answers pollss 3 ma

1What is a partisan realignment A durable shift in voter allegiance. A realignment suggests that an important change has taken place in the political culture and signals that the country is embarking on a new direction in public policy. How, according to the textbook, do political parties "provide a vital function in any democratic system"? They promote compromise and cooperation among various interests, allowing many interests to be heard How did the issue of slavery factor into the demise of the Whig Party, the loss of majority-party status by Democrats, and the rise of the Republican Party The Whigs were not very unified on the issue of slavery, causing a split. 2)The democrats were also split on the issue, leading to them being weakened and the Republicans gained control 3)The Republicans were represented the interests of northern Whigs and free soil party members. This new party was clearly committed to the end of slavery . What led to the development of the Democratic Party as a majority party in the 1930s? The depression of 1929 put millions of Americans out of work. FDR's New Deal Why did the civil rights movement present a long-lasting challenge to the Democratic Party's coalition that originally emerged in the 1930s? Roosevelt's successor was Harry Truman, whose Fair Deal reached out to blacks in a way that concerned many southern white democrats. They in turn gave their votes to a third party candidate. Why do we only have two major parties? The winner-takes-all system. What are third parties? Be sure to know the different major third parties in the United States since 1992. Minority party; green party and libertarian party What are proto-parties? What separates them from third parties? What are recent examples of proto-parties? A group of individuals affiliated with one ideological wing of the existing parties, but are neither breakaway groups nor officially sanctioned parts of existing parties. The tea party for example. What are parties in government and how do they differ from parties in the electorate? Parties in Government: Elected officials from a particular party Parties in Electorate: All voters who identify with a party in a given area What, according the textbook, is the most notable trend in regards to the party in the electorate over the past four decades? Rise of independent voter Make sure that you understand the decentralized nature of our political parties and what it means for party politics American political parties do not hold strict hierarchical systems like more centralized political party systems. Local parties are considered autonomous political bodies that are not controlled or maintained by the larger, national party. Many Democrats think the nomination of Hillary Clinton in 2016 signaled a failure of the party's system for nominating presidential candidates. What problem do these critics see with the system? Democrats blamed the Superdelegate system for giving too much power to the party elite over ordinary voters Many Republicans think the nomination of Donald Trump in 2016 signaled a failure of party's system for nominating presidential candidates. What problem do these critics see with the system? Republicans held the opposite stance on the Superdelegate system--they believed the system did not grant party elite enough power to influence the party's candidate choice What seven things do national party conventions do (according to the textbook ) Determine the rules for conducting party business 2) Bring together diverse groups in the party 3 ) Develop and provide exposure for upcoming party leaders 4) Debate and write the party platform 5) Showcase the party's image 6) Nominate the president and vice president 7) Launch the campaign What is a party platform A party platform is a document that is developed at a party's national convention and establishes what the party stands for. Why, according to the textbook, has the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) of 2002 had a mixed impact on the ability for parties to influence candidates' campaigns? On one hand, in party by using the power of the internet, parties have been able to raise money from enough small donors to raise much of the revenue that had formerly been raised through soft money. On the other hand, large donors (corporations, large not-for-profit organizations, unions) now have an increased ability to seek to influence campaigns without the help of political party organizations. What is an incumbent? What are some of the advantages to being an incumbent in Congress? Current holder of an office in Congress; Incumbents have an advantage in raising campaign funds. Incumbents' past campaigns and constituent service enable them to develop mailing lists of potential contributors. They can redistrict and gerrymander in order to alter election districts which favor their candidacy.

What are some of the pitfalls of incumbency? For a few House incumbents, redistricting is a threat to reelection. When a state loses a congressional seat or seats, there may be fewer seats than there are incumbents, who end up running against each other. Reapportionment The reallocation of house seats among states after each census Redistricting the process of altering election districts to make them nearly equal Gerrymandering he party in power draws election district boundarie When should turnout be higher, in a midterm or presidential election year Election year. According to the book, has party unity in Congress gone up or down since 1970? Gone up What are the different leadership positions in Congress (for example: House Majority Leader)? What are the roles played by party leaders? Speaker of the House: active in developing party's positions of issue and persuading members to support; first to speak during House debate and can grant members permission to speak; chooses chairperson and majority-party members of the House Rules committee; assigns bills to committees House Majority Leader: party's floor leader House Minority Leader: head's party's caucus and its policy committee and plays leading role in developing the party's legislative positions House Minority Leader Whip: assist minority leader Senate Majority Leader: heads majority caucus formulates party's legislative agenda and encourages party members to support it; chairs the party's policy committee and acts as a party's voice in chamber. Senate Majority Whip: sees to it that members know when important votes are schedules Both: similar to house majority leader and whip What is the role of standing committees? They are permanent congressional committees that are responsible for a particular area of public policy. Most of the work in Congress is conducted through these committees, as they draft and rewrite proposed legislation and make recommendations for the passage or defeat of bills. What is the difference between a standing committee, a joint committee, a select committee, and a conference committee? Be sure to know at least one example of each. Standing committees are permanent congressional committees with responsibility for a particular area of public policy, such as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. A select committee is created for a specific time period and purpose, such as the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. A joint committee is composed of members of both houses and perform advisory functions, such as the Joint Committee on the Library of Congress. A conference committee is a temporary committee formed to bargain over the differences in House and Senate versions of a bill. Which party has more seats on a committee, the majority or minority? Majority Be sure to know the steps before a bill can become a law . Bill is introduced to House and Senate and sent to relevant committee Hearings are held in committee bills can be revised Legislation is debated on the floors, amendments are proposed, bill is voted on Conference committee =, has to pass both chambers President signs or vetoes bill How can a bill become a law even if the President vetoes legislation? 2/3 party in both chambers of congress What is a filibuster? Which chamber allows for a filibuster of legislation? How many votes are needed to end a filibuster? Unlimited debate to halt action in the Senate. This is only a power that the Senate has not the House of Representative. Senate 3/5 majority (60 senators What are the three major functions of Congress discussed in the textbook? Be sure to be able to describe each of them Lawmaking: Congress makes laws that authorize federal programs and appropriate the funds necessary to carry them out. Lawmaking is a formal operation. Representation: Through the elected officials, Congress represents the interests of its constituents as well as the nation in its deliberations. Representation is more effective and psychological; the representatives are making the constituents think that they are representative of their wants and desires. Oversight: Congress oversees and investigates executive action to make sure that the executive branch is carrying out the laws correctly What is logrolling? The practice of trading one's vote with another member's so that both get what they want. Essentially reciprocal voting for each others legislation. Occurs most in committees. What are the differences (discussed in the textbook) between Congress and other legislatures around the world? n many legislatures around the world, even in those with bicameral legislatures, most of them have one dominant house. However, in the United States, both houses are essentially equal

