5 Political Behavior and Representation Free Online FlashCards

What does political behavior describe?

Political behavior is how people form political opinions, participate in public life, and choose or influence leaders.

How does a plurality contest determine its winner?

In a plurality contest, the candidate with the most votes wins, even if they do not receive a majority.

How does proportional representation allocate seats?

In proportional representation, parties receive seats roughly in proportion to their share of the vote, subject to the system’s rules.

What is descriptive representation?

Descriptive representation concerns whether representatives share important characteristics or experiences with the people they represent.

What is substantive representation?

Substantive representation concerns whether representatives act on the interests of the people they represent.

What does policy responsiveness measure?

Policy responsiveness asks whether government decisions respond to public preferences.

What roles do political parties perform?

Parties seek public office and shape policy through elected officials. They nominate candidates, develop platforms, coordinate campaigns, organize governing coalitions, and mobilize voters.

How do interest groups differ from political parties?

Parties seek to win office and govern; interest groups generally seek to influence public decisions without aiming to govern by winning office.

What is an interest group?

An interest group is an organized association that seeks to influence public decisions, often for a particular issue or constituency.

What distinguishes a social movement from a single protest?

A social movement is a sustained collective effort to bring about or resist social or political change. It often builds shared goals over time and uses multiple tactics.

What is public opinion?

Public opinion is the distribution of people’s views about political leaders, policies, institutions, or events; those views may differ in content and certainty.

What makes a poll useful for estimating public opinion?

A useful poll defines the population, uses a reasonably representative sample, asks clear and neutrally worded questions, and reports how and when responses were collected.