primary
38
What is the political spectrum?
Scale used to generally illustrate or categorize the role of government
39
What is a radical?
Someone far left; in favor of drastically increasing the role of government
40
Whaat is a reactionary?
Someone far right; in favor of returning to a previous way of doing things (little government)
41
What is a recall election?
Special election where voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before his term has ended
42
When are recall elections typically initiated?
When sufficient voters sign a petition
43
What are republicans?
Members of the G.O.P Favor traditional values and small government
44
What is a run-off election?
A special election which allows a selection between choices receiving the largest and second largest number of votes cast in the original balloting where the results may have been too close to call or tie
45
What is split ticket voting?
Voting for candidates from more than one political party
46
Define statistically significant
The likelihood that a result or relationship is caused by something other than mere random chance
47
What is straight ticket voting?
Voting only for candidates from one political party
48
What are third/minor parties?
Smaller parties Narrower focus Rarely win elections Bring new ideas
49
What are the voter qualifications?
1) US citizen 2) 18 years old 3) Official resident of the state you are voting in and register
50
Define glittering generalities
Simple, clever slogans that shed positive light and appeal to peoples’ emotions but provide no information
51
Define card stacking
Use facts and figures to one side as positive and the other side as negative
52
Define plain folks
Send the message that a product or person is just like you
53
Define transfer technique
Uses feelings about one thing to get you to feel the same about something else
54
Define testimonials
Celebrities or other respected people endorsing or officially supporting a product or idea
55
Define bandwagon technique
Creates impression that there is widespread support for something and peer pressure someone to be on the winning team
56
Define name-calling
Using negative words and bad names to create fear and dislike for people, ideas, or institutions Verbal or visual
57
What are types of ads that use name-calling technique?
Attack ads and mud-slinging add
58
What is the purpose of political parties?
To elect people to office
59
What groups tend to vote Democratic?
Non-white Women Catholic Less-affluent Young Least and most educated
60
What groups tend to vote Republican?
White Men Protestant More affluent Old College-educated
61
What age group is least likely to vote?
Young
62
What age group is most likely to vote?
Old
63
Third or minor parties are not…
Widely supported
64
All of the people entitled to vote in a given election are the…
Electorate
65
As a nominating device, a group like-minded people who meet to select the candidates they will support in an upcoming election is called a:
Caucus
66
How many electoral votes are there?
538 (100 in the Senate, 435 in the House, 3 in DC)
67
How many electoral votes are needed to win?
270 votes
68
What are some political socialization agents?
Family/parents Friends/peers Social media Ethnicity/race Age Gender Religion Income level
69
What are some reasons why people don’t vote?
Waste of time Busy Complicated Polling area not nearby
70
The political extension of special-interest groups which have a major stake in public policy is called a:
PACS and SuperPACS
71
Activities by which group pressures are brought to bear on legislators, the legislative process, and all aspects of the public policy making process is known as:
Lobbying
72
Name 3 special interest groups
NRA - 2nd amendment AMA - Doctors ABA - Lawyers
73
What do interest groups do?
Pressure congress to pass favorable legislation
74
When did political parties begin?
Under Washington
75
How did political parties begin?
Adams and Hamilton started them because they were in Washington’s cabinet
76
What 2010 Supreme Court case changed the rules for the use of private money for political campaigns?
Citizens United
77
What is super tuesday?
The day a lot of states have their primaries
78
Who are delegates?
Local party state representatives/officials
79
What do delegates do?
Go to convention and announce votes
80
Who are super delegates?
Top members of a party
81
What do super delegates do?
Represent the party to vote for who they think will win
82
Why are super delegates not important most of the time?
By the time of the convention, most have dropped out and the winner is clear
83
What are 2 reasons why the founding fathers make the electoral college system?
Didn’t think there would be a national winner Didn’t trust democracy “mobocracy”
84
What are caucuses?
Public votes People gather in groups and debate who to vote for

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