Chapter 11-14 Flashcards
a grand set of political beliefs that one holds
Political Ideology
list of principles and plans a party hopes to accomplish
Party Platform
list of potential policy ideas, bills, or plans to improve society
Policy agenda
Organized groups of people with similar political ideologies and goals
Political Parties
an institution that ties government to the people
linkage institution
election in which party candidate tries to defeat their opposing party’s candidate
General Election
election in which rank-and-file party voters vote for candidates for an individual party, includes party sponsored debates or forums. This election helps to determine the candidates for the party in the upcoming election
Primary Election
an executive branch agency, monitors flow of money and enforces financial limits in political campaigns and elections
FEC (Federal Election Commission)
network/hierarchy of employees dedicated to furthering Democratic Party goals
Democratic National Committee (DNC)
network/hierarchy of employees dedicated to furthering Republican Party goals
Republican National Committee (RNC)
when voters move away from both parties
party dealignment
chief strategist and spokesperson for political party
National Chairs/ party chairperson
are changes within a party in the underlying electoral forces due to changes in party identification
Party Realignments
voters voting for candidates from both parties instead of voting along party lines
Split ticket voting
one party dominates Congress while the other dominates the executive
Divided government
subdivisions of the county or city that registered voters are assigned to vote in elections
voting precincts
citizens or organized group of people formulate law in writing, then gather votes on a petition to place the proposal on ballot for approval
Initiative
procedure whereby voters can remove an elected official from office
Recall
A state-level method of direct legislation that gives voters a chance to approve or disapprove proposed legislation or a proposed constitutional amendment.
Referendum
An officeholder who is seeking reelection.
Incumbent
An officeholder’s advantage over his opponent in an election
incumbency advantage
in this primary election voters must have declared party affiliation before election
Closed primary
in this primary election declare party affiliation on election day
Open primary
in this primary election allows voters to cast votes for candidates of multiple parties (enables split ticket voting)
Blanket primary
states that do not have regular pattern of voting for one party consistently but will “swing” their vote to the opposite party
Swing States
the body of electors who formally elect the United States president and vice-president
Electoral College
Federal elections that take place halfway through a president’s term
midterm elections
congressional candidates ride the popularity of party’s presidential candidate to their advantage
coattail effect
an organization established by a corporation or other special interest to raise money from individuals for a political campaign or other political cause
PACs
this Supreme Court case opened the door for corporations to make political contributions to a committee as long as that committee did not formally coordinate with a candidate (aka soft money is legal)
United Citizens v. Federal Election Commission (2010)
Supreme Court case that establishes campaign money limits but also holds that contributions are a form of speech but limits are not unconstitutional
Buckley v. Valeo (1976)
campaign donations given directly to candidate that are regulated by Federal Election Commission
Hard Money
campaign donations to a party or interest group, this money IS NOT tracked by the Federal Elections Commission
Soft Money
law that banned party soft money but was made ineffective by Supreme Court case Citizens v. FEC
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)
the right to vote
franchise
a government-printed ballot of uniform dimensions to be cast in secret that many states adopted
Australian Ballots
federal law that imposed requirements on states to create national standards for voting and election management
Help America Vote Act (HAVA)
law passed to increase citizen participation in voter registration. Offers chance to register to vote at state-run agencies.
National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) aka Motor-Voter Law
difference in political views between men and women and how these views are expressed at the voting booth
Gender Gap
a group of voters that tend to vote together on certains issues, candidates, and political parties
voting blocs
a lack of concern for the election outcome by a citizen
Voter Apathy
sense that your vote and participation in the political process makes a difference
Political Efficacy
Constitutional amendment in which the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
Fifteenth Amendment
The constitutional amendment adopted in 1920 that guarantees women the right to vote.
Nineteenth Amendment
amendment that gives the right of voting to citizens in Washington D.C. and that they get votes in the electoral college
Twenty-Third Amendment
The constitutional amendment passed in 1964 that declared poll taxes void in federal elections.
Twenty-fourth Amendment
Constitutional amendment that lowered the voting age to 18
Twenty-sixth Amendment
