7. Political Participation and Elections Flashcards
(27 cards)
political participation
Actions of private citizens by which they seek to influence or support government and politics.
conventional participation
Relatively routine political behavior that uses institu- tional channels and is ac- ceptable to the dominant culture.
unconventional participation
Relatively uncommon politi- cal behavior that challenges or defies established institu- tions and dominant norms.
suffrage/franchise
The right to vote.
progressivism
A philosophy of political reform based on the good- ness and wisdom of the indi- vidual citizen as opposed to special interests and political institutions.
standard socioeconomic model
A relationship between socioeconomic status and conventional political involvement: people with higher status and more education are more likely to participate than those with lower status.
election campaign
An organized effort to per- suade voters to choose one candidate over others com- peting for the same office.
primary election
A preliminary election con- ducted within a political party to select candidates who will run for public office in a subsequent election.
closed primaries
Primary elections in which voters must declare their party affiliation before they are given the primary ballot containing that party’s poten- tial nominees.
open primaries
Primary elections in which voters need not declare their party affiliation and can choose one party’s primary ballot to take into the voting booth.
presidential primary
A special primary election used to select delegates to attend the party’s national convention, which in turn nominates the presidential candidate.
convention (national/nominating convention)
A method used to select del- egates to attend a party’s national convention. Gener- ally, a local meeting selects delegates for a county-level meeting, which in turn selects delegates for a higher-level meeting; the process culminates in a state convention that actually selects the national conven- tion delegates.
general election
A national election held by law in November of every even-numbered year.
electoral college
A body of electors chosen by voters to cast ballots for president and vice president.
straight ticket
In voting, a single party’s can- didates for all the offices.
split ticket
In voting, candidates from different parties for different offices.
first-past-the-post elections
A British term for elections conducted in single-member districts that award victory to the candidate with the most votes.
open election
An election that lacks an incumbent.
FEC (Federal Election Commission)
A bipartisan federal agency of six members that oversees the financing of national elec- tion campaigns.
hard money
Financial contributions given directly to a candidate run- ning for congressional office or the presidency.
soft money
Financial contributions to party committees for capital and operational expenses.
voter turnout
The percentage of eligible citizens who actually vote in a given election.
registration
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Election Day
Election Day in the United States is the day set by law for the general elections of public officials. It occurs on the Tuesday right after the first Monday in November
