Chapter 8 Flashcards
mandate
Perception of popular support for a program or policy based on the margin of electoral victory won by a candidate who proposed in during a campaign
retrospective voting
Voting for or against a candidate or party on the basis of past performance in office.
Prospective voting
Voting for or against a candidate or party on the expectations of their actions if they win.
Professionalism
In politics, a reference to the increasing number of officeholders for whom politics is a full-time occupation.
Careerism
In politics, a reference to people who started young working in politics, running for and holding public office, and who made politics their career.
Amateurs
People who have not worked in politics or public service professions who run for public office.
Incumbents
Candidates currently in office seeking reelection.
Reelection rates
Percentages of incumbents running for reelection who are successful.
Name recognition
Public awareness of a political candidate– whether they are familiar with his or her name
Challengers
In politics, a reference to people running against incumbent officeholders.
Franking privilige
Free use of the US mails granted to members of Congress to promote communication with constituents.
Campaign strategy
Plan for a political campaign, usually including a theme, an attempt to define the opponent or the issues, and an effort to coordinate images and messages in news broadcasts and paid advertising.
Voter targeting
The use of voting record, polling, and market research data to identify and contact potential likely voters.
Negative campaigning
Speeches, commercials, or advertising attacking a political opponent during a campaign.
Focus group
In a political context, a small number of people brought together in a comfortable setting to discuss and respond to themes and issues, allowing campaign managers to develop and analyze strategies.
Photo ops
Staged opportunities for the media to photograph the candidate in a favorable setting.
Sound bites
Concise and catchy phrases that attract media coverage.
Mobilize
In politics, to activate supporters to work for candidates and turnout on Election Day.
Issue ads
Ads that advocate policy positions rather than explicitly supporting or opposing particular candidates.
Political Action Committees (PACs)
Organizations that solicit and receive campaign contributions from corporations from corporations, unions, trade organizations, and ideological and issue-oriented groups and their members, and then distribute these funds to political candidates.
Federal Election Commission (FEC)
Agency charged with enforcing federal election laws and disbursing public presidential campaign funds.
Soft money
Previously unregulated contributions to the parties, now prohibited; contributions to parties now limited.
Retail politics
Direct candidate contact with individual voters.
Spin doctors
Practitioners of the art of spin control, or manipulation of media reporting to favor their own candidate.
front-end strategy
Presidential political campaign strategy in which a candidate focuses on winning early primaries to build momentum.
Front-loading
The scheduling of presidential primary elections early in the year.
Big-state strategy
Presidential political campaign strategy in which a candidate focuses on winning primaries in large states because of their high delegate counts.
Swing States
States that are not considered to be firmly in the Democratic or Republican column.
Electoral College
The 538 presidential electors proportioned among the states according to their congressional representation (plus three for the District of Columbia) whose votes officially elects the president and vice president of the United States.
Solid South
An empirical theory of American politics stating that when the former Confederate states are unified and vote the same way, they determine who wins the presidency.
