1-53 Flashcards
Winner-take-all system
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 #)
Single-member district
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
Proportional representation
An election system in which each party running receives the proportion of the vote. Rewards minority parties and permits them to participate in government
Safe Seats
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
Coattail effect
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
Soft money
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
Hard Money
Limited/ regulated/documented contributions. BCRA raised limits to $4000 individual $10000 PACS
Independant Expenditures (Buckley v. Valeo)
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
Campaign Finance reform
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
Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA)
- 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.
Amendments to FECA
- established more realistic limits
- made FEC
- strengthened disclosure laws
- provided partial funding for presidential primaries
BCRA (Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002)
- 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
Issue Advocacy
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”
Electoral College
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
Term limits
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
22nd Amendment
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
Caucus
Voters meet, discuss and vote
Iowa is the first caucus of the year
Primaries
Uses a voting booth
used by 3/4 of states
New Hampshire is the first primary of the year
Republican Party history
- 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
Democratic Party history
- 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
Honey moon period
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
Political Party
organizations that seek political power by electing people to office who will help party positions and philosophy become public policy.