| Overall Vocabulary | The Electoral College | Influence of Mass Media on Politics | Influential Interest Groups | Campaign Finance Laws |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hard Money
Highly regulated donations to candidates for political office.
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January
The date in which the Senate opens and counts ballots.
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$7,000,000
The record-breaking amount of money that was spent on just advertising in the 2012 election.
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Techniques used by Interest Groups to spread their message
Lobbying, electioneering, litigation, public support.
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Barack Obama
The first ever president to refuse government funding for his campaign.
|
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Political Action Committee (PAC)
A 527 organization that pools campaign contributions from members and donates those funds to campaigns for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation.
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270
The number of electoral votes a candidate must receive in order to win.
|
The three essential roles of the free press in a democracy
Serving as a watchdog over the government, setting the public agenda, and supporting the free exchange of ideas, information, and opinions.
|
The National Rifle Association (NRA)
An active membership and very hefty bank account make this Interest Group the envy of others.
|
$5,000
The limit placed on PAC spending towards candidate donations.
|
|
Interest Group
A collection of people who share some common interest or attitude and seek to influence government for specific things.
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The House of Representatives
If the Electoral College cannot decide on a candidate, this governmental House must decide.
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The purpose of leaking opponents' information during an election
Exposing corruption, stirring up support, spinning an event in their favor, influencing reporters.
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The U.S. Chamber of Commerce
The biggest organizational spender in American politics and a very frequent supporter of the Republican Party, this group of 3 million+ members spent $1 billion on political action from 1998-2014.
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SuperPACs have no limit on spending.
The difference between PACs and SuperPACs.
|
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Soft Money
Money donated to political parties in a way that leaves the contributions unregulated
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The 2016 election
This major election saw the winner of the popular vote actually lose the election.
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"If it bleeds, it leads"
The slogan that most news stations use in reference to how they present their stories and choose what to report on.
|
The American Medical Association (AMA)
This group frequently supports Republican candidates and spent about $360 million in lobbying from 1998-2014.
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The Federal Election Commission (FEC)
The group that oversees public funds given to presidential candidates and enforces regulations on said funding.
|
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Horse-Race Journalism
A practice which journalists and reporters use in regards to government coverage and campaign coverage with emphasis on who is gaining or losing, not on what is being done about issues.
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5 out of 45
The amount of elections in which the winner of the popular vote lost the election altogether.
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Media bias
When a news station reports information unfairly, or shows a certain affinity to one political side or another.
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The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
An extremely well known group with over 37 million members that represents the interests of Americans aged 50+.
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The Bi-Partisan Campaign Reform Act (also known as the McCain-Feingold Act)
The act that was put into place to reduce the spending and advertising that unions/businesses could do 30 days prior to elections.
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