Chapter 14 Flashcards
Front-loading
the process of scheduling presidential primaries early in the primary season
Government matching funds
money given by the federal government to qualified presidential candidates in the primary and general election campaigns
Invisible primary
early attempts to raises money, line up campaign consultants, generate media attention, and get commitments for support even before candidates announce they are running
Issue ownership
the tendency of one party to be seen as more competent in a specific policy area
Motor Voter bill
legislation allowing citizens to register to vote at the same time they apply for a driver’s license or other state benefit
Opposition research
investigation of an opponent’s background for the purpose of exploiting weaknesses or undermining credibility
Political efficacy
citizens’ feelings of effectiveness in political affairs
Presidential primary
an election by which voters choose convention delegates committed to voting for a certain candidate
Social connectedness
citizens’ involvement in groups and their relationships to their communities and families
Valence issues
issues on which most voters and candidates share the same position
Wedge issue
a controversial issue that one party uses to split the voters in the other party
Citizens United
Citizens United is a conservative non-profit organization; mission is to restore the United States government to “citizens’ control”
Electoral College
a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president.
McCutcheon v. FEC
a landmark campaign finance case before the United States Supreme Court challenging the Federal Election Campaign Act
Electoral mandate
the perception that an election victory signals broad support for the winner’s proposed policies
GOTV drives
efforts by political parties, interest groups, and the candidate’s staff to maximize voter turnout among supporters
Hard money
campaign funds donated directly to candidates; amounts are limited by federal election laws
Soft money
unregulated campaign contributions by individuals, groups, or parties that promote general election activities but do not directly support individual candidates
Issue advocacy ads
advertisements paid for by soft money, and thus not regulated, that promote certain issue positions but do not endorse specific candidates
Momentum
the widely held public perception that a candidate is gaining electoral strength
Negative ads
campaign advertising that emphasizes the negative characteristics of opponents rather than one’s own strengths
Party caucus
local gathering of party members to choose convention delegates
Position issues
issues on which the parties differ in their perspectives and proposed solutions
Prospective voting
basing voting decisions on well-informed opinions and consideration of the future consequences of a given vote
Retrospective voting
basing voting decisions on reactions to past performance; approving the status quo or a desire for change
Swing voters
the approximately one-third of the electorate who are undecided at the start of a campaign
Voter mobilization
a party’s efforts to inform potential voters about issues and candidates and to persuade them to vote
McCain-Feingold Act
Stops political parties from raising and spending unregulated funds
Buckley v. Valeo
Buckley won the right to spend as much as his own money that he wants on his campaign; spending money to influence elections is a form of free speech
Faithless electors
a member of the United States Electoral College who does not vote for the presidential or vice presidential candidate for whom he or she had pledged to vote; They may vote for another candidate or not vote at all.
