Unit 17

Question 1

Political machine

Answer 1

A party organization that recruits voter loyalty with tangible incentives and is characterized by a high degree of control over member activity.

Question 2

Candidate centered politics

Answer 2

Politics that focuses on the candidates, their particular issues, and the character rather than party affiliation.

Question 3

Party realignment

Answer 3

Dramatic shifts in partisan preferences that drastically alter the political landscape. (redefines)

Question 4

Critical elections

Answer 4

An election that signals a party realignment through voter polarization around new issues and personalities.

Question 5

Secular realignment

Answer 5

The gradual rearrangement of party coalitions, based more on demographic shifts than on shocks to the political system.

Question 6

Deviating election

Answer 6

A brief change in which party has power, usually because of a charismatic leader or war hero

Question 7

Dealignment

Answer 7

A general decline in party identification and loyalty in the electorate.

Question 8

Superdelegate

Answer 8

Delegate to the Democratic Party’s national convention that is reserved for a party official, whose vote at the convention is unpledged to an individual candidate.

Question 9

Think tank

Answer 9

Institutional collection of policy-oriented researchers and academics who are sources of policy ideas.

Question 10

Party platform

Answer 10

A statement of the general and specific philosophy and policy goals of a political party, usually promulgated at the national convention.

Question 11

National convention

Answer 11

A party meeting held in the presidential election year for the purposes of nominating a presidential and vice presidential ticket and adopting a platform.

Question 12

Proportional representation

Answer 12

A voting system that apportions legislative seats according to the percentage of the vote won by a particular political party.

Question 13

Winner-take-all representation

Answer 13

An electoral system in which the party that receives at least one more vote than any other party wins the elections.

Question 14

Electorate

Answer 14

The citizens eligibility to vote.

Question 15

Mandate

Answer 15

A command indicated by the electorate’s votes for the elected officials to carry out a party platform or political agenda.

Question 16

Closed primary

Answer 16

A primary election in which only a party’s registered voters are eligible to cast a vote.

Question 17

Open primary

Answer 17

A primary election in which party members, independents, and sometimes members of the other party are allowed to participate.

Question 18

Runoff primary

Answer 18

A second primary election between the two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes in the first primary.

Question 19

Crossover voting

Answer 19

Participation in the primary election of a party with which the voter is not affiliated.

Question 20

Frontloading

Answer 20

The tendency of states to choose and early date on the nomination calendar.

Question 21

Electoral college

Answer 21

Representatives of each state who cast the final ballots that actually elect the president.

Question 22

Elector

Answer 22

A ember of the electoral college.

Question 23

Reapportionment

Answer 23

The reallocation of the number of seats in the House of Representatives after each decennial census.

Question 24

Midterm election

Answer 24

Am election that takes place in the middle of a presidential term.

Question 25

Ticket-splitting

Answer 25

Voting for candidates of different parties for various office in the sam election.

Question 26

Retrospective judgement

Answer 26

A voter's evaluation of a candidate based on past performance on a particular issue.

Question 27

Prospective judgement

Answer 27

A voter's evaluation of a candidate based on what he or she pledges to do about an issue if elected.

Question 28

Amendment 12

Answer 28

Modifies and clarifies the procedure for electing VPs and presidents

Question 29

Amendment 15

Answer 29

Black suffrage

Question 30

Amendment 17

Answer 30

Established popular voting as the process by which senators are elected

Question 31

Amendment 19

Answer 31

Women's suffrage

Question 32

Amendment 26

Answer 32

Made voting age 18

Question 33

Nomination campaign

Answer 33

Phase of a political campaign aimed at winning a primary election.

Question 34

General election campaign

Answer 34

Election in which voters decide which candidates will actually fill the elective public offices

Question 35

Pollster

Answer 35

A campaign consultant who conducts public opinion surveys.

Question 36

Voter canvas

Answer 36

The process by which a campaign reaches individual voters, either by door-to-to solicitations or by phone

Question 37

GOTV (get out the vote)

Answer 37

A push at the end of a political campaign to encourage supporters to go to the polls

Question 38

Hard money

Answer 38

Political contributions given to a party, candidate or interest group that are limited in amount and fully disclosed

Question 39

Soft money

Answer 39

Unlimeted political contributions earmarked for party building expenses or generic party advertising

Question 40

PACs

Answer 40

Federally mandated, officially registered fund-raising committee that represents interest groups in the political process

Question 41

Public fund

Answer 41

Donations to the general tax revenues to the campaigns of qualifying presidential candidates

Question 42

Matching funds

Answer 42

Donations to presidential campaigns from the federal government that are determined by the amount of private funds a qualifying candidate raises

Question 43

527s

Answer 43

Independent groups that seek to influence political process but are not subject to contribution restrictions because do no actively seek election of a candidate

Question 44

FEC (federal election campaign)

Answer 44

Six member bipartisan agency created by the FECA of 1974; they administer and enforce campaign finance laws

Question 45

FECA (federal election campaign act)

Answer 45

Law passed in 1974 for reforming campaign finances; provided public financing for presidential primaries and general elections, limited presidential campaign spending, required disclosure and attempted to limit contibutions

Question 46

Bipartisan campaign reform act of 2002

Answer 46

Legislation sponsored by McCain, from both parties, that prohibit the use of federally unregulated funds to finance a campaign, i.e. soft money (since repealed)

Question 47

Independent expenditures

Answer 47

An individual, group or party can spend unlimited amounts in campaigns for or against candidates as long as they operate independently from the candidate

Question 48

Issue advocacy

Answer 48

Advertising that intends to bring an issue to light without advocating voters to take a specific action at the election booth

Question 49

Express advocacy

Answer 49

Advertising that educates voters about issues with a specific candidate endorsement

Question 50

501(c) groups

Answer 50

Nonprofit, tax-exempt interest groups that can engage in varying levels of political activities such as voter mobilization and issue advocacy; not subject to FEC disclosure rules.

Question 51

Types of elections

Answer 51

Primary: selects party nominees General: selects office holders Initiative: policy voting Recall: removes incumbents before next election