Chapter 11 Terms

Question 1

Candidate-centered politics

Answer 1

Politics that focus on the candidates, their particular issues, and character rather than party affiliation.

Question 2

Political party

Answer 2

An organization group with shared goals and ideas that join together to run candidates for office and exercise political and electoral power

Question 3

Political machine

Answer 3

A party organization that recruits voter loyalty with tangible incentives and is characterized by a high degree of control over member activity

Question 4

party realignment

Answer 4

Dramatic shifts in partisan preferences that drastically alter the political landscape.

Question 5

critical election

Answer 5

An election that signals a party realignment through voter polarization around new issues and personalities.

Question 6

secular realignment

Answer 6

The gradual rearrangement of party coalitions, based more on democratic shifts than on shocks to the political system.

Question 7

national convention

Answer 7

A party meeting held in the presidential election year for the purpose of nominating a presidential and vice presidential ticket and a adopting a platform.

Question 8

delegate

Answer 8

Representation to the party convention

Question 9

superdelegate

Answer 9

Delegate to the Democratic Party’s national convention that is reserved for a party official whose vote at the convention is unpledged to a candidate

Question 10

think tank

Answer 10

Institutional collection of policy oriented researchers and academics who are sources of policy ideas.

Question 11

national party platform

Answer 11

A statement of the general specific philosophy that and policy goals of a political party, usually promulgated at the national convention.

Question 12

party identification

Answer 12

A citizens personal affiliation for a political part, usually expressed by a tendency to vote for the candidates of that party.

Question 13

proportional representation

Answer 13

A voting system that apportions legislative seats according to the percentage of the vote won by a particular political party.

Question 14

winner take all system

Answer 14

An electoral system in which the party that receives at least one more vote than any other part wins the election.

Question 15

polarization

Answer 15

the presence of increasingly conflicting and dividing viewpoints between the Democratic and Republic Parties.