AP GOVERNMENT
COOKBOOK
Unit III:
Political Parties, Interest
Groups and the Media
SYLLABUS - Unit III Description
III.
Political Parties, Interest Groups and The Media
Students should understand the mechanisms that allow citizens to organize and communicate their
interests and concerns . Among these are political parties, elections, political action committees
(PACs), interest groups, and the mass media . Students should examine the significance of the
historical evolution of the U .S . party system, the functions and structures of political parties, and the
effects they have on the political process . Examination of issues of party reform and of campaign
strategies and financing in the electronic age provides students with important perspectives . A study
of elections, election laws, and election systems on the national and state levels will help students
understand the nature of both party and individual voting behavior . Treatment of the development
and the role of PACs in elections and the ideological and demographic differences between the two
major parties, as well as third parties, forms an important segment of this material
Students must also consider the political roles played by a variety of lobbying and interest groups .
Important features of this section of the course include an explanation for why some interests are
represented by organized groups while others are not, and the consequences of this difference in
representation . Students study what interest groups do, how they do it, and how this affects both the
political process and public policy . Why are certain segments of the population able to exert pressure
on political institutions and actors in order to obtain favorable policies?
The media are a major force in U .S . politics . Students are expected to understand the role of the
media in the political system . In addition, the impact of the media on public opinion, voter
perceptions, campaign strategies, electoral outcomes, agenda development, and the images of
officials and candidates should be explored and understood by students . Understanding the often
symbiotic and frequently conflictual relationship among candidates, elected officials, and the media is
also important . Students should be aware of the goals and incentives of the media as an industry and
how those goals influence the nature of news coverage . They should also understand the
consequences of the increasing concentration of major media outlets in fewer hands, as well as the
growing role of the Internet .
PAGE 1
Unit II Vocabulary: Political Beliefs and Behaviors Pt. 1
AARP American Association of Retired Persons; Nationwide organization for people over 50 that offers discount drug purchases, health & auto
insurance, publications, & other activities
Amicus Curiae Brief - literally, a "friend of the court" brief, filed by an individual or organization to present arguments in addition to those
presented by the immediate parties to a case
Caucus - a private meeting of party leaders to choose candidates for office
Constituent - a person whom a member of Congress has been elected to represent
Convention - a meeting of delegates of a political party to form policies and select candidates
Dealignment- Weakening of partisan preferences that points to a rejection of both major parties and a rise in the number of Independents.
Delegate- a person appointed or elected to represent others
Divided Government- Governance divided between the parties, as when one holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of
Congress.
Faction - a group, usually a small part of a larger group, united around some cause; disagreement within an organization
Grass Roots - the common people at a local level (as distinguished from the centers of political activity)
Gridlock- the inability of the government to act because rival parties control different parts of the government
Hatch Act 1939 - Made it illegal for federal civil service employees to take an active part in political management or political campaigns by
serving as party officers, soliciting campaign funds, running for partisan office, working in a partisan campaign, endorsing partisan
candidates, taking voters to the polls, counting ballots, circulating nominating petitions, or being delegates to a party convention.
Gradually took federal employees out of machine politics.
Ideological Parties- Parties based on a particular set of beliefs, a comprehensive view of social, economic, and political matters
Incumbent - the official who holds an office
Interest Group- a social group whose members control some field of activity and who have common aims
Linkage Institutions - the channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the government's policy agenda. In the United
States, linkage institutions include elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.
Lobbying- direct contact made by an interest group representative in order to persuade government officials to support the policies their
interest group favors
Lobbyist -representative of an interest group who contacts lawmakers or other government officials directly to influence their policy making
Merit System- A system of public employment in which selection and promotion depend on demonstrated performance rather than political
patronage.
