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What is the Electoral College?

A group of people named by each state legislature to choose the president and vice president.

What is a Political Action Committee (PAC)?

A political organization established by a corporation, labor union or other special-interest group designed to support candidates by contributing money.

What is the best way to prepare to vote?

Stay informed.

How many electors are there in the Electoral College How many electors are there in the Electoral College? How many votes does a candidate need to win?

538 total in the Electoral College. A candidate needs 270 or more votes to win.

What is the difference between hard and soft money?

Hard money – donations given directly to a particular candidate Soft money – donations given to political parties and not designated for a particular candidate’s election campaign

What is propaganda?

Certain ideas that may involve misleading messages designed to manipulate people

To be eligible to vote, you must be what?

At least 18 years old A US citizen A resident of the state you are voting in Not a felon

List one reason that people do not vote.

Apathy Do not meet requirements Not registered Don’t like any of the candidates Feel that their vote won’t make a difference

What are the three major steps in the presidential campaign?

Nomination Campaign Voting and the Electoral College

List one criticism of the Electoral College.

It’s possible to win the popular election (have the most votes), but still lose the presidency Big states have too much power in it It’s not proportional based on population

Where do PACs give most of their money Where do PACs give most of their money? How does this prevent campaign reform?

PACs give most of their money to incumbents (people already in office). Therefore, officials have little interest in passing reforms that would hurt their chances of re-election and only help their opponents.

What is one limit the government has placed on campaign funding?

Requires candidates, PACs and parties to disclose their spending. Limits hard money donations. Requires candidates, PACs and parties to disclose the amount of donations. Prohibits some groups and individuals from raising soft money directly. Bans ads within 60 days of elections Created the Presidential Election Campaign Fund

What is an interest group?

A group of people who share a point of view about an issue and unite to promote their beliefs.

What is a lobbyist?

A representative of an interest group who contacts lawmakers or other government officials directly to influence their policy-making.

What is public opinion?

The ideas and attitudes that most people hold about elected officials, candidates, government and political issues.

List and define the three components (parts) of public opinion.

Direction – is public response positive, negative or mixed? Intensity – How strongly do people feel about this issue? Stability – How likely is public opinion to change about this issue?

Why do citizens join interest groups?

By pooling their resources, they can influence the government more than they could individually.

What is one limit on the freedom of the press?

Libel National Security Broadcast Regulations Who gets airtime.

What is one way that the media influences politics and the government?

Setting the public agenda Influencing candidates and elections Relationship with elected officials Playing a watchdog role Keeping the public informed, even when in conflicts with national security. Influencing public opinion

What is leaking, and why is it a useful tool for politicians?

It is useful in several ways: A leak is the release of secret government information by anonymous government officials to the media. It is useful in several ways: Allows secret tests of public reaction Make competition look bad Expose corruption Get others to pay attention to a problem Make friends with a reporter Influence public opinion

What are two ways that government officials and other groups can measure public opinion?

Election Results Public Opinion Polls

Why must pollsters be careful when creating polls and wording their questions?

Because it is possible to manipulate questions and other parts of the polling process to get nearly any answer the pollsters want.

How do interest groups try to influence the government and shape public policy?

Influence the election directly. Going to Court Lobbying Lawmakers

Why do politicians need to know public opinion?

It helps shape the decisions of officials, since they need the support of the people to carry out certain programs. Knowing public opinion also allows officials to time their decisions to be the most effective.

Be able to identify which of the propaganda techniques we discussed is being used, and defend your choice.

Definitions are found on p. 274 Endorsements Stacked Cards Name-Calling Glittering Generality Symbols Just Plain Folks The Bandwagon Definitions are found on p. 274