Chapter 8 Flashcards
Party polarization
The growing gap between the stands of the parties on policy issues. On the negative side, polarization makes compromise more difficult, whereas on the positive side, clear differences between the parties make politics easier to understand for voters.
Ticket splitting
Voting with one party for one office and with another party for other offices.
National convention
The meeting of party delegates every
four years to choose a presidential ticket and write the party’s platform.
National committee
One of the institutions that keeps the party operating between conventions. It is composed from the states and territories
National chair person
The person responsible for running the ongoing activities of the national party organization
Critical election
An electoral “earthquake” where new issues emerge, new coalitions replace old ones, and the majority party is often displaced by the minority party.
Party realignment
The displacement of the majority party by the minority party, usually during a critical election period.
New deal coalition
A coalition forged by the Democrats, who dominated American politics from the 1930s to the 1960s. Its basic elements were the urban working class, ethnic groups, Catholics and Jews, the poor, Southerners, African Americans, and intellectuals.
Party dealignment
The gradual disengagement of people from the parties, as seen in part by shrinking party identification.
Proportional representation US doesn’t have this
An electoral system used throughout
most of Europe that awards legislative
seats to political parties in proportion to
seats. The number of votes won in an election.
Responsible party model
A view about how parties should work, held by some political scientists.
According to the model, parties should offer clear choices to the voters and once in office, should carry out their campaign promises.
National party
The supreme power within each of the parties. The convention meets every four years to nominate the party’s presidential and vice presidential candidates and to write the party’s platform.
Superdelegates
National party leaders who automatically get a delegate slot at the democratic party’s national convention and help select nomination
Single member district
A single-member district is an electoral district from which a single legislator is chosen, usually by a plurality vote. This system of representation is used in the U.S. House of Representatives and in most state legislatures.
Invisible primary
The period before any votes are cast when candidates compete to win early support from the elite of the party and to create a positive first impression of their leadership skills.
Presidential primaries
Elections in which a state’s voters go to the polls to express their preference for a party’s nominee for president.
The vast majority of delegates to the national party conventions are chosen this way.
Front loading
The recent tendency of states to hold primaries early in the calendar in order to capitalize on media attention.
Campaign contributions
Donations that are made directly to a candidate or a party and that must be reported to the FEC. As of 2020, individuals were allowed to donate up to $2,800 per election to a candidate and up to $35,500 to a political party.
Independent expenditures
Expenses on behalf of a political message that are made by groups that are uncoordinated with any candidate’s campaign.
Federal election campaign act
A law passed in 1974 for reforming campaign finances. The act created the Federal Election Commission and provided for limits on and disclosure of campaign contributions.
Federal election commission
A six-member bipartisan agency created by the Federal Election Campaign
Act of 1974. The Federal Election Commission administers and enforces campaign finance laws.
Hard money
Money contributed directly to a specific candidate
Campaign reform act
decreased the role of soft money in political campaigns as the law places limits on the contributions by interest groups and national political parties
Soft money
Donated to party but not canidate
