AP Gov midterm #2 (chapter 8) Flashcards
whats is a primary election
The Primary Election is an election by the political parties to nominate their candidates
for the General Election ballot. No one is elected in a Primary election; candidates are
nominated. In order to win a political party nomination, the candidate must receive
more votes than anyone else in his/her party for that race and receive at least 35% of
the votes cast for that office by members of their political party.
what is an open primary
a primary election in which voters are not required to declare party affiliation.
what is a closed primary
In a closed primary, only persons who are registered members of a political party may vote the ballot of that political party.
open vs closed primary
If open primaries give voters more freedom, why would a state hold a closed primary? Proponents of closed primaries say that this type of election prevents vote raiding.
Vote raiding occurs when people affiliated with one party vote in the other party’s primary election. They purposely vote for the weaker candidate, hoping this weaker candidate wins the primary. This way, it’s easier for the other candidate to win the general election.
what is a blanket primary
voters are presented with a list of candidates for the same selective office from all parties on one ballot
what is a party platform
A list of goals outlining a party’s positions on issues and political priorities
How political parties impact the electorate and the government
The primary function of political parties is to link people to the government and its policies. Political parties are made up of three semi-independent teams: the party organization, the party in government, and the party in the electorate.
political parties in the electorate (all the people in a country or area who are entitled to vote in an election.)
The political parties in the electorate is made up of all citizens who identify with that party; it supports the party organization and its candidates by mobilizing voter support and turnout, and by donating to candidate campaigns.
political parties in the government
political parties in the government consist of the elected officials who belong to the party. These politicians are responsible for proposing, debating, voting on, and signing legislation that meets the party’s platform goals.
political parties as an organization
The party organization is the structure of national, state, and local parties that creates a platform, recruits candidates, and helps to manage candidates’ campaigns by providing a fundraising and media strategy. The party organization is also responsible for educating and mobilizing voters to support candidates.
what is the winner takes all system
An Electoral system in which the party that receives at least one more vote than any other party wins the election. we use this
what is the importance of 3rd parties
Historically, when a minor party gains a significant enough following, one of the two major parties will adopt the issues motivating the minor party as part of the major party’s platform. This allows the major parties to broaden their coalition and add more voters during elections. (bring new ideas to the major parties and doing so also turns their voters to those parties that take upon their views)
what are 3rd parties
Also called a minor party, a third party is a US political party other than the two major parties (the Republican Party and the Democratic Party). Third parties rarely win elections in the United States, but frequently influence national politics by drawing attention to issues previously neglected by the major parties.
what are critical elections
An election that leads to a major party realignment. an electoral “earthquake” where new issues and new coalitions emerge, for example the 1896 United States presidential election, when the issues of the American Civil War political system were replaced with those of the Populist and Progressive Era
what is a coalition
A combination of groups of people who work together to achieve a political goal. The coalition on the Democratic Party rests, for example, is made up of Northern urban dwellers, Jews for African Americans, and labor unions. Coalitions form among legislators who work together to advance or defeat a particular bill.
