Unit 4: Chapter 9: Elections, Campaigns, and Voting Flashcards
Grassroots organizing
A grass-roots organization focuses on the citizens or ‘common people’ to help with a specific agenda item or movement.
general election
an election that determines which candidates win the offices being sought
Caucuses
meeting of party members held to select delegates to the national convention
Open primary
a type of primary in which both parties ballots are available in the voting booth, and voters select one on which to register their preferences
Closed primary
a type of primary in which voting in a party’s primary is limited to members of that party
Front loading
Choosing an early date to hold the primary election
super tuesday
the tuesday in early march on which the most primary elections are held, many of them in southern states
runoff elections
a follow up election held when no candidates receives the majority of votes cast in the original election
instant runoff elections
a special runoff election in which the computerized voting machines stimulates the elimination of last place vote getters
Referendum
an election in which voters in a state can vote for or against a measure proposed by the state legislature
initiative
A citizen sponsored proposal that can result in new or amended legislation or a state constitutional amendment
proposition
a proposed measure placed on the ballot in an initiative eletion
recall
a special election in which voters can remove office holders before their term is over
Australian ballot
used in USA, a secret ballot prepared by govt, distributed to all eligible voters and when ballot is completed, counted by the govt officials in an unbiased fashion, without corruption or regard to individual preferences
party column ballot
a ballot that organizes the candidates by political parties (one column one party and the other party, another column)
coattail effect
the phenomenon by which candidates running for a lower level office such as city council benefit in an election from the popularity of a top ticket nominee
office block ballot
a type of ballot that arranges all the candidates for a particular office under the name of that office
absentee voting
casting a ballot in advance by mail in situations where illness, travel, or other circumstances prevent voters from voting in their precinct
campaign consultants
paid professional who specializes in the overall management of political campaign or an aspect of campaigns
campaign manager
a professional whose duties include a variety of strategic and managerial tasks, from fund raising to staffing a campaign
Hatch Act
a congressional law that forbade government officials from participating in partisan politics and protected government employees from being fired on partisan grounds; it was revised in 1993 to be less restrictive
Selective service act
independent federal agency in the executive branch. Selective Service works to register all males in the United States, between the ages of 18 1/2 to 26,to make sure that the Armed Forces can be adequately supplied with people in case of a crisis in national security.
campaign strategy
blueprint for the campaign, includ, a budget and fund raising plan, advertising strategy, and staffing plan
fund raising consultant
a professional who works with candidates to ID likely contributors to the campaign and arrange events and meetings with donors
media consultant
a professional who brings the campaign message to voters by creating handouts and all forms of media ads
Super PACS
Officially known as “independent-expenditure only committees,” these may not make contributions to candidate campaigns or parties, but may engage in unlimited political spending independently of the campaigns. Also, unlike traditional PACs, they can raise funds from corporations, unions and other groups, and from individuals, without legal limits.
independent expenditures
The Supreme Court has ruled that individuals, groups, and parties can spend unlimited amounts in campaigns for or against candidates as long as they operate independently from the candidates. When an individual, group, or party does so, they are making an independent expenditure.
FECA
A US federal law that increased disclosure of contributions for federal campaigns. It was amended in 1974 to place legal limits on the campaign contributions. The amendment also created the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
FEC
An independent regulatory agency founded in 1975 by the US Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the US. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA). It describes its duties as “to disclose campaign finance information, to enforce the provisions of the law such as the limits and prohibitions on contributions, and to oversee the public funding of presidential elections.”
Buckley v Valeo
The Court Upheld a federal law which set limits on campaign contributions, but ruled that spending money to influence elections is a form of constitutionally protected free speech, and struck down portions of the law.
soft money
Money raised in unlimited amounts by political parties for party building purposes. Now largely illegal except for limited contributions to state or local parties for voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts.
Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform act of 2002
McCain-Feingold
banned soft money contributions to national political parties from corporations and unions; independent expenditures by corporations, labor unions, trade associations, and nonprofit organizations are sharply restricted, The elimination of “soft money”
527 groups
a tax exempt group that raises money for political activity
citizens united v. FEC
2010 supreme court decision, provision to BCRA prohibiting unions/corporations/non-profit organizations from broadcasting electioneering communications within 60 days of general election or 30 days of primary election violates the free speech clause of the 1st amendment
prospective voting
voting for a candidate because you favor his or her ideas for handling issues
retrospective voting
voting for a candidate because you like his or her past actions in office
salient
Having resonance, in relation to a voting issue, reflecting intense interest.
incumbency
the fact that being in office helps a person stay in office because of a variety of benefits that go with the position
voter fatigue
The condition in which voters grow tired of all candidates by the time Election Day arrives, and may thus be less likely to vote.
rational abstention thesis
A theory that some individuals decide the costs of voting are not worth the effort when compared to the benefits.
What are the diff types of elections?
primary (open and closed) general referendum initiative recall
how do elections link people to govt?
it is a linkage institution
*allows them (citizens) to voice their opinions to govt
How have elections changed from 1980’s to 1990’s?
- professionalism (meaning managers, etc)
- candidate centered campaigns
- technology involved more
- campaigns use money to influence more
Why is regulating financing so difficult?
because it deals with freedoms (considered freedom of speech)
why do people choose not to vote?
- lack of efficacy
- long lines
- voter fatigue
- negative campaigns
Explain some factors that influence voting?
- education
- age
- race
- income
