Chapter 9: Political Parties Flashcards
Mugwumps/progressives
Republican Party faction of the 1890s to the 1910s, composed of reformers who opposed patronage
Critical/ realignment period
A period when a major, lasting shift occurs in the popular coalition supporting one or both parties
Split ticket
Voting for candidates of different parties for various offices in the same election
Straight ticket
Voting for candidates of the same party
Office-bloc ballot/ Massachusetts
A ballot listing all candidates of a given office under the name of that office; also called a Massachusetts ballot
Party-column ballot/ Indiana
A ballot listing all the candidates of a given party under the name of that party; also called an Indiana ballot
National convention
A meeting of party delegates held every four years
National committee
Delegates who run party affairs between national conventions
Congressman campaign committee
A party committee in Congress that provides funds to members and would be members
National chair
Day to day party manager elected by the national committtee
Super delegates
Party leaders and elected officials who become delegates to the national convention without having to run in primaries or caucuses
Political machine
A party organization that recruits members by dispensing patronage
Ideological party
A party that values the principled stands on issues above all else
Solitary incentives
The social rewards (sense of pleasure, status, or companionship) that lead people to join political organizations
Sponsored party
A local or state political party largely supported by another organization in the community
Personal following
The political support provided to a candidate on the basis of personal popularity and networks
Two party system
An electoral systems with two dominant parties that compete in nationals elections
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 the majority; used in almost all American elections
Caucus
A meeting of party members to select delegates backing one or another primary candidate
Patronage
Granting favors or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support
Soft money
Funds spent by parties that are not contributed directly to candidate campaigns, and which did not expressly advocate the election or defeat of a candidate
The hatch act
Made it illegal for federal civil service employee us to take an active part in political management or political campaigns are serving as part of officers soliciting campaign funds running for furnace in office working in the partisan campaign
Political party
A group that seeks to elect candidates for political office
