Elections Flashcards

1
Q

Nomination

A

Official endorsement of a candidate for office by a political party

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2
Q

Campaign strategy

A

Master game plan candidates lay out to guide their campain

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3
Q

National Party Convention

A

Supreme power within the party. Meets every 4 years

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4
Q

Caucus

A

Meeting of all state party leaders for selecting delegates to the national party convention

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5
Q

Presidential primaries

A

Voters in a state can vote for a candidate

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6
Q

McGovern-Fraser Commision

A

Comission formed in 1968 in response to demands for reforms by minorities

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7
Q

Superdelegates

A

National party leaders who automatically gets a delegate slot at the Democratic national party convention

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8
Q

Frontloading

A

Tendency of states to hold primaries early

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9
Q

National primary

A

A proposal to replace all electoral methods with a series of primaries in each geographic region

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10
Q

Party platform

A

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

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11
Q

Direct mail

A

High-tech method of raising money for a political cause or candidate

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12
Q

Federal election Campaign Act

A

Law passed in 1974 for reforming campaign finances. Created FEC

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13
Q

Federal Election Comission (FEC)

A

six-member bipartisan agency that administers and enforces campaign finance laws

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14
Q

Presidential Election Campaign Fund

A

Money from the federal income tax check-off foes into this fund to be used for campaigning

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15
Q

Matching Funds

A

Contributions of up to $250 are matched to candidates who qualify

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16
Q

Soft Money

A

Political donations earmarked for party - building expenses, etc

17
Q

Political Action Committees (PAC)

A

Funding vehicles created by 1974 tax reforms

18
Q

Selective participation

A

The phenomenon that people pay attention to things they already agree to

19
Q

Legitimacy

A

Almost universally accepted as a fair and free method of selecting political leaders

20
Q

Referendum

A

State-level method of direct legislation that gives voters a chance to look at legislation

21
Q

Initiative petition

A

Process permitted in some states where voters can propose changes in the state consitution and put it to a vote

22
Q

Suffrage

A

Legal right to vote

23
Q

Political efficacy

A

Belief that one’s political participation matters

24
Q

Civic duty

A

Belief that in order to support democratic government, one must vote.

25
Voter registration
System that requires voters to register before election day
26
Motor Voter Act
Requires states to permit people to get their driving and voting license at the same time
27
Mandate theory of election
The idea that the winning candidate has a mandate to carry out their platforms and politics
28
Policy voting
Electoral choices made on the voter's policy preferences
29
Electoral College
Selects the president by electors chosen by state parties
30
Retrospective voting
Theory of voting where voters ask "What have you done for me lately?"