Chapter 12 Flashcards
501(c) group
a nonprofit organization in the federal law of the United States
527 political committees
tax-exempt organization organized under Section 527 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code
Barack Obama
44th president of the United States
Bernie Sanders
Socialist US Senator
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)
a United States federal law that amended the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974, which regulates the financing of political campaigns
campaign consultant
political strategists
campaign manager
oversees all aspects of the campaign including day-to-day operations, the hiring and management of staff, the coordination and implementation of the fundraising operations and ongoing coordination with the candidate
Citizens United v. FEC
Political spending is a form of protected speech under the First Amendment
closed primary
limited to registered party members, who must declare their party affiliation in order to vote.
communications director
responsible for managing and directing an organization’s internal and external communications.
Contrast ad
compares the records and proposals of the candidates, with a bias toward the sponsor.
conventional political participation
includes voting, volunteering for a political campaign, making a campaign donation, belonging to activist groups, and serving in public office.
crossover voting
a behavior in which voters cast ballots for a party with which they are not traditionally affiliated.
Donald J. Trump
45th US President
elector
a person who has the right to vote in an election.
Electorate College
consists of 538 electors.
Federal Election Campaign Act
the primary United States federal law regulating political campaign spending and fundraising.
Federal Election Commission
an independent regulatory agency whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections.
finance chair
monitors financial procedures and status.
front-loading
a decision to move a primary date to the beginning (“front”) of the presidential nomination season.
general election
an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen.
get-out-the-vote (GOTV)
describes efforts aimed at increasing the voter turnout in elections
Help America Vote Act (HAVA)
passed by the U.S. Congress in 2002 to make sweeping reforms to the nation’s voting process.
Hillary R. Clinton
Former First Lady of the US
incumbency
the holding of an office or the period during which one is held.
independent expenditures
a political campaign communication that expressly advocates for the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate that is not made in cooperation
initiative
the power or opportunity to act or take charge before others do.
inoculation ad
A preemptive advertising tactic in which one party attempts to foresee and neutralize potentially damaging criticism
mandate
he authority granted by a constituency to act as its representative.
matching funds
set to be paid in equal amount to funds available from other sources.
McCutcheon v. FEC
struck down the aggregate limits on the amount an individual may contribute during a two-year period to all federal candidates, parties and political action committees combined.
mid-term election
a type of election where the people can elect their representatives in the middle of the term of the executive.
Negative ad
an advertisement whose message is designed to wage a personal attack against an opposing candidate or political party
open primary
a primary election in which voters are not required to declare party affiliation.
political action committee (PAC)
popular term for a political committee
Pollster
a person who conducts or analyzes opinion polls.
Positive ad
An ad that only promotes its own candidate, and doesn address the opponent.
presidential coattails
The tendency for a popular political party leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election
press secretary
a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesperson for the executive branch
primary election
the process by which voters, either the general public or members of a political party, can indicate their preference for a candidate in an upcoming general election
prospective judgement
a voter’s evaluation of a candidate based on what he or she pledges to do about an issue if elected.
public funds
the funds of every political division of a state wherein taxes are levied for public purposes
reapportionment
the process by which congressional districts are redrawn and seats are redistributed among states in the house.
recall
a procedure by which, in certain polities, voters can remove an elected official
referendum
a direct vote in which an entire electorate is invited to vote on a particular proposal.
retrospective judgement
a voter’s evaluation of the performance of the party in power.
runoff primary
a second primary election held in some states to decide which of the two highest candidates for an office in the first primary will be awarded the party nomination.
super PAC
independent political action committee which may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, and individuals but is not permitted to contribute to or coordinate directly with parties or candidates.
turnout
how many people show up to vote in an election
Thomas Jefferson
3rd US President
unconventional political participation
an important type of expression. It is particularly useful for people who do not have a great deal of conventional power.
voter canvass
the systematic initiation of direct contact with individuals,
