Chapter 9 Vocab Flashcards
Official endorsement of a candidate for office by a political party
Nomination
The master game plan candidates lay out to guide their electoral campaign
Campaign strategy
The supreme power within each of the parties. It meets every 4 years to nominate the parties presidential and Vice Presidential candidates
National party convention
A meeting of all state party leaders for selecting delegates to the national party convention. Usually organized as a pyramid
Caucus
Elections in which voters in a state vote for a candidate or delegates pledged to him or her
Presidential primaries
A primary election in which voters are not required to declare party affiliation
Open primaries
A direct primary in which only persons meeting tests of party membership may vote
Closed primaries
A commission formed at the 1968 Democratic convention in response to demands for reform by minority groups and others who sought better representation
McGovern-Fraser commission
National party leaders who automatically get a delegate slot at the democratic national convention
Super delegates
The recent tendencies of states to hold primaries early in the calendar in order to capitalize on media attention
Frontloading
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
National primary
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
Regional primary
A political party’s statement of its goals and policies for the next four years
Party platform
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
Direct mail
A 6 member bipartisan agency created by the Federal Election Act of 1974. Enforces finance laws
Federal Election Commission
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
Matching funds
Political contributions earmarked for party building expenses at the grass-roots level or for generic party advertising
Soft money
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
527 groups
Funding vehicles created by the 1974 campaign finance reforms
PACs
The phenomenon that people often pay the most attention to things they already agree with and interpret them according to their own predispositions
Selective perception
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
Super PAC
