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Ch. 7 and 9 NSL > 1-53 > Flashcards

1-53 Flashcards

1
Q

Winner-take-all system

A

an election system in which the candidate with the most votes wins. Doesn’t need a majority of the votes (more than half) but a plurality (largest #)

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2
Q

Single-member district

A

in any district for any given election- senator, governor, house, state legislative seat- the voters choose one representative or official. Ex: if a 3rd party gets 25% of the vote, it gets no seats

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3
Q

Proportional representation

A

An election system in which each party running receives the proportion of the vote. Rewards minority parties and permits them to participate in government

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4
Q

Safe Seats

A

An elected office that is predictably won by one party or the other, so the success of that party’s candidate is almost taken for granted

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5
Q

Coattail effect

A

The boost candidates get from running along with a popular presidential candidate from their party. In midterm election,s presidential popularity and economic conditions have long been associated with number of house seats a presidents party looses

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6
Q

Soft money

A

Money raised in unlimited amounts by political parties for party-building purposes. Now largely illegal except for limited contributions to state or local parties for voter registration and get-out-the vote effects

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7
Q

Hard Money

A

Limited/ regulated/documented contributions. BCRA raised limits to $4000 individual $10000 PACS

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8
Q

Independant Expenditures (Buckley v. Valeo)

A

Money spent by individuals or groups not associated with candidates to elect or defeat candidates for office
THE BUCKLEY DECISION ALLOWED LIMITATIONS ON CONTRIBUTIONS AND FULL AND OPEN DISCLOSURE OF FUND-RAISING ACTIVITIES OF CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR OFFICE

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9
Q

Campaign Finance reform

A

Another group of reformers will press for more aggressive reforms than those found in BCRA. Included in this reform will be reining in the 527 and 501(c) groups, restructuring public financing of presidential elections to sustain this element of FECA and possibly extending public finance of congressional elections

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10
Q

Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA)

A
  • Limited amount of funds that candidates for federal office could spend on advertising
  • required disclosure of sources of campaign funds & how they’re spent
  • Required political action committees to register w gov and report all major contributions and expenditures.
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11
Q

Amendments to FECA

A
  • established more realistic limits
  • made FEC
  • strengthened disclosure laws
  • provided partial funding for presidential primaries
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12
Q

BCRA (Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002)

A
  • largely banned party soft-money
    -restored a long standing prohibition on corporations and labor unions for using general treasury funds for electoral purposes
  • narrowed definition of issue advocacy
    Over turned in citizens united v FEC
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13
Q

Issue Advocacy

A

Promoting a particular position on an issue paid for by interest groups or individuals but not candidates.
Much issue advocacy is often electioneering for or against a candidate, avoiding words like “vote for”

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14
Q

Electoral College

A

Direct popular election of the president
Presidents would be directly elected by the voters, like governors and electoral college and individual electors would be abolished.
Right now the president must win electoral votes to win presidency

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15
Q

Term limits

A

President is limited to 2 4 year terms
No limit on Congressional terms
currently 15 states have term limits for state legislatures
6 year senate terms, 2 year house terms

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16
Q

22nd Amendment

A

Limits presidents to 2 terms
Each term is 4 years so a president can only serve 8 years
Knowing a pres can’t run again changes the way members of Congress, the voters, and press regard him

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17
Q

Caucus

A

Voters meet, discuss and vote

Iowa is the first caucus of the year

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18
Q

Primaries

A

Uses a voting booth
used by 3/4 of states
New Hampshire is the first primary of the year

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19
Q

Republican Party history

A
  • favors limited government interference
  • More Republicans in South
  • Ideology of the Party switched after FDR’s New Deal, many well off white people did not like the reforms the New deal proposed
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20
Q

Democratic Party history

A
  • Used to be the “solid south”
  • FDR was a democrat, New deal caused many democrats to support him and his gov reforms
  • Favor government action, welfare programs, etc
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21
Q

Honey moon period

A

period of time at beginning of a new presidents term during which the president enjoys generally positive relations with the press and congress, usually lasts 6 months

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22
Q

Political Party

A

organizations that seek political power by electing people to office who will help party positions and philosophy become public policy.

