Module 3 Flashcards
Define a Political Party
A group of individuals organized to win elections, operate the government, and determine policy
*They are NOT mentioned in the Constitution
Describe the process of realignment
A process in which the popular support for parties shift and the parties reestablish with different supporters. This changes the balance of power between the two major parties.
*Realignment first occurred when political power transitioned from the Federalists to the Jeffersonians.
Describe the Impending Crisis
The Whigs and Democrats competed for the White House throughout the 1840s and 1850s.
Both parties were large.
They were led by well-known leaders.
Both the Whigs and the Democrats tried to avoid the issue of slavery.
Why did the African Americans join the Democratic Party?
Because of the programs open policy to all races.
Define a Primary
A preliminary election held for the purpose of choosing a party’s final candidate.
What is a Minority Party?
The political party that has fewer members in the legislature.
- The minority party plays a vital function in American politics in that it does what it can to influence the majority party and its policies and to check the actions of the party in power.
What is a Majority Party?
The political party that has more members in the legislature.
Define Coalition
An alliance of individuals or groups with a variety of interests, and opinions who join together to support a political platform.
*Basically another name for a political party
Example: In the Democratic Party not all members agree yet they provide a broad scope of liberal ideas which are placed under the umbrella of the Democratic Party.
Define Electorate
All of the citizens eligible to vote in a given election.
*It is the largest component of political parties
Define a Party Identifier
A person who identifies himself as being a supporter of a particular political party.
Define a Party Activist
A party member who helps to organize, oversee party functions and planning during and between campaigns.
*A candidate is considered to be a Party Activist
Describe a Patronage
A system of rewarding the party faithful and workers with government jobs or contracts.
*Used to be known as the spoils system
Describe a Ward
A local unit of a political party’s organization, consisting of a division or district within a city.
Describe a Precinct
A political district within a city, such as a block or a neighborhood, or a rural portion.
What is the National Convention
The meeting held by each major party every four years to nominate the presidential and vice-presidential candidates, write a party platform, and conduct other party business.
Define a Party Ticket
A list of a political party’s candidates for various offices.
*In national elections, the party ticket consists of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
Define a Party Platform
The document drawn up by each party at its national convention that outlines its policies and positions.
Describe the National Party Committee
The political party leaders who direct party business during the four years between the national party conventions, organize the next national convention and plan how to support the party’s candidate in the next presidential election.
Describe the role of the National Party Chairperson
An individual who serves as a political party’s administrative head at the national level.
*Their main duty is to direct the work of the national committee from party headquarters in Washington, D.C.
They are in charge of raising funds, providing publicity, promoting party unity, encouraging the development of state and local organization, recruiting new voters, and other activities
Describe the two-party system
A political system in which two strong and established parties compete for political offices.
*The division between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists established a precedent that continued over time and ultimately resulted in the domination of the two-party system.
What is a third party?
In the United States, any party other than the two major (Republican and Democratic).
They bring issues to the public’s attention.
- They are also called minor parties
Define Ideological Parties
Parties that support a particular political doctrine or set of beliefs.
*A political ideology is a system of political ideas rooted in beliefs about human nature, society, and government.
Example: Party for Socialism and Liberation or the Libertarian Party
Describe Splinter or personality parties
parties that split from a major political party.
*This spilt may be part of an attempt to elect a specific purpose and most of the time have been formed around a leader with a strong personality (personality parties). When that person steps aside, the party collapses.
Define Public Opinion
The views of the citizenry about politics, public issues, and public policies. A complex collection of opinions held by many people on issues in the public arena
*For us to develop a Public Opinion we must first be exposed to political socialization
Define Political Socialization
The learning process through which most people acquire their political attitudes, opinions, beliefs, and knowledge.
*Political Socialization begins with your upbringing and then branches out to the environment you visit because of your upbringing
What are agents of political socialization
people and institutions that influence the political views of others.
What is the media?
Newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and the internet.
*The most influential is the television
Define Peer Groups
Associates often the same age, may include friends. Classmates, co-workers, club members, or religious groups.
Describe the Gender Gap
The difference between the percentage of votes cast for a particular candidate by women and the percentage of votes cast for the same candidate by men.
Describe the Term “Solid South”
A term used to describe the tendency of the southern states to vote Democratic after the Civil War.
Describe a public opinion poll
A survey of the public’s opinion on a particular topic at a particular moment.
Define Sample
in the context of opinion polling, a group of people selected to represent the population being studied.
Define a sampling error
The results of the difference in the polling between what the sample results show and what the true results would have been.
Describe the house effect
A consistent tendency to report results more favorable to one of the political parties than the results reported by other pollsters.
Define Push Poll
A campaign tactic used to feed false or misleading information to potential voters, under the guise of taking an opinion.
Define Sufferage
The legal right to vote
Describe the Motor Voter Law
the Act requires all eligible voters the opportunity to register when applying or renewing their driver’s license.
Describe the history of Mail-In Voting
In 1998, Oregon voters approved a ballot initiative requiring that all elections in the state, including presidential elections to be conducted by mail.
Describe a General Election
A regularly scheduled election to choose the U.S. president, vice president, senators, and house of representatives.
Describe a Special Election
an election that is held at the state or local level when voters must decide on a vacant position for the next general election.
Define Australian Ballot
a secret ballot that counted at government expense.
Describe the roll of a poll watcher
a representative from one party allowed to observe one of the political parties.
Define Elector
in American politics, a member of the electoral college.
Define Electoral College
the group of electors who are selected by the voters in each state to officially elect the president and vice president.
Describe the Winner Take All system
the candidate who receives the largest popular vote in a state is credited with all that state’s electoral vote.
Define Delegate
A person selected to represent the people of one geographic area at a party convention.
Define a Direct Primary
an election held within each of the two major parties. Voters choose the candidate directly, rather than through delegates.
Define Dealignment
When voters, detach from both major political parties.
Define Tipping
Migration between states can result in a tip from one party to another.
