AP Government Chapter Eight Key Terms

Question 1

Party Competition

Answer 1

the battle of the parties for control of public offices. Ups and Downs of the two major parties are one of the most important elements in American Politics

Question 2

Political Party

Answer 2

According to Anthony Downs, “a team of men and women seeking to control the governing apparatus by gaining office in a duly constituted election.”

Question 3

Linkage Institutions

Answer 3

The channels through which people’s concerns become political issues on the government’s policy agenda. In the United States, linkage institutions include elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media

Question 4

Rational-Choice Theory

Answer 4

a popular theory in political science to explain the actions of voters as well as politicians. It assumes that individuals act in their own best interest, carefully weighing the costs and benefits of possible alternatives

Question 5

Party Image

Answer 5

The voter’s perception of what the Republicans or Democrats stand for, such as conservativism or liberalism

Question 6

Party Identification

Answer 6

a citizen’s self-proclaimed preference for one party or the other

Question 7

Ticket Splitting

Answer 7

voting with one party for one office with another party for other offices. it has become the norm in American voting behavior

Question 8

Party Machines

Answer 8

a type of political party organization that relies heavily on material inducements, such as patronage, to win votes and to govern

Question 9

Patronage

Answer 9

one of the key inducements used by party machines. A patronage job, promotion, or contract is one that is given for political reasons rather than for merit or competence alone

Question 10

Closed Primaries

Answer 10

elections to select party nominees in which only people who have registered in advance with the party can vote for that party’s candidates, thus encouraging greater party loyalty

Question 11

Open Primaries

Answer 11

elections to select party nominees in which voters can decide on election day whether they want to participate in the democratic or republican

Question 12

BlanketPrimaries

Answer 12

elections to select party nominees in which voters are presented with a list of candidates from all the parties. Voters can then select some Democrats and some Republicans they like

Question 13

National Convention

Answer 13

the meeting of party delegates every four years to choose a presidential ticket and write the party’s platform

Question 14

National Committee

Answer 14

one of the institutions that keep the party operating between conventions. The national committee is composed of representatives from the states and territories

Question 15

National Chairperson

Answer 15

the national chairperson is responsible for the day-to-day activities of the party and is usually handpicked by the presidential nominee

Question 16

Coalition

Answer 16

a group of individuals with a common interest on which every political party depends

Question 17

Party Eras

Answer 17

Historical periods in which a majority of voters cling to the party in power, which tends to win a majority of the elections

Question 18

Critical Election

Answer 18

an electoral “earthquake” where new issues emerge, new coalitions replace old ones, and the majority party is often displaced by the minority party. Critical election periods are sometimes marked by a national crisis and may require more than one election to bring about a new party era

Question 19

Party Realignment

Answer 19

the displacement of the majority party by the minority party, usually during a critical election

Question 20

New Deal Coalition

Answer 20

a coalition forged by the Democrats, who dominated American politics from the 1930’s to the 1960’s. Its basic elements were the urban working class, ethnic groups, Catholics and Jews, the poor, Southerners, African Americans, and intellectuals

Question 21

Party Dealignment

Answer 21

the gradual disengagement of people and politicians from parties, as seen in part by shrinking party identification

Question 22

Third Parties

Answer 22

electoral contenders other than the two major parties. American third parties are not unusual, but they rarely win elections

Question 23

Winner-Take-All System

Answer 23

an electoral system in which legislative seats are awarded only to the candidates who come in first in their constituencies. In American presidential elections, the system in which the winner of the popular vote in a state receives all the electoral votes of that state

Question 24

Proportional Representation

Answer 24

an electoral system used throughout most of Europe that awards legislative seats to political parties in proportion to the number of votes won in an election

Question 25

Coalition Government

Answer 25

when two or more parties join together to form a majority in a national legislature. this form of government is quite common in the multiparty systems of Europe

Question 26

Responsible Party Model

Answer 26

a view favored by some political scientists about how parties should work. According to the model, parties should offer clear choices to the voters, who can then use choices as cues to their own preferences of candidates. Once in office, parties would carry out their campaign promises