gov vocab

unit 5

Political Action Committee

An organization that raises money to elect and defeat candidates and may donate money directly to a candidate’s campaign, subject to limits.

Linkage Institution

Channels that connect individuals with government, including elections, political parties, interest groups, and the, media

Social Movement

The joining of individuals seeking social or political change with the goal of placing issues on the policy agenda

Twenty-sixth Amendment

Allows those eighteen years old and older to vote

Twenty-fourth Amendment

Prohibits Congress and the states from imposing poll taxes as a condition for voting in federal electionsA

Political Efficacy

A person’s belief that he or she can make effective political change

Rational Choice Voting

Voting based on what a citizen believes is in his or her best interest

Retrospective Voting

Voting based on an assessment of an incumbent’s past preformance

Prospective Voting

Casting a ballot for a candidate who promises to enact policies favored by the voters

Party-line Voting

Voting for candidates who belong only to one political party for all of the offices on the ballot

Electoral College

A constitutionally required process for selecting the president through slates of electors chosen in each state, who are pledged to vote for a nominee in the presidential election

Winner-take-all System

A system of elections in which the candidate who wins the plurality of votes within a state receives all of that state’s votes in the Electoral College

Battleground State

A state where the polls show a close contest between the Republican and Democratic candidate in a presidential election

Swing State

A state where levels of support for the parties are similar and elections swing back and forth between Democrats and Republicans

Super PAC

An organization that may spend an unlimited amount of money on a political campaign, as long as the spending is not coordinated with a campaign

Party Platform

A set of positions and policy objectives that members of a political party agree to

Party Coalition

Groups of voters who support a political party over time

Realignment

When the groups of people who support a political party shift their allegiance to a different political party

Critical Election

A major national election that signals a change in the balance of power between the 2 parties

Delegate

A person who acts as the voters’ representative at a convention to select the party’s nominee

Primary Election

An election in which a state’s voters choose delegates who support a presidential candidate for nomination or an election by a plurality vote to select a party’s nominee for a seat in Congress

Open Primary

A primary election in which all eligible voters can vote, regardless of their party affiliation

Closed Primary

A primary election in which only those who have registered as a member of a political party may vote

Caucus

A process through which a state’s eligible voters meet to select delegates to represent their preferences in the nomination process

Superdelegate

Usually a party leader or activist who is not pledged to a candidate based on the outcome of the state’s primary or caucus

Proportional Representation System

An election system for a legislature in which citizens vote for parties, rather than individuals, and parties are represented in the legislature according to the percentage of the vote they receive

Single-member Plurality System

An election system for choosing members of the legislature where the winner is the candidate who receives the most votes, even if the candidate does not receive a majority of the votes

Interest Groups

Voluntary associations of people who come together with the goal of getting the policies that they favor enacted

Free Riders

Individuals who enjoy collective goods and benefit from the actions of an interest group without joining

Lobbying

Interaction with government officials in order to advance a group’s public policy goals A bried

Amicus Curiae Brief

A brief filed by someone who is not a party to a case in an attempt to persuade the Court to agree with the arguments set forth in the brief Mobi

Grassroots Lobbying

Mobilizing interest group members to pressure their representatives by contacting them directly through phone calls, email, and social media

Selective Benefits

Benefits only available to those who join the group