Unit 5B - Electing a President and Related Topics

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from the notes on electing a president and political processes.

Closed Primary

An election where only registered party members may vote.

Open Primary

An election where any registered voter may participate in either party’s primary.

Caucus

A meeting of party members to choose a candidate.

National Convention

The event that officially nominates a party’s presidential candidate and adopts the party platform.

General Election

The election in which the winner takes office.

Electoral College

The process through which presidents are officially elected.

Majority of electoral votes

The number of electoral votes needed to win the presidency.

Winner-Take-All System

A system where most states assign all their electoral votes to the candidate that wins the majority of the votes in that state.

Incumbency Advantage

The advantages held by current officeholders in congressional elections.

Turnout Ranking

The hierarchy of voter turnout rates among different types of elections.

Redistricting

The process of redrawing electoral district boundaries, which can strengthen incumbency advantage.

Campaign Finance

Funding necessary for political campaigns, encompassing various types of money used, such as hard money and soft money.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA)

Legislation aimed at regulating campaign finance.

PAC (Political Action Committee)

An organization that raises money privately to influence elections or legislation.

Super PAC

A type of independent political action committee that can raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, and individuals.

Agenda Setting

The media's role in shaping what issues are considered important.

Gatekeeper

The media's role in determining which issues are covered and which are not.

Horse-race journalism

A journalism style that focuses on the competitive aspect of elections rather than the issues.

Consumer-driven media outlets

Media sources that prioritize viewer preferences and cater to specific ideological beliefs.

Media bias

The perceived bias of journalists and news producers in the selection of events and stories that are reported.

Partisan news sites

News outlets that support a particular political party or ideology.

Polarization

The process by which the public opinion divides and goes to the extremes.

Credibility and Democracy

Challenges to democracy posed by uncertainty about which news sources are trustworthy.