Unit 3-Vocab test Flashcards
(32 cards)
Civil Service Laws
? these acts removed the staffing of the bureaucracy from political parties and created professional bureaucracy filled through competition
Dealignment
a general decline in party identification and loyalty in the electorate; a large portion of voters are disenchanted with current political parties.
It is contrasted with realignment.
Issue Oriented Politics
politics that focuses on specific issues rather than on party, candidate, or other loyalties
ie,
National Convention
a party meeting held in the presidential election year for the purpose of nominating a presidential and vice presidential ticket and adopting a platform
National Party Platform
a statement of general and specific philosophy and policy goals of a political party; usually promulgated at the national convention
Party Identification
citizens’ personal affinity for a political party usually demonstrated by a tendency to vote for candidates of that party
Party Realignment
when the balance of power between a country’s political parties changes greatly due to changes in voter behavior; Realignment means the switching of voter preference from one party to another, in contrast to dealignment where a voter group abandons a party to become independent or nonvoting.
Political party
an organised group of people with similar political aims and opinions, that seeks to influence public policy by getting its candidates elected to public office.
Proportional Representation
a voting system that apportions legistlative seats according to the percentage of votes won by a particular political party
Winner Take All System
an electoral system in which the party that receives at least one more vote than any other party wins the election
Think Tank
institutional collection of policy-oriented researchers and academics who are sources of political ideas
Candidate Centered Politics
politics that focuses on candidates, their particular issues, and character rather than party affiliation
Free Rider Problem
In economics, the free rider problem occurs when those who benefit from resources, goods, or services do not pay for them, which results in an under-provision of those goods or services.
Pareto Inefficiency - excessive use of common resource
Free Riders- those who benefit without paying a fair share
Interest Group
A collection of people who share a common interest or attitude and seek to influence government for specific ends. Interest groups usually work within the framework of government and try to achieve their goals through tactics such as lobbying.
Lobbying
Attempt to influence political leaders to create legislation or conduct activity that will benefit a certain group
Lobbyist
a person who tries to influence legislation or administrative decisions on behalf of a special interest; member of a lobby.
PAC
Political Action Committee (PAC) — federally regulated, officially registered organization for the purpose of raising and spending money to elect and defeat candidates, bills, or initiatives
Most PACs represent business, labor or ideological interests. PACs can give $5,000 to a candidate committee per election (primary, general or special).
Public Interest Group
groups promote issues of general public concern (e.g., environmental protection, human rights, and consumer rights), as opposed to issues that only affect small specific interest groups
Social Capital
The Myriad relationships that individuals enjoy that facilitate the resolution of community problems through collective action
Trade Association
A group that represents a specific industry
Economic Interest Group
A group with the primary purpose of promoting the financial interests of its members
Agenda Setting
The constant process of forming the list of matters that policymakers intend to address
Content Regulation
government attempts to regulate the substance of the mass media
Equal Time Rule
states that broadcasters must provide equal broadcast time to all candidates for a particular office.