What is pluralism? How does pluralism differ from majoritarianism, elite theory, and biased pluralism? Pluralism conceives of politics as the struggle among competing interest groups. Majoritarianism expects government to be highly responsive to the will of the majority. Elite theory suggests that small wealthy group maintains power over government, while biased pluralism proposes that politics represents the values of the majority but with bias towards the affluent and wealthy. What is meant by hyperpluralism? What are some negative consequences of hyperpluralism? A condition in which the prevalence of group demands makes it impossible for government to plan, deal with long-term problems, and make policies that further the public interest. Moreover, the constant barrage of interest-group demands undermines the rule of law. Perhaps the best- known exponent of this perspective is Theodore J. Lowi, whose book The End of Liberalism argues that pluralism has corrupted our politics and undermined our government. According to Lowi, pluralism "has sought to solve the problems of public authority in a large modern state by . . . parceling out to private parties the power to make public policy."11 Some critics of pluralism would go even further, arguing that the existence of numerous powerful interest groups causes the political system to bog down.12 Gridlock, the inability of government to make or implement any decision, may be one of the consequences of hyperpluralism. What are the two broad categories of interest groups in the United States? Economic groups and noneconomic groups What are the different types of economic interest groups? How do they differ in the policies that they pursue? Be sure to know an example of each subtype (for instance: the AFL-CIO is a labor union). business organizations: public policy; large corp. General business org.: chamber of commerce trade associations: tarriff policies; steel industry professional groups: securing state action that confers professional status on its members;Association of trial lawyers labor unions: AFL ; rights of workers to unionize and collectively bargain with management over wages and other terms of employment What are the different types of non-economic interest groups? How do they differ from economic interest groups? Non-economic can be grouped into three different interest groups: single-issue, broad ideological, and public interest groups. Non-economic groups are interested in a range of topics, including the environment, school prayer, civil rights, abortion, and homelessness. What is the name given to non-economic interest groups that strive for "a collective good, the achievement of which will not selectively or materially benefit the membership or activists of the organization?" Public interest group How do collective action problems (including the incentive to free-ride) shape the way in which interest groups try to recruit and retain members? When someone enjoys the benefits of something that they do not participate in. Because of this, interest groups that advocate for things that will be accessible to the public, such as those groups that advocate for environmental changes. This leads these groups to provide selective incentives, or small things that founders receive if they support the group . Why do individuals decide to join interest groups? Why, for instance, might I become a member of AAA even if I'd rather free-ride on the public goods it seeks to provide? It may benefit them and you may get something from joining What are some of the most common ways in which interest groups seek to influence policy? 1. influencing elections 2. fundraising 3. lobbying 4. influencing public opinion 5. engaging in litigatio What is the relationship between interest groups, campaigns, and money ? nterest groups can raise money to donate to a campaign they support What is a "PAC"? Political Action Committee - allows contributions toward candidates through interest groups What is the difference between (traditional) lobbying and grassroots lobbying? Traditional involves an organization appealing to the government and grassroots involves influencing elected members What is an amicus curiae brief? How do interest groups use them to seek to influence policy? File submitted by person or group that is not a direct party to a a case but wants to inform the court of their views What is an iron-triangle? 3 way relationship between a legislative committee, executive agency, and interest group

What is one example of a possible iron triangle today? One example of an iron triangle is the pharmaceutical triangle, with agencies working together to aid in medicine sales. Which model, according to the textbook, is the more accurate account of how interest groups influence government today? Issue networks are different from iron triangles in that it is a conglomeration of decision makers, activists, and experts in a particular public policy area. The issue network is more reliable model because actors come and go, and there is more evolution.