Political Beliefs and Political Behaviors (Vocabulary) Flashcards
Suffrage
The right to vote.
Direct Primary
Allows citizens to nominate candidates.
Recall
An election in which voters can remove an incumbent from office prior to the next scheduled election.
Referendum
An election whereby the state legislature submits proposed legislation or state constitutional amendments to the voters for approval.
Electorate
The citizens eligible to vote.
Initiative
An election that allows citizens to propose legislation or state constitutional amendments by submitting to the electorate for popular vote.
Political Efficacy
Belief that one’s vote out of millions will not count.
Motor Voter Law (National Voter Registration Act of 1995)
Designed to make voter registration easier by allowing people to register at divers’ license bureaus and some public offices.
Primary Elections
Election in which voters decide which of the candidates within a party will represent the party in the general election.
Closed Primary
A primary election in which only a party’s registered voters are eligible to cast a ballot.
Open Primary
A primary election in which party members, independents, and sometimes members of the other party are allowed to participate.
Blanket Primary
A primary election where voters may pick candidates without regarding party lines.
Runoff Primary
A second primary election between the two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes in the first primary.
General Elections
Election in which voters decide which candidates will actually fill elective public office.
Off-Year Elections
(mid-term elections) occur during the year when no presidential election is held.
Coattail Effect
The tendency of a popular political party leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election.
Caucus
Is a meeting of supporters or members of specific political party or movement.
Presidential Preference Primary
A direct primary for the selection of state delegates to a national party convention and the expression of preference for a U.S. presidential nominee.
Electoral College
Representatives of each state who cast the final ballots that actually elect the president.
Maintaining Elections
The traditional majority power maintains power based on the party loyalty of voters.
Deviating Elections
The minority party is able to win with the support of majority-party members, independents, and new voters.
Critical Elections
An election that signals a party realignment through voter polarization around new issues and personalities.
Realigning Elections
The minority party wins by building a new coalition of voters that continues over successive elections.
Dealigning Elections
When party loyalty becomes less important to voters, increased by independents and split-ticket voting.
