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UNIT 3 MAIN IDEA PACKET: Political Behavior

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT CHAPTERS 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9

CHAPTER

POLITICAL PARTIES

Chapter 5 Section 1: Parties and What They Do THE BIG IDEA: Political Parties, essential to democratic government, shape the way government works and perform important functions.

Answer the following questions by reading Chapter 5 section 1.

What is a political party?

FINISH THIS CHART GRAPHIC SUMMARY: Functions of Political Parties

FUNCTIONS EXPLANATION

NOMINATE CANDIDATES

INFORM & INSPIRE VOTERS

Inform people about and stimulate interest in public affairs.

ENSURE CANDIDATE QUALITY

(The Bonding Agent)

Try to ensure that candidates and officeholders are qualified and of good character.

HELP GOVERN

Operate on partisan lines in Congress and State legislatures.

ACT AS WATCHDOGS

Chapter 5 Section 2: The Two-Party System THE BIG IDEA: The United States’ two-party system is a result of history; several factors have helped maintain it over time.

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GRAPHIC REPRESENATION: Factors Behind a Two-Party System

Chapter 5 Section 3: The Two-Party System in American History THE BIG IDEA: The United States’ two major political parties have a history of alternating control of government.

GRAPHIC SUMMARY: POLITICAL PARTIES IN AMERICAN HISTORY. Note: This timeline shows generalities of power. For example it doesn’t show the presidents who are considered to be in the Whig political party.

1789 1860 1950 70 90 2010 Federalists Anti-Federalists;

Democrats Republicans D R D R D R D R D

1800 1932 60 80 2000

Use the timeline above to answer this question.

Describe how power has shifted since the mid 1900’s.

American Two-Party

System

History: Two parties have

been around since the ratification of the Constitution.

Tradition: That's the way it's

always been.

Elections: Single member

districts and election laws

discourage minor parties.

Consensus: Americans

generally agree on key matters.

Describe how single-member districts promote the two-party system: (make sure your

description includes the word plurality)

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FINISH THIS CHART OF VOCABULARY TERMS:

INCUMBENT

FACTIONS

ELECTORATE

SECTIONALISM Devotion to the interests of one region.

Chapter 5 Section 4: The Minor Parties THE BIG IDEA: Many minor parties have been active in American politics, and at times they have had important effects on elections and issues.

Answer the following questions using chapter 5 section 4.

What is the way minor parties contribute to the United States?

Why would a major party dislike a splinter party?

How is an ideological party different from a single issue party?

After reading chapter 5 section 4, use your personal opinion to answer this question:

If you were going to join a minor party, which one would it be and why?

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Chapter 5 Section 5: Party Organization THE BIG IDEA: The structure of the major parties is decentralized; their different parts work together mostly during national elections.

FINISH THIS CHART: GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION: NATIONAL PARTY MACHINERY

MECHANISM TERMS OR WHEN IS TAKES PLACE

ROLE

National Convention

Every 4th

year, the summer before presidential election.

National Committee

Between conventions Mainly prepares for the next National Convention.

National Chairperson

For a four-year term

Congressional Campaign

Two years, during a term of Congress

Work to re-elect incumbents and to unseat the other party’s incumbents in each house.

Answer the following questions using the chart above and chapter 5 section 5.

What does the national committee do?

Why do you think political parties focus on congressional campaigns?

What are the two factors that contribute to the decentralization of the parties? (Page 138)

CHAPTER

VOTERS AND VOTER BEHAVIOR

Chapter 6 Section 1: The Right to Vote THE BIG IDEA: The United States expanded its electorate through the elimination of restrictions on voting qualifications.

Answer the following questions using chapter 6 section.

What is suffrage?

What is the electorate?

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GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION: The Expansion of Voting Rights

SPECIFIC LEGAL DOCUMENTATION

DESCRIPTION OF LEGAL LAW

CONSTITUTION

-States cannot violate any part of the Constitution when they set suffrage requirements. -States cannot have different qualifications for voting in State and federal elections.

15TH

AMENDMENT (1870) States cannot use race to determine who can vote.

19TH

AMENDMENT (1920) States cannot require people to be male to vote.

