Vincent A. CH. 11 Flashcards
Barack Obama
The first African American president of the United States, a Democrat, who served as the forty-fourth president from 2009 to 2017. Senator from Illinois from 2005 to 2008; member of the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004
Candidate
Centered politics- politics that focus on the candidates, their particular issues, and character rather than party affiliation
Critical election
An election that signals a party realignment through voter polarization around new issues and personalities.
Delegate
role played by representative who votes the way his or her constituents would want, regardless of personal opinions; may refer to an elected representative to Congress or a representative to the party convention
Donald J. Trump
The 44th president, a republican, elected in 2016; first president elected without prior political or military experience; an experienced businessman
Hillary Clinton
First female major party candidate for president of the United States, a Democrat, who ran against President Donald J. Trump. Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013; New York senator from 2001 to 2009; former first lady
National convention
A party meeting held in the presidential election year for the purposes of nominating a presidential and vice presidential ticket and adopting a platform
National party platform
A statement of the general and specific philosophy and policy goals of a political party, usually promulgated at the national convention
Partisan polarization
The presence of increasingly conflicting and divided viewpoints between the Democratic and Republican Parties
Party identification
A citizen’s attachment to a political party based on issues, ideology, past experience, or upbringing, which tends to be a reliable indicator of likely voting choices
Party realignment
Dramatic shifts in partisan preferences that drastically alter the political landscape
Political machine
A party organization that recruits voter loyalty with tangible incentives and is characterized by a high degree of control over member activity
Political party
An organized group that may include office holders, candidates, activists, and voters who pursue their common interests by gaining and exercising power through the electoral process
Proportional representation
A voting system that apportions legislative seats according to the percentage of the vote won by a particular political party
Secular realignment
The gradual rearrangement of party coalitions, based more on demographic shifts than on socks to the political system