NOTE: In the interests of time, we’re going to condense Chapters 10 and 11 into one week. You will only be tested on the materials relating directly to the questions and terms.

UNIT 3: POLITICAL PARTIES, INTEREST GROUPS, AND MASS MEDIA

Political Parties (Wilson, Chapter 9, pages 198-226)

  1. Define the term political party.
  1. Compare the structures of parties in the U.S. with those of Europe. Pay particular attention to the federal structure of the United States and the concept of party identification.
  1. Trace the development of the United States party system through its four periods.
  1. Why have parties been in decline since the New Deal?
  1. Describe the structure of a major party.
  1. Distinguish powerful from powerless party units.
  1. Are there major differences between the parties?

NOTE: In the interests of time, we’re going to condense Chapters 10 and 11 into one week. You will only be tested on the materials relating directly to the questions and terms.

Anti-Masonic party

caucus

congressional campaign committee

critical (or realigning) period

Democratic-Republicans

factional parties

factions

Federalists

Hatch Act

ideological parties

initiative

machine

Mugwumps

national (party) chair

national committee

national convention

nonpartisan election

office bloc ballot

organizational party

party column ballot

personal following

plurality system

political machine

political party

proportional representation

referendum

Republican

second-party system

solidary groups

solidary incentives

split ticket voting

sponsored parties

stalwarts

superdelegates

Tammany Hall

two-party system

winner-take-all

NOTE: In the interests of time, we’re going to condense Chapters 10 and 11 into one week. You will only be tested on the materials relating directly to the questions and terms.

Elections and campaigns (Wilson, Chapter 10, pages 231-262)

  1. Explain why elections in the United States are both more democratic and less democratic than those of other countries.
  1. Discuss how important campaign funding is to election outcomes, what the major sources of such funding are under current law, and how successful reform legislation has been in purifying U.S. elections of improper monetary influences.
  1. Discuss the partisan effects of campaigns, or why the party with the most registered voters does not always win the election.
  1. Describe what the Democrats and the Republicans, respectively, must do to put together a successful national coalition to achieve political power in any election.
  1. Outline the major arguments on either side of the question of whether elections result in major changes in public policy in the United States.

NOTE: In the interests of time, we’re going to condense Chapters 10 and 11 into one week. You will only be tested on the materials relating directly to the questions and terms.

closed primary

general election

gerrymandering

incumbent

open primary

malapportionment

political action committee (PAC)

runoff primary

soft money

sophomore surge

NOTE: In the interests of time, we’re going to condense Chapters 10 and 11 into one week. You will only be tested on the materials relating directly to the questions and terms.

Interest Groups (Wilson, Chapter 11, pages 265-287)

  1. Describe the historical conditions under which interest groups are likely to form, and specify the kinds of organizations Americans are most likely to join.
  1. Describe relations between leaders and rank-and-file members of groups, including why the sentiments of members may not determine the actions of leaders.
  1. Describe several methods that interest groups use to formulate and carry out their political objectives, especially the lobbying techniques used to gain public support. Explain why courts have become an important forum for public-interest groups.
  1. List the laws regulating conflict of interest, and describe the problems involved with “revolving door” government employment. Describe the provisions of the 1978 conflict-of-interest law. Explain the suggestions that have been made for stricter laws. Describe the balance between the First Amendment’s freedom of expression and the need to prevent corruption in the political system.

NOTE: In the interests of time, we’re going to condense Chapters 10 and 11 into one week. You will only be tested on the materials relating directly to the questions and terms.

“beltway bandits”

client politics

Federalist 10

grassroots support

incentive (political)

institutional interests

lobbyist

material benefit incentives

membership interests

public-interest lobby

purposive incentive

revolving-door influence

solidary incentives