Chapter 8

Question 1

mandate

Answer 1

Perception of popular support for a program or policy based on the margin of electoral victory won by a candidate who proposed in during a campaign

Question 2

retrospective voting

Answer 2

Voting for or against a candidate or party on the basis of past performance in office.

Question 3

Prospective voting

Answer 3

Voting for or against a candidate or party on the expectations of their actions if they win.

Question 4

Professionalism

Answer 4

In politics, a reference to the increasing number of officeholders for whom politics is a full-time occupation.

Question 5

Careerism

Answer 5

In politics, a reference to people who started young working in politics, running for and holding public office, and who made politics their career.

Question 6

Amateurs

Answer 6

People who have not worked in politics or public service professions who run for public office.

Question 7

Incumbents

Answer 7

Candidates currently in office seeking reelection.

Question 8

Reelection rates

Answer 8

Percentages of incumbents running for reelection who are successful.

Question 9

Name recognition

Answer 9

Public awareness of a political candidate– whether they are familiar with his or her name

Question 10

Challengers

Answer 10

In politics, a reference to people running against incumbent officeholders.

Question 11

Franking privilige

Answer 11

Free use of the US mails granted to members of Congress to promote communication with constituents.

Question 12

Campaign strategy

Answer 12

Plan for a political campaign, usually including a theme, an attempt to define the opponent or the issues, and an effort to coordinate images and messages in news broadcasts and paid advertising.

Question 13

Voter targeting

Answer 13

The use of voting record, polling, and market research data to identify and contact potential likely voters.

Question 14

Negative campaigning

Answer 14

Speeches, commercials, or advertising attacking a political opponent during a campaign.

Question 15

Focus group

Answer 15

In a political context, a small number of people brought together in a comfortable setting to discuss and respond to themes and issues, allowing campaign managers to develop and analyze strategies.

Question 16

Photo ops

Answer 16

Staged opportunities for the media to photograph the candidate in a favorable setting.

Question 17

Sound bites

Answer 17

Concise and catchy phrases that attract media coverage.

Question 18

Mobilize

Answer 18

In politics, to activate supporters to work for candidates and turnout on Election Day.

Question 19

Issue ads

Answer 19

Ads that advocate policy positions rather than explicitly supporting or opposing particular candidates.

Question 20

Political Action Committees (PACs)

Answer 20

Organizations that solicit and receive campaign contributions from corporations from corporations, unions, trade organizations, and ideological and issue-oriented groups and their members, and then distribute these funds to political candidates.

Question 21

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

Answer 21

Agency charged with enforcing federal election laws and disbursing public presidential campaign funds.

Question 22

Soft money

Answer 22

Previously unregulated contributions to the parties, now prohibited; contributions to parties now limited.

Question 23

Retail politics

Answer 23

Direct candidate contact with individual voters.

Question 24

Spin doctors

Answer 24

Practitioners of the art of spin control, or manipulation of media reporting to favor their own candidate.

Question 25

front-end strategy

Answer 25

Presidential political campaign strategy in which a candidate focuses on winning early primaries to build momentum.

Question 26

Front-loading

Answer 26

The scheduling of presidential primary elections early in the year.

Question 27

Big-state strategy

Answer 27

Presidential political campaign strategy in which a candidate focuses on winning primaries in large states because of their high delegate counts.

Question 28

Swing States

Answer 28

States that are not considered to be firmly in the Democratic or Republican column.

Question 29

Electoral College

Answer 29

The 538 presidential electors proportioned among the states according to their congressional representation (plus three for the District of Columbia) whose votes officially elects the president and vice president of the United States.

Question 30

Solid South

Answer 30

An empirical theory of American politics stating that when the former Confederate states are unified and vote the same way, they determine who wins the presidency.