unit two vocab Flashcards
Secret ballot printed at the expense of the state
Australian ballot
Those who follow politics and public affairs closely
Attentive public
Local party meeting
Caucus
A presidential nominee chooses a vice presidential running mate who has different qualities in order to attract more votes for the ticket
Balancing the ticket
Election to choose candidates that is open to independents and allows voters to mix and match parties
Blanket primary
Election that is closed to independents and confines voters to parties they are registered in
Closed primary
Characteristics of a population
Demographics
Election in which people directly choose candidates for office
Direct primary
Terms of office that have a definite length of time
Fixed terms
Scheduling presidential primaries early
Front loading
Difference in voting pattern between men and women
Gender gap
Election in which office holders are chosen
General Elections
Campaign contributions donated directly to candidates
Hard money
Set of beliefs about values and the role of government
Ideology
An officeholder who is seeking reelections
Incumbent
No consistent pattern of party voting
Pure independents
Tend to vote for candidates of one political party, although not registered as one
Independent leaners
Ads that focus on issues, not encouraging citizens to vote for a particular candidate
Issue advocacy ads
Election to choose candidates that is open to independents, but voters must choose one party
Open primary
A sense of affiliation one has with a particular party
Party identification
A list of positions and programs which a party adopts at the national convention
Party Platform
Each position of a political party
Plank
The widely shared beliefs, values, and norms that citizens share about the government
Political Culture
Capacity to understand and influence political events
Political efficacy
Process by which one acquires their political beliefs
Political socialization
An election in which there is a long term change in party alignment
Realigning or critical election
An office which is extremely likely to be won by a particular candidate or party
Safe seat
System in which the people elect one representative per district with a winner take all approach
Single member district system
Who does the single member district system hurt?
Minor parties
Campaign contributions given to parties, not candidates
Soft money
Casting votes for candidate’s own party as well as for opposing parties
Split ticket voting
Casting votes only for one’s own party
Straight ticket voting
The right to vote
Suffrage
A delegate to the Democratic national convention who is there by virtue of holding an office
Superdelegate
A Tuesday in early March on which presidential primaries, particularly in the South, are held.
Super Tuesday
Where is Super Tuesday popular?
The South
A state that does not consistently vote for one party or another in presidential elections
Swing State
