Chapter 10- Voting and Elections Flashcards
Suffrage
The right to vote.
Electorate
People qualified to vote.
Direct primary
Party members vote to nominate their candidate for the general election.
Recall
Special election initiated by petition to allow citizens to remove an official from office before his or her term expires.
Referendum
Procedure whereby the state submits legislation to its voters for approval, allowing citizens to vote directly on issues.
Initiative
Allows voters to petition to propose legislation then submit it for a vote by qualified voters.
Political efficacy
Belief that a person can influence politics and public policy making.
Motor Voter Law
Allows citizens to register to vote at welfare and motor vehicle offices.
Primary election
Nominating election held to choose party candidates who will run in the general election.
Closed primary
Only registered party members may vote.
Open primary
Voters may choose the candidates of either party, whether they belong to the party or not.
Blanket primary
Voters may vote for candidates of either party.
Runoff primary
When no candidate receives a majority of votes, an election is held between the two candidates who received the most votes in the primary.
General elections
Voters choose officeholder from among the candidates nominated by political parties or running as independents.
Off-year elections
An election taking place in a year when no presidential elections ate occurring; midterm election.
Coattail effect
Weaker or lesser-known candidates from the president’s party profit from the president’s popularity by winning votes.
Caucus
Locally held meeting in a state to select candidates who advocate a political ideology, who, in turn, will nominate candidates to political offices.
Presidential preference primaries
Voters select delegates to the presidential nominating convention.
Electoral college
Representatives from each state who formally cast ballots for the president and vice president.
Maintaining elections
Traditional majority power maintains power based on voters’ party loyalty.
Deviating elections
Minority party is able to win the support of majority party members, independents, and new voters.
Critical elections
Sharp changes in the existing patterns of party loyalty due to changing social and economic conditions.
Realigning elections
When a minority party wins by building a new coalition of voters that continues over successive elections.
Dealigning election
Party loyalty becomes less important to voters, and they vote for the other party candidate or independents.
Split-ticket voting
Voting for candidates from more than one party in the same election.
Watergate
Break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate building in 1972 that resulted in a cover-up and the subsequent resignation of President Nixon.
Freedom of expression
Freedom of speech or right to petition the government for redress as a First Amendment right.
Soft money
Money distributed from a national political party organization that was not regulated by law; restricted by the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002.
