Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media Vocab
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19 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 "astroturf" | A lobbying technique that tries to create an impression of grassroots support for an issue when that support does not really exist. |
| interest group | A group of people with common goals who attempt to influence policymakers and legislation. |
| lobbying | Efforts to influence policymakers regarding legislation. |
| political action committee (PAC) | An organization formed to collect money and donate it to candidates or political parties. |
| capitalism | An economic system in which the means of production are privately owned and competitive free markets determine prices, production, and the distribution of goods. |
| critical election | An election that realigns parties' ideologies and their ability to attract voters. |
| electorate | All those eligible to vote in elections. |
| legislative coalition | A temporary alliance of disparate groups working on mutually beneficial legislation. |
| New Deal | Wide range of programs, including Social Security and unemployment insurance, sponsored by Franklin Roosevelt from 1933 to 1941 to alleviate the worst economic effects of the Great Depression. |
| party platform | Official statement of the policies, positions, and principles of a party. |
| political party | An organization that supports candidates in order to gain political power and ensure that its positions and philosophy become policy. |
| socialism | Political and economic system characterized by government ownership of the means of production and distribution of goods and services. Socialism strives to produce relative income equality. |
| constituent | A person who authorizes another to act on his or her behalf. Voters are the constituents of their elected representatives. |
| Contract with America | Platform written by Newt Gingrich and other top Republicans in 1994 intended to help elect Republican candidates to Congress. Among its provisions, the contract called for a line-item veto and congressional term limits. |
| hard money | Money contributed directly to candidates or national party organizations for campaigns. These contributions are legally limited and must be reported. |
| incumbent | The present holder of an office. |
| line-item veto | Legislation that allowed the president to veto a specific part of a spending bill rather than the entire bill, as had previously been the case. The Supreme Court declared the line-item veto unconstitutional in Clinton v. City of New York (1998). |
| Will Rogers | 1879-1935, American humorist and actor known for his homespun philosophies of life and politics. |
| soft money | Money contributed to political parties that cannot be used to endorse candidates directly. Under the Federal Election Campaign Act, this money does not have to be reported. |
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