Muckrakers -Journalists who attempted to find corruption or wrongdoing in industries and expose it to the public
NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)- works for the rights of colored people
National Organization of Women (NOW) -organization formed to work for economic and legal rights of women
NRA -a powerful lobby that advocates the right to own and bear arms and rejects any gun regulation by the government
Political Action Committee (PAC) -committee formed by a special-interest group to raise money for their favorite political candidates
Patronage System- An approach to managing the bureaucracy whereby people are appointed to important government positions as a reward
for political services they have rendered and because of their partisan loyalty
Political Efficacy- one's own influence or effectiveness on politics
Political Party- a group of individuals with broad common interests who organize to nominate candidates for office, win elections, conduct
government, and determine public policy
Political Party Machine- a party organization that recruits its members by dispensing tangible incentives to get favors from government; only
cares about winning
Proportional Representation an electoral system used throughout most of Europe that awards legislative seats to political parties in proportion
to the number of votes won in an election.
Prospective Voting voting based on the imagined future performance of a candidate; based on what the candidate has promised
Public Interest Lobbies- organizations that seek a collective good which does not only benefit their membership.
Purposive Incentives- the benefit that comes from serving a cause or principle from which one does not personally benefit
Realignment- when popular support switches from one party to another
Retrospective Voting- voting for a candidate because you like his or her past actions in office
Sierra Club- America's oldest and largest grassroots advocacy group that protects forests and national parks
Split Ticket Voting- Voting for candidates of different parties for different offices at the same election
Straight Ticket Voting- practice of voting for candidates of only one party in an election
Third Parties-political parties that are smaller than the two major parties and introduce new ideas or press for a particular issue
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Two- Party System- An electoral system with two dominant parties that compete in national elections.
Winner- Take- All Representation- System in which the candidate with the majority of the popular vote in a state gets all the electoral votes
What are LINKAGE INSTITUTIONS?
LINKAGE INSTITUTION: the channels through which people's concerns become
political issues on the government's policy agenda.
INTEREST
GROUPS
THE
MEDIA
Linkage through polls
and coverage
Linkage through Party
Platforms
POLITICAL
PARTIES
Linkage through
lobbying, donations &
litigation.
Voiced To
Public Concerns
Government’s Decision Makers
PAGE 3
What are POLITICAL PARTIES?
Political Parties - a group of individuals with broad common interests who organize to nominate
candidates for office, win elections, conduct government, and determine public policy
The BIG GOAL of Political Parties is to get
their members elected to office.
** Passing Laws and Determining Public Policy are Secondary Goals***
A Brief History of American Political Parties:
• Political Parties are NOT MENTIONED in the Constitution.
• Though Madison warned us against the dangers of factions in the Federalist
Papers, Political Parties formed almost immediately.
• The earliest American political parties were Hamilton’s Federalists and
Jefferson’s Antifederalists.
• Washington warned against the dangers of political parties in his farewell
address.
• Though the names of the dominant political parties have changed throughout
the years,
there is usually two powerful parties. One Liberal and One Conservative.
•
The origin of the Democratic and Republican parties can be traced back to
•
Various factors lead us to a two party system (next slide).
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Why a TWO PARTY SYSTEM?
Several aspects of the American political system have fostered and strengthened the two party system:
Geographic Districts
• Congressional seats are closely tied to geographic districts
• In order to win a seat, a party must gain a majority in a single district
Winner-Take-All Elections
• Only the winner of a geographic district wins a seat.
• Losers gain nothing.
Electoral College
• The Electoral College for electing a President is winner-take-all
• (Covered in Unit IV)
Financial Constraints
• National Campaigns are extremely expensive to run
• Only the largest parties can compete financially
Because of these factors, THIRD PARTIES have little to no chance to win the
Presidency and/or seats in Congress. Therefore, only two major parties can
reasonably expect to win.
Third Parties in the Parliamentary System:
In contrast, parliamentary systems (England, France, etc.) award legislative seats
based on percentage of total vote. For example, if a party receives 3% of the vote
in a given election, that party would earn 3% of the legislative seats. This gives
third parties a chance to get their voice heard.