24TH

AMENDMENT (1964) States cannot use the payment of taxes to determine who can vote.

26TH

AMENDMENT (1971) States cannot require people to be older than 18 to vote.

Answer the following questions using the chart above.

Which Amendment gave women the right to vote?

What did the 24th

Amendment do?

Are there currently any States in which you cannot vote until you are 19?

Chapter 6 Section 2: Voter Qualifications THE BIG IDEA: While all States have requirements for voting, most of those used to disenfranchise certain groups have been eliminated over time.

GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION: How States Decide Who Can Vote

VOTER QUALIFICATIONS STATUS

U.S. Citizenship Required by all States.

State Residence Most States require 10-50 days. (Average of 30 days)

Age All States require a minimum age of 18.

Voter Registration Signing up with local election officials (Required in 49 States)

Mental Competency No State allows voting rights to anyone in a mental institution or legally considered mentally incompetent.

Criminal Record Most States deny voting rights to anyone convicted of a serious crime.

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Answer the following questions after reading Chapter 6 Section 2. Some can be answered by using the previous chart.

What or who decides on voter qualifications?

What is voter registration? Why do we have it?

Chart Skill: Name two groups of citizens who are denied the right to vote in most States.

Chart –Super- Skill: How many states do not require Voter Registration?

Chapter 6 Section 3: Suffrage and Civil Rights THE BIG IDEA: Civil Rights laws came about to protect Americans from being disenfranchised because of race.

This cartoon depicts Bluto beating up Popeye. Until Popeye eats his spinach and the tables are turned…

Answer the following questions after reading Chapter 6 Section 3. (Read this section and think about why the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is important)

Which character represents the 15th

Amendment (African Americans voting)?

What represents the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

Which character represents the South?

Bluto Popeye

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Chapter 6 Section 4: Voter Behavior THE BIG IDEA: While low voter turnout is a serious problem, many factors influence the Americans who do vote.

GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION: Factors Influencing Voter Behavior

Answer the following questions by using the graph above.

What are the two types of factors that influence voting behavior?

List five sociological factors that influence voting behavior.

AFTER READING CHAPTER 6 SECTION 4: FILL IN THE CHARACTERISTICS IN THE CHART BELOW TO COMPARE SOME FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE WHETHER PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO VOTE DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN. *Many people disagree with generalizations.

FACTORS DEMOCRAT REPUBLICAN

INCOME/OCCUPATION -Lower Status -Lower Income

-Higher Status -Higher Income

EDUCATION

GENDER/AGE -Men -Older

RELIGION -Catholics -Jews

ETHNICITY

GEOGRAPHY -Many Southern States -Big Cities

Maine, Vermont, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota; suburbs.

SOCIOLOGICAL FACTORS -Income -Religion -Occupation -Ethnicity -Education -Region of residence -Gender -Age -Family

PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS -Party Identification -Perception of candidates -Perception of issues

VOTER BEHAVIOR

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CHAPTER

THE ELECTORAL PROCESS

Chapter 7 Section 1: The Nominating Process THE BIG IDEA: The nominating process is a key part of an election because it narrows the field of possible candidates.

FINISH THE CHART BELOW *Candidates in most states are now nominated in direct primaries. GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION: Ways to Nominate Candidates

NOMINATING METHOD HOW IT WORKS

Self-Announcement A person declares him or herself to be a candidate.

Caucus A group of like-minded people meet to select candidates.

Convention A political party’s members meet to select candidates.

Direct Primary

Closed Primary

Open Primary

Petition A Candidate gets a certain number of qualified voters to sign a petition.

Chapter 7 Section 2: Elections THE BIG IDEA: The detailed procedures that govern the casting of votes for elected officials help ensure a democratic way of life.

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Local Caucuses

District Conventions

State Conventions

Presidential Primaries

National Conventions

CAMPAIGN

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GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION: Election Procedures

THE BASICS OF ELECTION OF PROCEDURE

Elections are largely governed by State law.

Aspects of national elections such as dates are governed by federal law.

Voting takes place in voting districts called precincts.

Within the precincts, voters cast their votes at polling places.

A ballot is used to register a person’s vote.

