Review+Session+3-+Political+Parties+and+Behavior

= AP US Government and Politics Review  =
 * Review Session #3 Review Political Parties/Elections and Interest Groups **

** Two party system in the USA ** · History (especially since 1932, the last big realignment) · Third Parties · Dealignment? decline in party loyalty; decline in participation · gender gap · racial gap · geographic cleavages? · conservative - liberal shift? (national committees; state committees; Congressional committees; campaign committees; conventions; PACs; soft money; Campaigns: Conventions, primaries, general election campaigns  ** Election reform **   campaign reform; campaign finance reform
 * Party organization **

expanding eligibility over time factors affecting voting behavior: ages, socioeconomic status, residence, ethnicity, education factors affecting voting decisions: income, occupation, education, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, geography, family, party affiliation, perception of candidates and policies, feeling of efficacy additional factors shaping public opinion: polls, media (changes in press and broadcast media), internet 19 th amendment 26 th amendment
 * Suffrage **

goal to influence policy not to win office public interest groups; special interest groups; single issue groups; broadly focused groups pluralism (Federalist 10); hyperpluralism; elitism; lobbying - insiders and outsiders; lobbying elected officials; lobbying bureaucrats and regulators, lobbying the public; providing information; applying pressure; contributing to campaigns Iron Triangles
 * Interest Groups**