Political Parties & Interest Groups

Question 1

Party Platform

Answer 1

A list of principles and plans a party hopes to enact

Question 2

Critical Realignments

Answer 2

1) a “change in underlying electoral forces due to changes in party identification”
2) are marked by critical elections, which contests reveal sharp, lasting changes in loyalties to political parties
3) THERE’S FOUR OF THEM

Question 3

Dealignment

Answer 3

When citizens became independents or turn away from politics altogether

Question 4

Issue Ads

Answer 4

• Issue ads focus on a specific topic or cause.
• They aim to raise awareness or advocate for a particular position.
• Unlike product ads, they don’t promote a specific product or service.
• Used by advocacy groups, political organizations, or businesses.
• Can influence public opinion or policy decisions.

Question 5

Front Loading

Answer 5

states scheduling their primaries and caucuses earlier and earlier to boost their political clout and to enhance their tourism

Question 6

Split Ticket

Answer 6

• voters to cast votes for candidates in multiple parties
• ex. voters can pick Republicans in some races and Democrats in others

Question 7

Closed Primary

Answer 7

voters must declare their party affiliation in advance of the election, typically when they register to vote

Question 8

Blanket Primary

Answer 8

• uses split tickets (voters to cast votes for candidates in multiple parties)
• rarest type of primary

Question 9

FEC

Answer 9

• the Federal Election Commission
• oversees campaign finance laws in the U.S
• It regulates fundraising and spending in federal elections, discloses finance information, enforces laws, administers public funding for presidential campaigns, and offers guidance to candidates and political committees

Question 10

New Deal coalition

Answer 10

was made up of DEMOCRATIC state and local party organizations, labor unions and blue-collar workers, minorities, farmers, white southerners, people living in poverty, immigrants, and intellectuals (1930s to 1960s)

Question 11

Soft Money

Answer 11

a donation to a party or interest group that was not tracked

Question 12

Hard Money

Answer 12

a donation given directly to a candidate that could be traced and regulated

Question 13

Super Tuesday

Answer 13

when states hold their primary elections or Caucasus and the race narrows so voters start to converge around fewer, or perhaps just one nominee

Question 14

Open Primary

Answer 14

• allows voters to declare party affiliation on election day
• used by about half of the states today
• Poll workers hand these voters one party’s ballot from which they select candidates.

Question 15

Coattail Effect

Answer 15

When a presidential candidate wins by wide margins, fellow congressional candidates from that same party down the ballot typically do well also