Most States use a form of the Australian ballot –either an office-group ballot or a party-column ballot.

Answer the following questions by using the graph above.

What are voting districts called?

What is used to register a person’s vote?

Which division of government controls most aspects of the elections?

What determines the dates of national elections?

Chapter 7 Section 3: Money & Elections THE BIG IDEA: The use of money, a needed campaign resource that poses a variety of problems, is regulated in today’s elections.

GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION: Political Campaign Money

Political Campaign Money

private contributions

individuals

families

candidates

PAC's

(Political Action Committee)

Federal Election Commission

regulates federal elections

does not regulate soft money

does regulate hard money

public Subsidies

State treasuries

Federal treasury

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Answer the following questions by using the graph on previous page.

Who gives public subsidies to campaigns?

What is a PAC?

What type of money does the Federal Election Commission (FEC) regulate?

What are the two basic sources that candidates draw their money from?

CHAPTER

MASS MEDIA & PUBLIC OPINION

Chapter 8 Section 1: The Formation of Public Opinion THE BIG IDEA: Several factors, including family and education, help to shape a person’s opinions about public affairs.

Answer the following questions after reading Chapter 8 Section 1

What is Public Opinion?

What are public affairs?

GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION: Factors That Shape Public Opinion

PUBLIC OPINION

family

education

occupation

historic events

race

opinion leaders

peer groups

mass media

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Chapter 8 Section 2: Measuring Public Opinion THE BIG IDEA: Of the methods, for measuring public opinion, polls are the most effective.

GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION: Measuring Public Opinion

Answer the following question by using the graph above.

List the four indicators of public opinion.

Chapter 8 Section 3: The Mass Media THE BIG IDEA: The media are our most important source of political information.

GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION: The Mass Media

Public Opinion

Indicators of Public Opinion

election results

interest groups

media

personal contacts

Accurate Measures of

Public Opinion scientific polling

random sampling

quota sampling

MASS MEDIA

television

radio

newspapers

magazines

other media

books

films

internet social

networks

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Answer the following questions after reading Chapter 8 Section 3

A is a means of communication; media is the words plural.

The Media plays a large role in setting Public Agenda. What is Public Agenda?

What are sound bites?

CHAPTER

INTEREST GROUPS

Chapter 9 Section 1: The Nature of Interest Groups THE BIG IDEA: Interest groups offer Americans an important means of influencing U.S. public policy.

Answer the following question:

What is an interest Group?

GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION: Are Interest Groups Good or Bad?

INTEREST GROUPS

Positives Negatives 1. helps stimulate interest in public affairs 2. are based on shared views; not shared geography 3. provide information to government 4. keep tabs on government 5. can limit each other’s extremes

1. can have more influence than they deserve 2. difficult to figure out how many people they represent 3. some do not represent the views of all the people for whom they claim to speak 4. some engage in dishonest behavior

Use the chart and your personal opinion to answer this question:

Do you think interest groups are helpful to the United States?

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Chapter 9 Section 2: Types of Interest Groups THE BIG IDEA: Interest groups are formed around many issues, such as public interest and economics.

GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION: Types of Interest Groups

PURPOSE EXAMPLE

to promote business American Bankers Association

to organize labor Fraternal Order of Police

to protect agricultural interests National Farmers Union

to promote professions American Medical Association

to promote social programs Veterans of Foreign Wars

for religious purposes American Jewish Congress

for the public good League of Women Voters

Use the chart and your personal opinion to answer this question by writing a small paragraph.

What type of interest group would help you the most?

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Chapter 9 Section 3: Interest Groups at Work THE BIG IDEA: Interest groups use propaganda, form political action committees, and engage lobbyists in order to influence public opinion.

GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION: Techniques Used by Interest Groups

After reading Chapter 9 Section 3 and looking at the chart above, Answer this question:

When Interest Groups are Lobbying, what exactly are they doing?

Techniques Used by

Interest Groups to Achieve Their Goals

PROPAGANDA

• persuasive techniques aimed at influencing individual and group behaviors to create certain beliefs.

PACs

• political action committees that work for or against political candidates and may make campaign contributions.

LOBBYING

• bringing pressure to bear on all aspects of the making of public policy