AP Government Unit 2 Review Sheet: The Political Process
Holtsford
Chp. 6: Public Opinion and Political Action
demography
minority majority
political culture
political socialization (family, mass media, education, etc.)
exit poll
random sampling/sampling error
liberal v. conservative ideologies
participation in politics (voting, protest, caucus meeting, $, campaigning, etc.)
Chp. 7: Mass Media and the Political Agenda
media event v. political spot
press conference/print media/broadcast media
trend of newspaper reading
government regulation of media (FCC)
equal time rule/right-to-reply rule/fairness doctrine
effects of private control of the media
trial balloons
sound bites - more important recently?
news bias
media and what Americans think v. what Americans think about
policy agenda
democracy and the media - "Information is the fuel of democracy."
rise of an "information society" doesn't equal the rise of an "informed society."
Chp. 8: Political Parties
political party
tasks of the parties (nominate candidates, run campaigns, give cues to voters, articulate policies,
coordinate policymaking, etc.)
rational-choice theory
party identification - trend today?
straight ticket v. split ticket voting
party machines and patronage
primaries (closed, open, blanket)
national party organization (convention, chairperson, DCCC, RCCC, DSCC, RSCC, DNC, RNC)
critical election/party realignment
history of 2-party system
unified v. divided government
third parties - types and contributions
Chp. 9: Nominations and Campaigns
nomination
campaign strategy
presidential primaries/caucuses
superdelegates
frontloading
party platform
campaigning (campaign manager, fund-raiser, counsel, media consultants, staff, logistics,
research staff and policy advisors, pollster, press secretary, website)
FEC
PACs/soft money/527's/individual contributors
the expense of campaigns
Chp. 10: Elections and Voting Behavior
Election of 2000
why vote? political efficacy, civic duty, etc.
Motor Voter Act
voting and demography (education, age, race, gender, marital status, union membership)
does the winner have a "mandate"?
party identification and voting
policy voting
retrospective voting
Chp. 11: Interest Groups
subgovernments/iron triangles
interest group tactics (lobbying, electioneering - PACs, litigation - class action suits, going public
with information)
types of interest groups (economic - labor, business; environmental; equality; consumer and
public interest)
do interest groups enhance democracy?
_______
role of political parties
why a 2-party system (history, American ideological consensus, single-member district elections)
role of compromise in a 2-party v. a multi-party system
third parties (single-issue, economic protest, ideological, splinter) and contributions (shows voter
disappointment, attention to issues, spoiler)
Bull Moose Party and IL Solidarity Party
presidential v. congressional campaigns (SEE OTHER SHEET!! LOTS OF INFORMATION IS
CONTAINED THERE!!!!!)
Money for campaigns (public v. private; individual contributions; PAC money; 527's)
party realignment
split ticket v. straight ticket voting
political spots/mudslinging
unified v. divided government
liberal v. conservative ideology
nominating devices (self-announcement; petition; caucus; convention; primary)
primaries (open; closed; blanket) v. presidential primary (2 things)
Voting - amendments; what affects voting behavior; why people vote or don't vote; is voting
important (handout)
incumbents v. challengers and elections
"October Surprise"
swing voters (Security Moms, Mortgage Moms, NASCAR Dads, etc.)