Study Guide for Unit Three: Power to the People!
Civics and Political Behavior (Chapters 5-9)
Political Parties; Voting; Elections; Mass Media; Electoral Process;
Interest Groups
In addition to studying and knowing ALL your vocab., you need to be able to put those words in
context, which means that you have to understand not only what they mean, but how they are
applied. Below are some specifics that you will need to review for the Unit Test, but anything we
covered is fair game! Remember, your book has outlines at the beginning of each chapter and
assessments at the end of each chapter in addition to the specific objectives for each section to
help you study. Look at your Study Tips hand-out for further suggestions but you can also look
on the class website under Online Resources for the link to your textbook to read chapter outlines
and take the on-line quizzes!
Ch. 5- Political Parties
 what they are, what they do, their role in politics
 the Two Party System- historically and why we use this today
 third parties (minority parties)- types, their role in a two-party system
 organization- state and national level, structure and the decline of parties
Ch. 8- Mass Media and Public Opinion
 public opinion- what is it, what shapes it and how do we know?
 measuring public opinion- polling, know the different types, how they are conducted and
their flaws and other elements of public policy
 mass media- different methods by which the voter receives information, how mass media
influences the voter, the problems with mass media, the growing role of the Internet in
politics
Ch. 9- Interest Groups
 what they are, what they do in politics, pros and cons
 examples of different types of interest groups, including PACs
Ch. 6- Voters and Voter Behavior
 the right to vote- a history of voting in the US and what the Constitution says
 voter qualifications- state, federal
 civil rights- how voting rights have been violated and the expansion of suffrage in the US
 voter behavior- who votes and who doesn’t and why?
Ch. 7- The Electoral Process
 nominations- why it is important in a democracy and the different methods
 elections- voting locations and ballots, technological advances in voting
 money and elections- how money influences the political process, campaign finance
regulations, PACs and loopholes in the laws