Free Response Review: Linkage Institutions Connect Citizens to the Government

The Media How it connects citizens to the government: -conveys the views of the people to the government -conveys information about the government to the people

Ways these connections are made Interviewing citizens Reporting on government activities Presenting poll results Interviewing public officials Covering protests and / or opposition Providing an outlet for citizen opinion

Interest Groups How they connect citizens to the government: Express group members’ preferences to policymakers Convey government policy information to group members Raise and spend money to advocate for the interests of the group with policymakers (ex. PACs)

Ways these connections are made Letter-writing campaigns Campaign activities Lobbying Grassroots movement Litigation (helping take a case / issue to court) Media campaigns Disseminating info about government affairs

Political Parties How they connect citizens to the government: -Gather information about voters for use by candidates and policymakers -Provide information to voters about candidates running for office -Connect voters to elected officials / candidates through campaign activities

Ways these connections are made Campaigns Mailings Voter mobilization Recruiting candidates and / or activists Endorsing party platforms Funding candidates Articulating and / or mobilizing interests

Elections How age is related to likelihood of voting: -older people are more likely to vote How education is related to likelihood of voting: -People with more education are more likely to vote

Government Electoral Requirements that Decrease Voter Turnout Low voter turnout in the United States…why? Citizenship requirement (must be U.S. citizen) Age requirement (must be 18) Certain groups cannot vote / are disenfranchised (ex. felons, the mentally incompetent) Limited opportunities to vote (midweek, limited hours, one day)

Government Electoral Requirements that Decrease Voter Turnout Cont. Closed primaries Must register to vote Registration / residency requirements Process of obtaining absentee ballots can be viewed as difficult These requirements decrease likelihood of voting bc either make a person ineligible to vote or put up obstacles making voting harder

How Citizens United v FEC SC Decision Impacted Electoral Process Record amount of $ raised by new independent groups Record amount of money spent during 2012 presidential campaign Many more groups formed that supported Republican candidates, so this contributed to Rep. taking control of House of Representatives

How decision impacted campaign financing Unlimited amounts of soft money could be raised (not regulated by law) Groups created with specific purpose of running campaign ads Ex. Crossroads GPS and Priorities USA