Unit 5: Political Participation
Unit 5 will make up 20-27% of the AP Exam weight.
5.1.A.1 Expansion of opportunities for political participation are found in the legal protections of the Amendments to the Constitution.
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5.1.B.1 Various models explain difference sin voting behavior.
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5.2.A.1 Structural barriers (such as polling hours, availability of absentee ballots, etc.), political efficacy (the belief that an individual's participation in the political process will make a difference), and demographics can influence differences in voter turnout in the U.S.
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i. Differences in state-controlled elections (the hours polls are open, Voter ID laws, variations in funding for polling places and workers, variations in types of voting allowed, such as voting by mail, absentee voting, and early voting).
ii. Variations in voter registration laws and procedures (registering in-person, online, or automatically). iii. Election type (more turnout for presidential elections than midterm elections). |
PMI-5.A.1 Linkage institutions are channels that allow individuals to communicate their preferences to policy-makers:
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PMI-5.B.1 The functions and impact of political parties on the electorate and government are represented by:
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5.4.A.1 Parties have adapted to candidate-centered campaigns, where the public focus is on the characteristics of the candidate and not on the party. The role of parties in nominating candidates has also been weakened.
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i. Critical elections (elections in which there is a realignment of political party support among voters)
ii. Campaign finance law iii. Changes in communication and data-management technology |
5.5.A.1 In comparison to proportional systems, winner-take-all voting districts serve as a structural barrier to third-party and independent candidate success. Winner-take-all voting advantages the two-party system in the U.S.
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5.6.A.1 Interest groups may represent very specific or more general interests, and can educate voters and office holders, conduct lobbying, draft legislation, and mobilize membership to apply pressure on and work with legislators and government agencies. Interest groups may also file an amicus curiae brief (a written document submitted as a "friend of the court" to provide additional information for justices to consider when reviewing a case).
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5.6.B.1 The inequality of interest group resources affects the mount of influence they may have on the policymaking process.
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5.7.A.2 Competing actors such as interest groups, professional organizations, social movements, the military, and bureaucratic agencies influence policy making, such as the federal budget process, at key stages and to varying degrees.
5.7.A.3 Elections and political parties are related to major policy shifts or initiatives, occasionally leading to political realignments of voting constituencies.
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5.8.A.1 The process and outcomes in U.S. presidential elections are affected by:
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5.8.B.1 States can choose how they allocate their electors; most states use a winner-take-all system. Because the results of the Electoral College vote may not be the same as the popular vote nationwide, there is an ongoing debate over the Electoral College.
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5.9.A.1 The process and outcomes in U.S. congressional elections are impacted by:
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5.10.A.1 The benefits and drawbacks of modern campaigns are represented by:
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5.11.A.1 Federal legislation and case law pertaining to campaign finance demonstrate the ongoing debate over the role of money in political and free speech, as set forth in:
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), which
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5.12.A.1 Agenda setting takes place when traditional news media, new communication technologies, and advances in social media influence how citizens routinely acquire political information, including news events, investigative journalism, election coverage, and political commentary.
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5.13.A.1 Political participation is influenced by a variety of media coverage, analysis, and commentary on political events.
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i. Increased media choices
ii. Ideologically oriented programming iii. Consumer-driven media outlets and emerging technologies that reinforce existing beliefs iv. Uncertainty over the credibility of news sources and information |
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