Section 3 Flashcards
a 2002 law to limit soft money donations to political parties
BIPARTISAN CAMPAIGN REFORM ACT
an election where candidates for elected office are formally chosen, or where the allocation of presidential electoral votes is decided
GENERAL ELECTION
a candidate for office who presently holds that office and is running for re-election
INCUMBENT
an election among members of the same political party, designed to narrow the field or identify the person who will ultimately serve as the party’s nominee for a particular office
PRIMARY ELECTION
votes made by the electoral college which, according the Constitution, are the votes that actually elect a President
ELECTORAL VOTES
a meeting of party members where delegates are selected to support a candidate for a party’s presidential nomination or other party issues are discussed; occur at local, state, and national levels
CAUCAUS
persons selected by each state to cast Electoral College votes
ELECTORS
voters who indicate no preference for one political party or another
INDEPENDENT VOTERS
states with a history of voting for both political parties in recent presidential elections, considered by both sides as able to be persuaded
SWING STATES
a system of voting in which the candidate who wins a plurality of the popular vote is elected. Most US states use this system awarding all electoral votes to the candidate who wins 50.01% or more of the popular vote
WINNER-TAKES-ALL
one of 435 legally established areas of a state represented by one member of the House of Representatives; each approximately equal in population
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
voters who do not have a definite preference for the candidate of a political party and therefore are open to voting for the candidate of either political party
SWING VOTERS
a national party convention where no candidate for the party’s presidential nomination enters with a majority of the convention’s delegates, resulting in negotiating by “power brokers” to agree on a nominee
BROKERED CONVENTION
a method of allocating the electoral votes of a state in a presidential election among candidates according to the popular vote in each congressional district; this method is rare; most states use winner takes all
DISTRICT METHOD
a disparaging name for electors who violate their pledge to support a particular presidential candidate, voting instead for someone else
FAITHLESS ELECTORS
requires candidates to disclose where their money is coming from and where spending limits individual contributions
FEDERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN ACT
led to the removal of spending limits on corporations
CITIZENS UNITED v. FEC
an organization designed to raise hard money to elect or defeat candidates; tend to be run by businesses and other groups (NRA, for example); highly regulated concerning the amount of money they can take in and spend
PAC (POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE)
not bound by money regulations cannot give money directly to a candidate or candidate’s party; they can spend and raise unlimited funds and can spend independently of a campaign or party
SUPER PAC
a public or private association of individuals or organizations that attempt to influence government decision making or public policy
INTEREST GROUPS
an interest group comprised of many groups or institutions with similar interests (usually individual businesses joining together in a larger interest group)
ASSOCIATION
a representative of a particular interest or organization, usually which employed for pay, who attempts to influence legislators
LOBBYIST
a group that pursues policies or goods that members perceive to be useful for most or all citizens
PUBLIC INTEREST GROUP
an individual who represents a government institution to other governmental decision makers
LEGISLATIVE LIASON
attempts to directly influence government officials such as legislators or their aides
INSIDE LOBBYING
attempts to influence government officials such as legislators or their aides by influencing public opinion
OUTISDE LOBBYING
the process of demonstrating to state election officials that an individual meets the qualifications to participate in an election
REGISTRATION
to deny the right to vote
DISENFRANCHISE
historically in the US a fee required with the intention of preventing African Americans from voting; banned by 24th amendment
POLL TAX
a 1993 law officially named the National Voter Registration Act, that allows voters to register when they sign up for a driver’s license or some other government services
MOTOR VOTER LAW
the tendency of a voter to select a candidate in an important office and then stop voting before selecting candidates for lower offices
BALLOT FATIGUE
a vote cast by a citizen on the basis of events that have transpired in the past
RETROSPECTIVE VOTING
a vote cast by a citizen on the basis of what a candidate is expected to do in the future
PROSPECTIVE VOTING
