Chapter 10- Voting and Elections

Question 1

Suffrage

Answer 1

The right to vote.

Question 2

Electorate

Answer 2

People qualified to vote.

Question 3

Direct primary

Answer 3

Party members vote to nominate their candidate for the general election.

Question 4

Recall

Answer 4

Special election initiated by petition to allow citizens to remove an official from office before his or her term expires.

Question 5

Referendum

Answer 5

Procedure whereby the state submits legislation to its voters for approval, allowing citizens to vote directly on issues.

Question 6

Initiative

Answer 6

Allows voters to petition to propose legislation then submit it for a vote by qualified voters.

Question 7

Political efficacy

Answer 7

Belief that a person can influence politics and public policy making.

Question 8

Motor Voter Law

Answer 8

Allows citizens to register to vote at welfare and motor vehicle offices.

Question 9

Primary election

Answer 9

Nominating election held to choose party candidates who will run in the general election.

Question 10

Closed primary

Answer 10

Only registered party members may vote.

Question 11

Open primary

Answer 11

Voters may choose the candidates of either party, whether they belong to the party or not.

Question 12

Blanket primary

Answer 12

Voters may vote for candidates of either party.

Question 13

Runoff primary

Answer 13

When no candidate receives a majority of votes, an election is held between the two candidates who received the most votes in the primary.

Question 14

General elections

Answer 14

Voters choose officeholder from among the candidates nominated by political parties or running as independents.

Question 15

Off-year elections

Answer 15

An election taking place in a year when no presidential elections ate occurring; midterm election.

Question 16

Coattail effect

Answer 16

Weaker or lesser-known candidates from the president’s party profit from the president’s popularity by winning votes.

Question 17

Caucus

Answer 17

Locally held meeting in a state to select candidates who advocate a political ideology, who, in turn, will nominate candidates to political offices.

Question 18

Presidential preference primaries

Answer 18

Voters select delegates to the presidential nominating convention.

Question 19

Electoral college

Answer 19

Representatives from each state who formally cast ballots for the president and vice president.

Question 20

Maintaining elections

Answer 20

Traditional majority power maintains power based on voters’ party loyalty.

Question 21

Deviating elections

Answer 21

Minority party is able to win the support of majority party members, independents, and new voters.

Question 22

Critical elections

Answer 22

Sharp changes in the existing patterns of party loyalty due to changing social and economic conditions.

Question 23

Realigning elections

Answer 23

When a minority party wins by building a new coalition of voters that continues over successive elections.

Question 24

Dealigning election

Answer 24

Party loyalty becomes less important to voters, and they vote for the other party candidate or independents.

Question 25

Split-ticket voting

Answer 25

Voting for candidates from more than one party in the same election.

Question 26

Watergate

Answer 26

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.

Question 27

Freedom of expression

Answer 27

Freedom of speech or right to petition the government for redress as a First Amendment right.

Question 28

Soft money

Answer 28

Money distributed from a national political party organization that was not regulated by law; restricted by the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002.