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
Q

Realigning election

A

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
Q

Divided government

A

governance divided between parties, as when one holds presidency and one holds both or one of the houses of congress

27
Q

Dealignment

A

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
Q

Voter turnout

A

percentage of people eligible for voting vs how many actually vote
ex. 10 people can vote but 5 do, 50% voter turnout

29
Q

Party registration

A

what party people choose to be affiliated with when they vote

30
Q

Party Identification

A

psychological attachment to a political party that most people acquire in childhood

31
Q

Party convention

A

ratify party platform, choose candidates, elect officers, adopt rules

32
Q

Two- Party system

A

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
Q

Citizens United V. FEC

A

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
Q

Soft money limitations

A

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
Q

What was upheld in Buckley V. Valeo

A
  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
Q

FEC

A

Created to reinforce campaign finance laws

37
Q

delegate

A

represent presidential candidate in an election (vote for them, number of votes depend on population and who won the state vote)

38
Q

Gerrymandering

A

Manipulate the borders of a district to benefit a certain political party

39
Q

Front loading

A

distribute (costs, effort) unevenly, with the greatest proportion in the beginning
ex Iowa caucus = first of year
NH primary= first

40
Q

Front runner

A

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
Q

Horse race

A

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
Q

Interest Group

A

an organized group that tries to influence the gov to adopt certain policies or measurements

43
Q

Quid Pro Quo

A

Donating to a campaign with the expectation of getting something in return from the elected officials

44
Q

Libertarian party

A

promotes civil liberties, non-interventionism, and laissez-faire.
pursue personal freedom while maintaining personal responsibility

45
Q

Lobbyist

A

someone hired by a business or a cause to persuade a legislator to support that business or cause

46
Q

Open seat

A

an election (particularly for a legislature) in which no incumbent is running

47
Q

Party Platform

A

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
Q

Public Opinion

A

widespread belief of the majority of people in a society about a given subject or issue

49
Q

Reapportionment

A

Redistribution of representation in a legislative body,

50
Q

Recall (election)

A

procedure by which voters can remove an elected official through a direct vote before his or her term has ended

51
Q

Initiative

A

a procedure by which a specified number of voters may propose a statute, constitutional amendment, or ordinance and compel a popular vote

52
Q

Referendum

A

direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to vote on a particular proposal

53
Q

redistricting

A

to divide into new districts, as more administrative or electoral purposess

54
Q

Split- ticket voting

A

a ticket on which not all the candidates nominated by a party are members of the party.

55
Q

Balanced ticket

A

a slate of candidates chosen to appeal to a wide range of voters

56
Q

White back-lash

A

the hostile reactions of white americans the the advances of the civil rights movement