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23
Q

Open primary

A

Any voter, regardless of party, can participate in the primary of whichever party he or she chooses
permits crossover voting

24
Q

Closed primary

A

only persons already registered in that party may participate

25
Realigning election
election that proves to be a turning point, redefining the agenda of politics and the alignment of voters within a party characterized by intense voter turnout, disruptions of traditional voting patterns, changes in relationships of power, new and durable electoral groupings
26
Divided government
governance divided between parties, as when one holds presidency and one holds both or one of the houses of congress
27
Dealignment
independents are increasing in number = period of dealignment weakening of partisan preferences that points to a rejection of both major parties and a rise in # of independents
28
Voter turnout
percentage of people eligible for voting vs how many actually vote ex. 10 people can vote but 5 do, 50% voter turnout
29
Party registration
what party people choose to be affiliated with when they vote
30
Party Identification
psychological attachment to a political party that most people acquire in childhood
31
Party convention
ratify party platform, choose candidates, elect officers, adopt rules
32
Two- Party system
two major parties in the US (republican and democrat) the president is of one of these two parties people vote more on candidate appeal than parties unlike multi-party system where it is party centeredq
33
Citizens United V. FEC
ruling stating that corporations, unions, and nonprofit organizations have free speech rights, and they can spend unlimited amounts of treasury funds on a candidate overturned previous laws that said corporations had to create PACS (to raise hard money).
34
Soft money limitations
BCRA required that businesses, labor unions, and other organizations couldn't use their treasury funds to pay for ads and could only use hard money
35
What was upheld in Buckley V. Valeo
1. Limited amount of contributions to campaigns by individuals and PACs 2. Required documentation and disclosure of all money received by candidates 3. Federal Election Commission created to enforce campaign finance laws 4. Public financing system created for presidential candidates
36
FEC
Created to reinforce campaign finance laws
37
delegate
represent presidential candidate in an election (vote for them, number of votes depend on population and who won the state vote)
38
Gerrymandering
Manipulate the borders of a district to benefit a certain political party
39
Front loading
distribute (costs, effort) unevenly, with the greatest proportion in the beginning ex Iowa caucus = first of year NH primary= first
40
Front runner
used to describe the leader in a race in the U.S. presidential primary process to label the potential nominee with the lead in the polls, the most name recognition, or the most funds raised (or a combination of these).
41
Horse race
the press is accused to portraying the presidential race like a horse race, so preoccupied with who’s up or down in the polls that it ignores the substance of the campaign.
42
Interest Group
an organized group that tries to influence the gov to adopt certain policies or measurements
43
Quid Pro Quo
Donating to a campaign with the expectation of getting something in return from the elected officials
44
Libertarian party
promotes civil liberties, non-interventionism, and laissez-faire. pursue personal freedom while maintaining personal responsibility
45
Lobbyist
someone hired by a business or a cause to persuade a legislator to support that business or cause
46
Open seat
an election (particularly for a legislature) in which no incumbent is running
47
Party Platform
list of the values and actions which are supported by a political party of individual candidate in order to appeal to the general public
48
Public Opinion
widespread belief of the majority of people in a society about a given subject or issue
49
Reapportionment
Redistribution of representation in a legislative body,
50
Recall (election)
procedure by which voters can remove an elected official through a direct vote before his or her term has ended
51
Initiative
a procedure by which a specified number of voters may propose a statute, constitutional amendment, or ordinance and compel a popular vote
52
Referendum
direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to vote on a particular proposal
53
redistricting
to divide into new districts, as more administrative or electoral purposess
54
Split- ticket voting
a ticket on which not all the candidates nominated by a party are members of the party.
55
Balanced ticket
a slate of candidates chosen to appeal to a wide range of voters
56
White back-lash
the hostile reactions of white americans the the advances of the civil rights movement

Ch. 7 and 9 NSL (7 decks)

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