Chapter 8 Flashcards
universal suffrage
the right of all adult citizens to vote regardless of such characteristics as gender, ethnicity, wealth, or education
gerrymander
the manipulation of the division of the country into electoral districts so as to benefit a particular party
electoral system
the system used to translate the votes that people cast into the composition of the legislature and the selection of the government
single member plurality (SMP) system
an electoral system in which voters in each electoral district elect a single representative to the legislature. The candidate with the most votes is elected, even if that candidate did not receive the majority of votes.
electoral college
a body that elects the president of the United States. Members of the Electoral College from each state are expected to vote for the presidential candidate who has won the most votes in their state.
runoff election
an election held if no candidate receives a majority of votes; generally, only the top two candidates appear on the ballot to ensure that the winning candidate has a majority of the votes cast
preferential voting
an electoral system in which voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate has a majority of first preferences, the candidate with the least votes is dropped and the second preferences of those who voted for that candidate are added to the votes of other candidates. This process continues until on candidate has a majority.
proportional representation (PR) system
an electoral system in which the proportion of seats a party receives in the legislature reflects the proportion of votes it has obtained
coalition government
a form of government in which two or more parties jointly govern, sharing the Cabinet positions
mixed member proportional (MMP) system
an electoral system in which voters cast one vote for the party they prefer and one vote for the candidate they prefer. Some legislators are elected to represent particular electoral districts based on gaining the most votes in that district, while others are elected based on the popular vote received by their parties.
single transferable vote (STV) system
an electoral system in which voters mark their preferences for candidates in a multimember electoral district. Candidates who receive a certain proportion of the vote are declared elected. The second preferences of voters that are surplus to what the winning candidates need are then transferred to candidates who have not reached the quota. The process is continued until all seats in the district are filled.
party identification
a long-term psychological attachment to a particular political party
valence issues
issues ion which there is a general consensus
