Chapter 9 Vocab

Question 1

Official endorsement of a candidate for office by a political party

Answer 1

Nomination

Question 2

The master game plan candidates lay out to guide their electoral campaign

Answer 2

Campaign strategy

Question 3

The supreme power within each of the parties. It meets every 4 years to nominate the parties presidential and Vice Presidential candidates

Answer 3

National party convention

Question 4

A meeting of all state party leaders for selecting delegates to the national party convention. Usually organized as a pyramid

Answer 4

Caucus

Question 5

Elections in which voters in a state vote for a candidate or delegates pledged to him or her

Answer 5

Presidential primaries

Question 6

A primary election in which voters are not required to declare party affiliation

Answer 6

Open primaries

Question 7

A direct primary in which only persons meeting tests of party membership may vote

Answer 7

Closed primaries

Question 8

A commission formed at the 1968 Democratic convention in response to demands for reform by minority groups and others who sought better representation

Answer 8

McGovern-Fraser commission

Question 9

National party leaders who automatically get a delegate slot at the democratic national convention

Answer 9

Super delegates

Question 10

The recent tendencies of states to hold primaries early in the calendar in order to capitalize on media attention

Answer 10

Frontloading

Question 11

A proposal by critics of the caucuses and presidential primaries, which would replace these electoral methods with a nationwide primary held early in the election year

Answer 11

National primary

Question 12

A proposal by critics of the caucuses and presidential primaries to replace these electoral methods with a series of primaries held in each geographic region

Answer 12

Regional primary

Question 13

A political party’s statement of its goals and policies for the next four years

Answer 13

Party platform

Question 14

A high tech method of raising money for a political cause or candidate. It involves sending information and requests for money to people whose names appear on lists of those who have supported similar views or candidates in the past

Answer 14

Direct mail

Question 15

A 6 member bipartisan agency created by the Federal Election Act of 1974. Enforces finance laws

Answer 15

Federal Election Commission

Question 16

Contributions of up to $250 are matched from the Presidential Election Campaign Fund to candidates for the presidential nomination who qualify and agree to meet various conditions

Answer 16

Matching funds

Question 17

Political contributions earmarked for party building expenses at the grass-roots level or for generic party advertising

Answer 17

Soft money

Question 18

Independent groups that seek to influence the political process but are not subject to contribution restrictions because they do not directly seek the election of a particular candidate

Answer 18

527 groups

Question 19

Funding vehicles created by the 1974 campaign finance reforms

Answer 19

PACs

Question 20

The phenomenon that people often pay the most attention to things they already agree with and interpret them according to their own predispositions

Answer 20

Selective perception

Question 21

A type of independent political action committee which may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, and individuals but is not permitted to contribute to or coordinate directly with parties or candidates

Answer 21

Super PAC