chapter 12 Flashcards
Closed primaries
a voter must declare in advance his or her party membership, and on election day votes in that party’s election. Most states have closed primaries
political efficacy
the belief that one can make a difference in politics by expressing an opinion and acting politically
plurality
Voting system in which the candidate who receives the most votes within a geographic area wins the election, regardless if they win the majority
Single-member districts
in any district the election determines one representative or official
fiscal policy
States and federal (typically refers to federal)
taxes and spending
monetary policy
federal
interest rates, banking regulations
open primaries
a voter can decide when he/she enters the voting booth which party’s primary to participate in. Only a few states have open primaries
blanket primaries
a voter marks a ballot that lists candidates for all parties, and can select the Republican for one office and a Democrat for another. Very few states have primaries of this type
cajun primary
All candidates, whether independent or partisan, are on the ballot and if no one wins a majority vote a runoff is held. Appeals to independents
caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a specific political party or movement.
winner takes all system
when a candidate who gets the most votes wins all of a state’s electoral votes.
faithless elector
one that casts a vote that doesn’t reflect the state’s popular vote
10th amendment
the Federal Government only has those powers delegated in the Constitution. If it isn’t listed, it belongs to the states or to the people.
benchmark poll
initial poll on a candidate and issues on which campaign strategy is based and against which later polls are compared.
frontloading
occurs when states move their primary elections to earlier calendar dates, in order to have more influence in the selection of candidates.
primaries
a preliminary election to appoint delegates to a party conference or to select the candidates for a principal, especially presidential, election.
Super Delegates
current or former officials such as governors, former presidents, and members of Congress who attend the Democratic National Convention
The Reform Act of 1974
governs the disclosure of political campaign contributions, spending by candidates and ballot measure committees.
The 1976 Amendments
allowed corporations, labor unions, and special interest groups to set up political action committees (PACs) to raise money for candidates
Buckley v. Valeo
the Supreme Court ruled that limiting the amount a candidate could spend on his/her own campaign was unconstitutional
soft money
funds not specified for candidates’ campaigns, but given to political parties for “party building” activities
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002
banned soft money to national parties and placed curbs on the use of campaign ads by outside interest groups
Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, 2007
increased restrictions on lobbying and bundling
lobbying
organized attempt to influence legislators.