**** THE TWO PARTY SYSTEM WAS NOT PLANNED*****
PARTIES ARE NOT IN THE CONSTITUTION
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The Role of Third Parties in the Political Process
Though they rarely win offices, Third parties play
A vital role in our political system.
1. Voters
dissatisfied with
the major parties’
stances on
environmentalism
formed the Green
Party.
Providing
alternatives for
voters who do
not agree with
major parties
Bringing
overlooked
issues into the
national
political debate
by running
candidates.
2. The Green party
can bring the
environmentalism
to a national
audience by
running candidates
for political office
Having their issues
incorporated into the
platforms of the major
parties
The NEGATIVE IMPACT OF THIRD PARTIES:
Vote Splitting: If a third party candidate runs
in a general election against members of the
two major parties, the party LEAST like the
third party benefits.
2. The Green party may
have their issues
incorporated into the
Democrats’ platform in
exchange for votes.
EX 1: In 1992, Ross Perot ran a third party
conservative candidate. He cut into George
Bush’s voting base and swung the election
towards Clinton.
EX 2: In 2000, Ralph Nader ran as a third
party liberal candidate. He cut into Al Gore’s
voting base and swung the election to
George W. Bush.
PAGE 1
The role of Political Parties in Electing a President
Political Parties are crucial in selecting nominees for
the presidency.
Step 1: Declaring
Candidacy
• Members of each party who want to run for president submit their names
to the national party organization. (Must be 35, natural born citizen, 14yrs
in U.S.)
Step 2: Campaigning
•Candidates sweep across the nation spreading their vision and their
interpretation of the party platform.
Step 3: Primaries and
Caucuses
•The national parties establish a schedule of primaries and caucuses
• State level parties establish the rules and conditions of these primaries
and caucuses.
Step 4: Nominating
Convention
Step 5: Financial Support
for General Election
•After delegates from the primaries are counted, A national convention is
held to officially nominate a candidate and to articulate a party platform.
•Once a candidate is selected, the party will throw all of its financial and
political resources behind their candidate.
Since Political Parties are not a formal part of our political system, the rules governing the nomination
process often change with the whims of the parties.
Ex: The Republican primaries of 2012 had fewer winner-take-all elections than in years past.
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Primaries and Caucuses
Both Primaries and Caucuses serve the same purpose:
Primary - A State level election between
presidential candidates from the same
party.
Caucus - A meeting of voters from a particular
state. During these meetings, voters choose
among presidential candidates from the same
party.
Types of Primaries
Closed Primaries
• Primaries in which voters must be registered members of the party to vote
• No “Split Tickets” - Either you vote in the Dem. Primary OR the Rep. Primary
Open Primaries
• Voters can participate regardless of their party affiliation
• No “Split Tickets” - Voter must CHOOSE Dem. Primary or Rep. Primary.
Blanket Primaries (AKA Jungle Primary)
• Voters can vote for candidates from either party on the same ticket
• “Split Tickets” OK - VERY RARE - Encourages insincere voting - Possibility
Unconstitutional
PRIMARY PROBLEMS:
1. TOO LONG: Primaries occur over the course of five months. Campaigns last over a year.
2. TOO EXPENSIVE: Long campaigns are extremely expensive. Richest candidate usually wins.
3. INEQUALITY: The earlier a state’s primary, the more impact that primary has.
4. FRONT LOADING: States fight to move their primary up on the calendar to get more power,
resulting in a front loaded schedule.
5. BANDWAGON EFFECT: Voters tend to support candidates who win the earliest primaries.
PAGE 7
National Party Conventions
NATIONAL PARTY CONVENTIONS ARE HELD IN
THE SUMMER BEFORE A GENERAL ELECTION
PARTY CONVENTIONS HAVE TWO PURPOSES:
ANNOUNCE THE
“PLANKS” OF THE
POLITICAL PLATFORM.
NOMINATE A
PRESIDENTIAL TICKET
(PRES & VP).
