Chapter 10 Flashcards
midterm elections
congressional elections that do not coincide with a presidential election; also called off-year elections
primary elections
elections held to select a party’s candidate for the general election
general election
a regularly scheduled election involving most districts in the nation or state, in which voters select officeholders
closed primary
a primary election in which voters can participate in the nomination of candidates but only of the party in which they are enrolled for a period of time prior to primary day
open primary
a primary election in which the voter can wait until the day of the primary to choose which party to enroll in to select candidates for the general election
majority system
a type of electoral system in which, to win a seat in the parliament or other representative body, a candidate must receive a majority of all the votes cast in the relevant district
runoff election
a “second-round” election in which voters choose between the top two candidates from the first round
plurality system
a type of electoral system in which, to win a seat in the parliament or other representative body, a candidate need only receive the most votes in the election, not necessarily a majority of the votes cast
proportional representation
a multiple-member district system that allows each political party representation in proportion to its percentage of the total vote
straight-ticket voting
selecting candidates from the same political party for all offices on the ballot
redistricting
the process of redrawing election districts and redistributing legislative representatives; this happens every 10 years, to reflect shifts in population or in response to legal challenges in existing districts
gerrymandering
the apportionment of voters in districts in such a way as to give unfair advantage to one racial or ethnic group or political party
majority-minority district
an electoral district, such as a congressional district, in which the majority of the constituents belong to racial or ethnic minorities
caucus (political)
a normally closed political party business meeting of citizens to select candidates, elect officers, plan strategy, or make decisions regarding legislative matters
grassroots politics
political campaigns that operate at the local level, often using face-to-face communication to generate interest and momentum by citizens
delegate
a representative who votes according to the preferences of his or her constituency
party platform
a party document, written at a national convention, that contains party philosophy, principles, and policy positions
electoral college
the presidential electors from each state who meet after the general election to cast ballots for president and vice president
ballot initiative
a proposed law or policy change that is placed on the ballot by citizens or interest groups for a popular vote
referendum
the practice of referring a proposed law passed by a legislature to the vote of the electorate for approval or rejection
recall
a procedure to allow voters to remove state officials from office before their terms expire by circulating petitions to call a vote
campaign
an effort by political candidates and their supporters to win the backing of donors, political activists, and voters in their quest for political office
incumbent
a candidate running for re-election to a position that he or she already holds
town hall meeting
an informal public meeting in which candidates meet with ordinary citizens; allows candidates to deliver messages without the presence of journalists or commentators
