POLS 102 MERCURIO FINAL EXAM TERMS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
| NEW UPDATE 2025
1. interest group A collection of people who share a common interest or attitude and seek to
influence government for specific ends. Interest groups usually work within the
framework of government and try to achieve their goals through tactics such as
lobbying.
2. Lobbyist The individuals who represent and advocate on behalf of an interest group.
3. public interest An interest group that advocates for an issue that benefits society as a whole.
group
4. economic inter- Interest groups that include organizations that lobby for big businesses.
est groups
5. grassroots lobby- Ettorts to mobilize local support for an issue position the group has taken.
ing
6. Political Action A political arm of a business, labor, trade, professional, or other group. Are legally
Committee (PAC) authorized to raise voluntary funds from employees or members of the group to
contribute to a party or candidate.
7. agenda building The process by which new issues are brought to the attention of political deci-
sion-makers.
8. program moni- When individuals or groups keep track of the government's actions to determine
toring whether and how a bureaucracy or other administrative agency is implementing
legislation.
9. voter fatigue The term for the apathy that the electorate can experience when they are required
to vote too often in too many elections.
10. open primaries Allows anyone who is eligible to vote in the primary election to vote for a party's
selection.
11. closed primaries
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, POLS 102 MERCURIO FINAL EXAM TERMS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
| NEW UPDATE 2025
Voters are required to register with a specific party before the election and are only
able to vote in the party's election for which they are registered.
12. presidential pri- A series of staggered electoral contests in which members of a party choose
mary delegates to attend the party's national convention which oflcially nominates the
party's presidential candidate.
13. Caucus A meeting of party members to choose party oflcials or candidates for public oflce
and to decide the platform.
14. voter turnout the percentage of eligible citizens who actually vote in a given election
15. rational choice Developed by Anthony Downs, who argued that individuals are self-interested ac-
model tors who use a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether it is in their self-interest
to vote.
16. civic duty model a person votes out of a sense of responsibility to the political unit, or a commitment
to democratic government and the obligations and duties as well as the rights of
citizens to maintain self-government.
17. political efficacy The belief that one's political participation really matters - that one's vote can
actually make a ditterence
18. Individual expla- voting based on an individual's motivation
nations
19. system explana- focus on aspects of the political system that attect voter turnout.
tions
20. voter registration the requirement that a person check in with some central registry in order to be
allowed to vote in an election.
21. Ideology
2/9
| NEW UPDATE 2025
1. interest group A collection of people who share a common interest or attitude and seek to
influence government for specific ends. Interest groups usually work within the
framework of government and try to achieve their goals through tactics such as
lobbying.
2. Lobbyist The individuals who represent and advocate on behalf of an interest group.
3. public interest An interest group that advocates for an issue that benefits society as a whole.
group
4. economic inter- Interest groups that include organizations that lobby for big businesses.
est groups
5. grassroots lobby- Ettorts to mobilize local support for an issue position the group has taken.
ing
6. Political Action A political arm of a business, labor, trade, professional, or other group. Are legally
Committee (PAC) authorized to raise voluntary funds from employees or members of the group to
contribute to a party or candidate.
7. agenda building The process by which new issues are brought to the attention of political deci-
sion-makers.
8. program moni- When individuals or groups keep track of the government's actions to determine
toring whether and how a bureaucracy or other administrative agency is implementing
legislation.
9. voter fatigue The term for the apathy that the electorate can experience when they are required
to vote too often in too many elections.
10. open primaries Allows anyone who is eligible to vote in the primary election to vote for a party's
selection.
11. closed primaries
1/9
, POLS 102 MERCURIO FINAL EXAM TERMS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
| NEW UPDATE 2025
Voters are required to register with a specific party before the election and are only
able to vote in the party's election for which they are registered.
12. presidential pri- A series of staggered electoral contests in which members of a party choose
mary delegates to attend the party's national convention which oflcially nominates the
party's presidential candidate.
13. Caucus A meeting of party members to choose party oflcials or candidates for public oflce
and to decide the platform.
14. voter turnout the percentage of eligible citizens who actually vote in a given election
15. rational choice Developed by Anthony Downs, who argued that individuals are self-interested ac-
model tors who use a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether it is in their self-interest
to vote.
16. civic duty model a person votes out of a sense of responsibility to the political unit, or a commitment
to democratic government and the obligations and duties as well as the rights of
citizens to maintain self-government.
17. political efficacy The belief that one's political participation really matters - that one's vote can
actually make a ditterence
18. Individual expla- voting based on an individual's motivation
nations
19. system explana- focus on aspects of the political system that attect voter turnout.
tions
20. voter registration the requirement that a person check in with some central registry in order to be
allowed to vote in an election.
21. Ideology
2/9