STATE DELEGATES CAST
VOTES BASED ON
PRIMARY RESULTS IN
THEIR HOME STATES
SUPERDELEGATES
CAST VOTES BASED ON
PERSONAL
PREFERENCE.
KEY TREND: In the last 60 years, primary elections have become a MORE important part of
choosing a candidate. National Party leaders have become LESS important in part of choosing
a candidate. This falls in line with America’s “elitism to populism” trends.
SUPERDELEGATES Unlike state delegates, superdelegates have a choice of who they support.
Superdelegates tend to be high ranking party members, governors, senators, etc.
Superdelegate endorsements are highly prized. When superdelegates choose a candidate, they
are said to be “pledged.”
What happens if no candidate has a majority of delegates on the first
vote?
BROKERED CONVENTION
In a brokered convention, “horse trading” takes over. Horse trading
refers to behind the scenes politicking that will eventually result in a
winner. This is very rare in modern politics.
PAGE 8
What are Interest Groups?
Interest Group- An organization of
people sharing a common interest or
goal that seeks to influence the making
of public policy
The Big Goal:
Influence Policymaking!
SIX TYPES OF INTEREST GROUPS
1. Citizen Action Groups
• Single Issue Groups: National Rifle Association (NRA)
• Multi-Issue Groups: AARP (Retired Persons)
2. Trade Associations
• Protects the interests of those in a certain business
• Eg: National Automotive Dealers Association
3. Professional Associations
• Protects the interests of a specific profession
• American Medical Association (Doctors)
4. Unions
• Protects the interests of its members
• United Auto Workers (UAW)
5. Peak Organizations
• Combines the interests of several similar groups
• Eg: AFL-CIO
6. Corporations
• Protects the interests of a specific company
• Most common interest group
PAGE 9
How do Interest Groups impact decision making?
How has the government attempted to limit their impact?
Electioneering:
Donating money
to Political
Campaigns
Lobbying
Government:
Contact with
decision makers
Educating the
Public:
Advertising their
cause
Public
Policy
Mobilizing the
Public:
Organizing
grassroots
political action
Litigation:
Funding legal
action and filing
Amicus Curiae
Briefs
Factors that expanded the power of Interest
Groups:
Decisions that limited the power of Interest
Groups:
1. Buckley v. Valeo: Corporations’ right to
spend money campaigning for candidates is
protected by 1st Amendment. (Corporate
soft money legal)
1. Federal Election Commission established in
1974. Established PAC’s . Put limits on the
amount of hard money a person or
organization could donate ($5K for
candidate, $15K for party).
2. Citizens United v. Federal Election
Commission: Removed limits on PAC
contributions from individuals, unions and
corporations for “independent
expenditures” – Spending cannot be
associated w/ candidates, but is unlimited.
1. Lengthy and Expensive Elections:
Candidates are increasingly dependant on
interest group donations.
2. McCain-Feingold Act (Bipartisan Campaign
Reform Act): Banned Soft Money ads 60
days before a general election and 30 days
before a primary.
3. Issue Networks: Often, there are interest
groups with opposite messages seeking to
influence an election, minimizing impact.
2. Incumbency Advantage: Since incumbent
politicians are the most frequent recipients
of donations, they are unlikely to push for
organizational change.
3. The “Revolving Door” - Congressmen and
regulators often take lobbyist positions with
Interest Groups after they leave public office
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Political Action Committees (PACs)
A Political Action Committee (PAC) is an organization in the United States that campaigns for or
against political candidates ballot initiatives or legislation. PAC’s must register with the FED.
***Spending limits adjusted
for Inflation in odd numbered
years***
** Dollar amounts are
donation maximums **
CITIZEN
$2,500
$5,000
$30,800
$15,000
$5,000
PAC
Candidate
UNLIMITED
Party
Independent
Expenditures
(Ads, etc.)
