Chapter 9- Political parties Flashcards
Caucus
A meeting of party members to select delegates backing one or another primary candidate.
two-party system
An electoral system with two dominant parties that compete in national elections.
superdelegates
Party leaders and elected officials who become delegates to the national convention without having to run in primaries or caucuses.
straight ticket
Voting for candidates of the same party.
sponsored party
A local or state political party largely supported by another organization in the community.
split ticket
Voting for candidates of different parties for various offices in the same election.
soldiery incentives
The social rewards (sense of pleasure, status, or companionship) that lead people to join political organizations.
political party
A group that seeks to elect candidates to public office.
political machine
A party organization that recruits members by dispensing patronage.
plurality system
An electoral system in which the winner is the person who gets the most votes, even if he or she does not receive a majority; used in almost all American elections.
personal following
The political support provided to an candidate on the basis of personal popularity and networks.
party-column ballot
A ballot listing all candidates of a given party together under the name of that party; also called an “Indiana” ballot.
office-bloc ballot
A ballot listing all candidates of a given office under the name of that office; also called a “Massachusetts” ballot.
national convention
A meeting of party delegates held every four years.
national committee
Delegates who run party affairs between national conventions.
