Interest Groups, Political Parties, and the Media Vocabulary Ch 8,9,11

APGOV UNIT 3 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS/ VOCAB

CHAPTER 9 Political Parties

This chapter examines political parties, exploring the evolution and impact of the two-party system.

1.What is the meaning of a political party? What functions do parties in America perform?

2.Trace the development of the United States party system through its four periods. Explain why parties have been in decline since the New Deal.

3.How has party identification changed over the years and what affect has it had on elections?

4. Describe the structure of a major party. Distinguish major from minor parties.

5.Describe the basic organization of American political parties. How do party politics at the local, state, and national levels differ? Which level is most important and why?

6. Indicate whether there are major differences between the two major parties. Describe some of the issue differences between delegates at Democratic and Republican conventions, and compare their policy positions with those of rank-and-file party members.

7. What are the political and policy consequences of having a two-party system? How have third parties made a difference?

8. In what ways have American political parties declined? What are the principal rivals of the political parties? Speculate on the future of political parties in America.

CHAPTER 10 Elections and Campaigns

This chapter focuses on the process of campaigning involved in each type of election.

1.Demonstrate the differences between the party-oriented campaigns of the nineteenth century and the candidate-oriented ones of today, contrasting the major elements of successful campaigns.

2.What is the role of money in campaigns? Discuss the major sources campaign funding under the current laws. What campaign finance reforms have been adopted? What effects have they had?

3.Outline the processes for electing presidents and members of Congress, and discuss the major differences between the two types of contests shape who runs and how it affects their campaign strategy.

4.Describe what the Democrats and Republicans each must do to put together a successful national coalition to win an election.

5.Outline the major arguments on either side of the question of whether elections do or do not result in major changes in public policy in the United States.

6. What is the electoral college and how does it work? What biases are in the electoral process?

7. How is a candidate nominated for the presidency? What functions do national party conventions perform? What criticisms have been raised about the nomination process?

8. What are the positive and negative features of Political Action Committees? How might they affect politicians and policymaking?

9. Discuss the elements of a successful political campaign and the impactof campaigns on voters?

CHAPTER 11 Interest Groups

This chapter surveys the variety of interest groups operating in the U.S. and assesses their impact.

1.What are interest groups? How do interest groups differ from political parties? Why do the characteristics of United States society and government encourage a multiplicity of interest groups?

2. What are the different types of interest groups? What are their primary goals, what strategies do they use, and how successful have they been?

3.Describe relations between leaders and rank-and-file members of groups, including why members’ priorities may not determine the leaders’ actions.

4.What are the principal strategies that groups use to affect policymaking, especially the lobbying techniques used to gain public support? Which strategy seems to be the most effective, and why?

5.List the laws regulating conflict of interest, and describe the problems involved with revolving door government employment.

6. What are single-issue groups and how effective have they been in American politics?

7. What impact do political action committees have on interest group behavior? Evaluate PAC’srole.

CHAPTER 12 The Media

This chapter examines the evolution and present status of relations between the government and media.

1.Explain the historical development of the print and broadcast media in the U.S. and indicate the differences between the party press and the mass media of today. Use examples to illustrate your answer.

2.Demonstrate how the characteristics of the electronic media have affected the actions of public officials and candidates for national office.

3.Describe the impact of the pattern of ownership and control of the media on the broadcasting of news. Show how wire services and TV networks have affected national news coverage. Discuss the impact of the “national press.”

4.Discuss the issue of media bias and give illustrations. Assess the impact of bias on the electorate.

5.Describe how the media shape public opinion. What are the consequences of the media’s influence on public opinion? Explain why a free press is critical to our democratic system of government and how they have hindered the growth of democracy.

6. What is the policy agenda? Who are the policy entrepreneurs and how do they utilize the media to get their issues on the policy agenda?

Ch. 9 – Political Parties

Caucus

Congressional campaign -committee

Democratic Party

Divided government

Economic-Protest Party

Factional Party

Grass-roots organization

Ideological party

Independent

Jacksonian Democrats

Linkage institution

Minor Party

National chairman

National Committee

National Convention

Nominating Convention

One-Issue Party

Party decline

Party platform

Patronage

Personal following

Plurality system

Political efficacy

Political machine

Political party

Proportional representation

Reagan Coalition

Realigning period

Republican Party

Republican Revolution

SolidarityParty

Spin-off Party

Split-ticket voting