Unit 5 Flashcards
linkage institutions
a structure within a society that connects the people to the govt. or centralized authority
critical election
an electoral earthquake where new issues emerge, new coalitions replace old ones, & the majority party is often displaced by the minority
realignment
the switching of voter preference from one party to another
winner-takes-all- system
when a candidate who gets the most votes wins all of a state’s electoral votes
party coaliton
the groups who identify with a political party, usually described in demographic terms
bipartisan
legislation or policy that has the support of both major political parties
open primary
a primary in which voters can vote for Democratic, Republican, independent, or a mix of all
closed primary
primary elections in which voter must declare their party affiliation before they are given the primary ballot
party caucus
a closed meeting of the members of each party in each house
incumbency advantage
the electoral advantage a candidate enjoys by virtue of being an incumbent(current holder of office), over & above his or her other personal & political characteristics
PAC
political action committees, raise & distribute funds to advocate the political goals of its members
Super PAC
a PAC that is allowed to give an unlimited amount of money to a candidate or political party
independent expenditure
spending by PACs, corporations, or labor unions that is done to help a party or candidate but is done independently of them
horse race journalism
the tendency of the media to cover campaigns by emphasizing how candidates stand in the polls instead of where they stand on the issues
proportional system
an electoral system in which parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them
