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Government 2301Study Guide: Second Exam
The following terms, ideas and questions are meant to aid you in preparing for the final exam. For additional assistance, you should consult the last page or two of each chapter.
Ginsberg et al We the PeopleChapter 6: Public OpinionPublic opinion Values attitudes ideology Political socialization Liberalism and liberalism Conservatism and conservatism Right wing v left wing Gender gap Factors shaping public opinion Bellwether districts Polling Quota sampling Probability sampling Random sampling reliability Systemic sampling Area sampling Push polling Illusion of central tendency Illusion of saliency Study questions: what are some of the problems involved in trying to identify public opinion on a certain issue of set of issues? Why are some polls a better measurement of public opinion than others? Chapter 7: The MediaNationalization of the news Prior restraint Communications Decency Act Liberal bias of press FCC Sources of media power Newspapers v. radio v. tv v. internet Adversarial journalism Watergate Press bias Agenda setting Framing priming Study questions: how is the media held accountable to the people? To the government? Is there a tension between democratic values and media concerns over profitability? How have changes in the technology of the media affected American politics?
Chapter 8: Political Participation and VotingDifferent forms of participation Poll tax Voting rights Voter mobilization Voting participation Non-voting Turnout Obstacles to voting Study Questions: what factors appear to account for different levels of participation and voting in politics? What are some of the factors that have limited participation in the past? Chapter 9: Political PartiesNational committees Congressional campaign committees State party organizations Party identification Democrats Republicans Realignment Dealignment Critical election Third parties Reform party Functions of parties Two-party system Caucus National convention Proportional representation Single member districts Party platform Nomination process Closed primaries Open primaries Labor-intensive politics Capital intensive politics PACs FEC Hard money Soft money Public financing Study questions: what are some of the consequences of declining party organization in American politics? What are some of the major ideological differences separating the Republican Party from the Democratic Party? What are the consequences of en electoral realignment? Of an electoral dealignment? Be familiar with the major eras in American political history.
Chapter 10: Campaigns and ElectionsPolitical parties The two-party system Doctrine of responsible party govt Voter turnout Plurality system v. majority system Proportional representation Gerrymandering Coattail effect Split ticket voting Caucus Electoral College Voter turnout Critical elections Single member districts Third parties Campaign Finance Reform of 2002 Bush v. Gore election Study questions: Do elections matter? Why or why not? How are elections regulated by the government? How do elections translate voter preferences into public policy? Contrast the support for George Bush in the 2000 elections with that for Al Gore.
Chapter 11: Groups and Interests Pluralism Cross cutting cleavages Potential groups Collective action Free rider problem Selective incentives Strategies of interest groups Lobbying Access Iron triangles Interest group liberalism PACs Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002 Study questions: what roles do groups play in American politics? Are all groups represented equally? Why or why not? How have groups overcome the problem of collective action in American politics? How does Madison’s view of “factions” differ from a modern view of “groups”? Chapter 20: Political Culture of TexasState political cultures: Moralistic individualistic traditionalistic characteristics of Texas political culture Schumpeter Creative destruction Cotton/cattle Oil High tech Describe the changes in Texas population in 90s Changes in Texas political system in 90s urbanization redistricting Study questions: How has the political culture in Texas differed from that in the nation as a whole? What factors define political culture in Texas today? Chapter 21: Texas ConstitutionFunctions of state constitution Comparisons of state and federal constitutions Texas Revolution Texas Declaration of Independence Texas Constitutions prior to 1876 Constitution of 1876 Governor Davis Major features of Texas constitution Plural executive Know major executive officers names in Texas Amending Texas constitution Study questions: How do the assumptions about power and government underlying the Texas constitution of 1876 differ from that of the US Constitution? How do they resemble the US Constitution?
Chapter 22: Parties and Elections in TexasRole of Political Parties in Texas One-Party State Organization of state parties Shivercrats Growth of Republican party Run-off primaries Open primaries Closed primaries Special elections Politiqueras Tower race Clements race Williams race Californiazation of Texas politics Results of 2002 election in Texas Study questions: What forces reshaped political parties in Texas from 1980 – 2000? Would you expend the trend favoring the Republican Party to continue through 2010? Why or why not?
Chapter 23: Interest Groups in TexasTexas Trial Lawyers Access PACs Issue advocacy Campaign financing in Texas Study questions: What threats do interest groups pose to democratic decision making processes in Texas? Are interest groups more or less a threat in Texas than they are at a national level?
Chapter 27: Local GovernmentCounty government Commissioner Court County Commissioner Mayor Council Government Commissioner Government Council-Manager Government Home Rule Cities General Law Cities Special Districts
Peter Woll Reader: One should know the central ideas in each essay and be prepared to compare them with those found in other essays.
Movies: Be prepared to discuss the major themes from the movies discussed in class. |
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