AP Government
Unit 3: Public Opinion, Parties, and Interest Groups
Study Guide
Overview
Political Beliefs and Behavior- 10-20%
 Role of the individual in government and politics
 Processes by which citizens learn about politics
 Nature, sources, and consequences of public opinion
 Role of voting in democratic systems
 Factors that influence political behavior
Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media- 10-20%
 Development, organization, and functions of political parties
 Role of parties in the electoral process
 Development, role, and effects of interest groups
 Characteristics and roles of PACs
Guiding questions
1. What factors shape public opinion?
2. How does public opinion influence the political process?
3. How do political parties impact the political process?
4. How do interest groups affect the political process?
5. What are the historical and ideological beliefs of the major parties?
6. What roles have minor parties played in politics?
7. What are PACs, and how do they affect the political process?
Vocabulary
1. political culture
2. socialization (political)
3. public opinion
4. political ideology
5. political efficacy
6. split-ticket voting
7. political party
8. party era
9. critical election
10. party realignment
11. divided government
12. interest group
13. political action committee
14. free riders
15. minority majority
16. reapportionment
17. random sampling
Readings from textbook Chapters 6, 8, and 11
9/25 – pages 172-184
9/26 – pages 184-192
9/27 – pages 192-203
9/28 – pages 234-247
10/1 – pages 247-261
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sampling error
exit polls
civil disobedience
rational-choice theory
party identification
coalition
party dealignment
party neutrality
winner-take-all system
proportional representation
responsible party model
subgovernments
single-issue groups
lobbying
amicus curiae briefs
class action suits
right-to-work law
public interest lobbies
10/2 – Writing practice; pages 320-332
10/3 – Vocabulary quiz; pages 333-349
10/4 – PAC research project
10/9 – No assigned reading/Study!
10/10 – Tentative test date
This unit corresponds to pages 45-73 in the study guide. You will also want to review the sections on
vocabulary.