***PACs Cannot
Coordinate
Independent
Expenditures with
Candidates or
Parties***
Unions and Corporations
CANNOT contribute to PAC’s
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SUPER PACs
A SUPER PAC is a new type political action committee that was approved by the FEC in 2010.
Super PACs have different fundraising and spending rules and permit donations from unions and
corporations. They are immensely powerful. SuperPAC’s must register with the FEC.
CITIZEN
UNIONS
UNLIMITED
UNLIMITED
CORPORATIONS
UNLIMITED
BANNED
BANNED
SuperPAC
Candidate
UNLIMITED
Party
Independent
Expenditures
(Ads, etc.)
BIG IDEA!
***SUPERPACs Cannot
Coordinate
Independent
Expenditures with
Candidates or
Parties***
SUPERPACS ARE PROVING TO BE
EXTREMELY INFLUENTIAL. UNIONS AND
CORPORATIONS ARE BECOMING AN
ENORMOUS PART OF THE POLITICAL
PROCESS.
***SUPERPACs Cannot
give money directly to
candidates or
parties***
PAGE 12
Important Interest Groups
INTEREST GROUP
TYPE
DESCRIPTION
AARP (American Assoc. of Retired
Persons
Citizen
Action/Multi
Issue
One of the largest interest groups in America. They represent
the needs of everyone over 50. Their power lies in high voter
turnout.
Sierra Club
Citizen
Action/
Single Issue
Nation’s largest environmental protection interest group.
Typically support liberal candidates.
NRA (National Rifle Association)
Citizen
Action/
Single Issue
Largest Pro-Gun interest group. The NRA supports
conservatives and the right to own guns.
NAACP (National Assoc. for the
Advancement of Colored People)
Citizen
Action/Multi
Issue
Protects equal rights for all Americans, especially
underrepresented racial and economic minorities. Support
liberal candidates.
AFL-CIO (American Federation of
Labor- Congress of Industrial Orgs.)
Peak
Organization
Represents many different unions and the civil rights of all
Americans. Support liberal candidates.
NARAL- Pro Choice America (Nat’l
Assoc. for Repeal of Abortion Laws)
Citizen Action
/ Single Issue
Defend women’s reproductive rights. Support liberal
candidates.
National Association of Realtors
Trade Assoc.
Represent the national interests of Realtors and Real Estate
Agents.
National Right to Life Committee
Citizen Action
/Single Issue
Fights to reverse current abortion laws and ban abortion.
Supports conservative candidates.
American Bankers Association
Trade Assoc.
Represents the national interests of Banks and bankers.
American Medical Association
Prof. Assoc
Represents the interests of doctors and medical professionals.
Often Register
INTEREST
GROUPS
PACs
PAGE 13
The roles of the media in the political system
1. Gatekeeper
•Can influence what issues become political through coverage
•Control access to media coverage – no coverage? no issue
2. Scorekeeper
•“Horse Race Politics” AKA “political handicapping”
• The tendency for the media to concentrate on who will win instead of the issues.
• These tendencies can influence elections
3. Watchdog
•Will investigate personalities and expose scandals
•Tolerant of underdogs, tough on favorites
Trends in the Political Media:
1. Elitism to Populism: With the rise of the internet and the blogosphere, there are now more people
creating media content.
2. Slow to Fast: The shift from newspapers to cable News and the internet have given speed to reporters.
3. Independent to Conglomerate: News organizations are being increasingly purchased by a few select
individuals, creating media empires (Viacom, Disney, Fox News)
4. Fact to Opinion: With the expansion of news coverage, reporters are concentrating less on “what
happened” and more on “what should happen next”. Editorial programming is rampant.
5. Accuracy to Sensationalism: With more news outlets, reporters must compete for viewers/readers.
Reporters must sensationalize or “sell” their news.
6. Liberal Bias to Dual Bias: The traditional liberal bias of the media has been balanced through the
emergence of conservative news sources.
7. Accuracy to Inaccuracy: The race to get news out before anyone else causes sources to take risks. The
results are often inaccurate.
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