Class, below you have Unit 2 review of the lecture notes. The questions chosen specifically address the bolded sections of the lecture notes whose points most frequently came up on past tests.
For those students who want a head start, stop by my class tomorrow (schedule 2,4,6) and pick up the first practice test (60 questions) to be completed at home and quickly graded in class the next day. I will be giving you 4 tests (1 each night) leading up to the Exam on May 3rd.
Unit 2 Political Culture: Study Guide
1.Read out all 10 characteristics of American political culture (A-J).
2.Name the first two features related to equality.
3.What historical event especially brought out Americans distrust for government?
4.Why do you think “political tolerance” as a characteristic is more “abstract than concrete?” What is political tolerance?
5.Next page under “Liberalism,” Roman numeral number II, according to the viewpoint of classic 18th Century thinkers including our Founding Fathers, what is the role of government?
6.Name four characteristics of modern 20th Century liberalism (read out 1 to 4)
7.Who are the “neoliberals” and what are their beliefs?
8.Under “Conservatives” read numbers 6 & 7 out loud.
9.Next page, Roman numeral four, read aloud the definition of socialism. Why do you think Obama is being called a socialist?
10.Roman numeral five, what is libertarianism (Read letters A and B aloud)?
11. Next page. What are the 3 characteristics of “elites?”
12. What are three ways in which public opinion are measured?
13. Next page, what is the “horse race mentality?”
14. How did the Election of 2000 demonstrate problems related to exit polls?
15. How well aware are Americans with its political process?
16. What is “political socialization?”
17. What is the strongest agent of political socialization?
18. How are schools agents of political socialization?
19.How is religion an agent of political socialization?
20. Evangelicals traditionally support the ___________party?
21. Why have Catholics supported both Republicans and Democrats?
22. Jews typically vote for the _______ party?
23. Which group is the strongest supporter of the Democratic party?
24. Persons with higher incomes support which party? With lower incomes?
25. What was significant about 1992 and the “Year of the Woman” in terms of Congressional representation?
26. What are some “conflicting elements” related to one’s political socialization?
27. Next page, read aloud the seven historical qualifications of suffrage (letters A to G)
28. How was the income qualification turned back-which amendment and what was banned?
29. How was the literacy qualification turned back?
30. Read aloud how the US voter turnout compares with foreign nations (Letters B and C)
31. Read aloud the six “institutional barriers” related to low US voter turnout.
32.Which “types” of elections have the highest voter turnout in the US?
33. What age group of Americans have the lowest turnout?
34. What was the 26th Amendment? Did it help increase voter turnout?
35. Next page, read aloud the four political reasons Americans don’t tend to vote.
36. Read aloud the five characteristics of those US citizens most likely to vote.
37. Next page, read through the five predictors of voting
38. Among the five, what is the greatest predictor of voting?
39. Read the six (A through F) other forms of political participation.
40. Next page. What is the “Solid South?”
41. What are “realigning” elections? What are some years of these and what events influenced them?
42. What is the strongest predictor of voting behavior?
43. Who are the “Independents?” How strong are they in politics?
44. Congressional Elections (two pages ahead). What are “closed elections”
45. Reelection consideration. What is the greatest factor to influence the outcome of congressional elections?
46. What is the re-election average of incumbents for HOR, for the Senate?
47. Read aloud 8 advantages of incumbents (A-H)
48. Skip notes a couple of pages to “Path to the Presidency.” What has been the trend of presidential primaries over the past 30 years?
49. What is “balancing the ticket?”
50. What are the characteristics of voters who are likely to participate in presidential primaries?
51. What are the characteristics of those who participate in caucuses and conventions?
52. Next page on The Electoral College: What is a “winner take all system?”
53.Where do presidential candidates tend to concentrate their campaigns?
54. How many electoral votes are needed in order for a candidate to win the presidential election?
55. What might influence a presidential candidate to win the election by plurality rather than majority?
56. During a presidential election, how are small states overrepresented?
57. How does a “winner take all system” discourage the chances of third party candidates?
POLITICAL BELIEFS/POLITICAL BEHAVIORS
1. Attentive public: those who follow politics and public affairs carefully.
2. Australian ballot: secret ballot printed at the expense of the state.
3. Balancing the ticket: occurs when a presidential nominee chooses a vice presidential running mate who has different qualities in order to attract more votes for the ticket.
4. Blanket primary: election to choose candidates that is open to independents, and that allows voters to choose candidates from all the parties.
5. Caucus: local party meeting
6. Closed primary: party election to choose candidates that is closed to independents. Voters may not cross party lines.
7. Coattail effect: the influence of a popular presidential candidate on the election of congressional candidates of the same party.
8. Demographics: characteristics of populations (e.g., race, sex, income).
9. Direct election: election of an official directly by the people rather than by an intermediary group such as the Electoral College.
10. Direct primary: election in which the people choose candidates for office.
11. Fixed terms: terms of office that have a definite length of time (e.g., two years for a member of the House).
12. Front loading: scheduling presidential primary elections early (e.g., February or March) in an election year.
13. Gender gap: difference in voting patterns for men and women, particularly in the greater tendency of the latter to vote for Democratic presidential candidates.
14. General election: election in which the officeholders are chosen. Contrast with a primary election, in which only the candidates are chosen.
15. Hard money: campaign contributions donated directly to candidates.
16. Ideology: set of beliefs about political values and the role of government.
17. Incumbent: an officeholder who is seeking reelection.
18. Independent: one is not registered with a political party.
Independent leaners - tend to vote for candidates of one particular party.
Pure independents - have no consistent pattern of party voting.
19. Issue advocacy ads: ads that focus on issues and do not explicitly encourage citizens to vote for a certain candidate.
20. Open primary: election to choose candidates that is open to independents, and in which voters may choose candidates from anyone party.
21. Party identification: a sense of affiliation that a person has with a particular political party.
22. Party platform: a list of positions and programs that the party adopts at the national convention. Each position is called a plank.
23. Political culture: the widely shared beliefs, values, and norms that citizens share about their government.
24. Plurality: more votes than anyone else, but less than half (e.g., Clinton won a plurality - 43% - of popular votes in 1992, but not a majority). Plurality elections (such as those for Congress) are won by the person with the most votes, regardless if he/she has a majority.
25. Political efficacy: capacity to understand and influence political events
26. Political socialization: process in which one acquires his/her political beliefs.
27. Realigning (“critical”) election: an election in which there is a long term change in party alignment (e.g.: 1932).
28. Safe seat: an office that is extremely likely to be won by a particular candidate or political party.
29. Single member district system: system in which the people elect one representative per district. With a winner-take-all rule, this system strengthens the two major parties and weakens minor parties.
30. Soft money: campaign contributions that are not donated directly to candidates, but are instead donated to parties.
31. Solid South: historically, the South voted solidly Democratic. However, the South is now strongly Republican: Bush carried every Southern state in 2000.
32. Split ticket voting: casting votes for candidates of one's own party and for candidates of opposing parties (e.g., voting for a Republican presidential candidate and a Democratic congressional candidate).
33. Straight ticket voting: casting votes only for candidates of one's party.
34. Suffrage: the right to vote.
35. Superdelegate: a delegate to the Democratic national convention who is there by virtue. of holding an office.
36. Super Tuesday: a Tuesday in early March in which many presidential primaries, particularly in the South, are held.
37. Swing state: a state that does not consistently vote either Democratic or Republican in presidential elections.
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