AP US Government · Unit 5
Political Participation: every key term you need (+ practice quiz)
22 flashcard terms for AP US Government Unit 5, written to match the course framework. Study them here, then drill them as interactive flashcards, or test yourself with the 10-question quiz — free, no account needed.
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Linkage Institutions Channels that connect citizens to government and policymakers: political parties, elections, interest groups, and the media.
Fifteenth Amendment (1870) Prohibited denying the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
Seventeenth Amendment (1913) Provided for the direct election of U.S. senators by voters rather than by state legislatures.
Nineteenth Amendment (1920) Guaranteed women the right to vote, prohibiting denial of suffrage on the basis of sex.
Twenty-Fourth Amendment (1964) Abolished poll taxes in federal elections, removing a barrier used to disenfranchise poor and minority voters.
Twenty-Sixth Amendment (1971) Lowered the national voting age to 18 for all citizens.
Voter Turnout The percentage of eligible citizens who actually vote; influenced by education, age, income, registration laws, and efficacy.
Rational-Choice and Retrospective Voting Rational-choice voting is based on perceived self-interest; retrospective voting judges incumbents on past performance.
Prospective and Party-Line Voting Prospective voting is based on what a candidate promises to do; party-line voting means supporting a single party's candidates.
Political Party Functions Parties recruit candidates, mobilize voters, organize government, and provide a label that structures voter choice.
Two-Party System A system dominated by two major parties, reinforced by single-member districts and winner-take-all (plurality) elections.
Third Parties Minor parties that rarely win but can raise issues, influence major-party platforms, and act as spoilers.
Critical (Realigning) Election An election that produces a major, lasting shift in the party coalitions and balance of power.
Electoral College The body of electors that formally elects the president; each state's total equals its representatives plus senators, and most use winner-take-all.
Incumbency Advantage The electoral edge held by current officeholders due to name recognition, funding, and constituent services.
Interest Groups Organizations that seek to influence public policy on behalf of shared goals through lobbying, litigation, and mobilization.
Political Action Committee (PAC) An organization that raises and spends limited, regulated money to elect or defeat candidates.
Super PAC A group that can raise and spend unlimited money on independent expenditures but cannot coordinate directly with candidates.
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Citizens United v. FEC (2010) Ruled that limiting independent political spending by corporations and unions violates free speech, enabling super PACs.
Federal Election Campaign Act & Soft/Hard Money Campaign finance law regulating contributions; hard money is regulated donations to candidates, soft money is less-regulated party spending.
Media as a Linkage Institution The press informs the public, sets the agenda, frames issues, and serves as a watchdog over government.
Iron Law / Free Rider Problem The free-rider problem occurs when people enjoy a group's benefits without joining, weakening interest-group participation.
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