AP U.S. Government and Politics: Elections, Voting, and Political Participation Key Terms

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering voting behavior, elections, campaign finance, political parties, interest groups, and the media in United States politics.

Suffrage (Franchise)

The legal right to vote in political elections.

Electorate

The group of people who are eligible to vote in an election.

Voting-Age Population (VAP)

The total population of individuals aged 18 or older, regardless of their eligibility to vote.

Voting-Eligible Population (VEP)

The population of individuals legally qualified to vote, excluding noncitizens and those legally disqualified.

Voter Registration

The process by which eligible citizens enroll with election officials to become registered voters.

National Voter Registration Act (Motor Voter Act, 1993)

A federal law designed to increase voter participation by requiring states to offer voter registration through motor vehicle agencies and certain public assistance offices.

Help America Vote Act (HAVA)

A federal law passed in 2002 to improve election administration, voting equipment, voter registration systems, and accessibility.

Political Efficacy

The belief that citizens can understand political affairs and influence government decisions.

Voter Turnout

The proportion of eligible or registered voters who cast ballots in an election.

Rational-Choice Voting

Voting based on an individual's calculation of which candidate or party will provide the greatest personal benefit.

Retrospective Voting

Voting based on an evaluation of a candidate's or political party's past performance.

Prospective Voting

Voting based on expectations about a candidate's future performance and proposed policies.

Straight-Ticket (Party-Line) Voting

Voting for candidates belonging to the same political party for multiple offices in an election.

15th Amendment

A constitutional amendment ratified in 1870 prohibiting the denial of voting rights based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

19th Amendment

A constitutional amendment ratified in 1920 prohibiting the denial of voting rights based on sex.

24th Amendment

A constitutional amendment ratified in 1964 prohibiting poll taxes in federal elections.

26th Amendment

A constitutional amendment ratified in 1971 prohibiting the denial of voting rights to citizens aged 18 or older on account of age.

Voting Rights Act (1965)

Federal legislation designed to enforce voting rights by prohibiting racial discrimination and discriminatory election practices.

Structural Barriers

Institutional rules, procedures, or requirements that make voting or political participation more difficult.

Primary Election

An election in which voters select candidates to represent a political party in a general election.

Closed Primary

A primary election in which only voters registered with a particular political party may vote in that party's primary.

Open Primary

A primary election in which voters may choose which political party's primary to participate in without being registered with that party.

Caucus

A meeting of political party members or supporters to select candidates, choose delegates, or discuss party business.

General Election

An election in which voters choose among candidates competing to hold public office.

Incumbent

An individual who currently holds an elected political office.

Incumbency Advantage

The electoral benefits enjoyed by current officeholders, including name recognition, fundraising opportunities, and constituent services.

Electoral College

The constitutional system in which electors selected by the states formally elect the president and vice president.

Winner-Take-All System

An electoral system in which the candidate receiving the most votes wins all the available electoral votes or seats being allocated, as occurs with presidential electoral votes in most states.

Swing State

A state in which neither major political party has a consistent electoral advantage, making the election outcome competitive.

Campaign Strategy

A coordinated plan developed by a candidate or political party to gain voter support and win an election.

Campaign Finance

The collection and expenditure of money to support political candidates, parties, and election campaigns.

PAC (Political Action Committee)

An organization that raises and spends money to influence elections and may contribute directly to candidates within legal limits.

Super PAC

A political committee that can raise unlimited funds and make unlimited independent expenditures supporting or opposing candidates but cannot contribute directly to candidates or coordinate expenditures with their campaigns.

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

A Supreme Court decision ruling that restrictions on independent political expenditures by corporations and labor unions violate the First Amendment.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (2002)

Federal legislation that restricted soft-money contributions to national political parties and regulated certain election-related advertisements.

Independent Expenditure

Money spent to support or oppose a political candidate without coordination with the candidate or their campaign.

Political Party

An organization of individuals with shared political goals that seeks to influence government by electing candidates to public office.

Two-Party System

A political system in which two major political parties dominate electoral competition and government.

Linkage Institution

An organization or process that connects citizens to government and communicates public preferences, including elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.

Party Platform

A formal statement outlining a political party's beliefs, policy positions, and political objectives.

Party Realignment

A significant and lasting shift in the voting coalitions and electoral support of political parties.

Critical Election

An election that produces or signals major changes in political party support, voter coalitions, or political alignments.

Party Identification

An individual's psychological attachment or loyalty to a particular political party.

Coalition

An alliance of individuals or groups that cooperate to achieve shared political objectives.

Party Polarization

The increasing ideological separation between political parties and their members.

National Convention

A national meeting of political party delegates held to formally nominate presidential and vice-presidential candidates and adopt a party platform.

Candidate-Centered Campaign

An election campaign that emphasizes the individual candidate's personality, qualifications, and policy positions rather than party affiliation.

Third Party

A political party that competes with the two major political parties but generally receives less electoral support.

Independent Candidate

An individual who runs for political office without affiliation with a political party.

Interest Group

An organized group of individuals sharing common interests that attempts to influence government policies and decisions.

Lobbying

The act of attempting to influence government officials and public policy decisions through communication and advocacy.

Grassroots Lobbying

A lobbying strategy that mobilizes ordinary citizens to contact government officials and advocate for particular policies.

Amicus Curiae Brief

A legal document submitted to a court by an individual or organization not directly involved in a case to provide additional information or arguments.

Iron Triangle

A stable, mutually beneficial relationship among congressional committees, bureaucratic agencies, and interest groups that influences policymaking.

Issue Network

A loosely organized group of government officials, interest groups, experts, and other participants who influence policy decisions on a particular issue.

Free Rider

An individual who benefits from the efforts of an interest group without contributing to its activities or costs.

Single-Issue Group

An interest group that concentrates its political activities on one specific policy issue.

Social Movement

A sustained, organized effort by a large group of people seeking to bring about or resist social or political change.

Mass Media

Communication channels, including television, newspapers, radio, and digital platforms, that distribute information to large audiences.

Agenda Setting

The ability of the media to influence which political issues receive public attention and are considered important.

Horse-Race Journalism

Election coverage that emphasizes polling results, campaign standings, and which candidates are winning or losing rather than policy issues.

Investigative/Watchdog Journalism

Journalism that examines government activities, investigates misconduct, and holds public officials accountable.

Media Bias

The tendency of news coverage to favor particular viewpoints, political positions, or interpretations of events.

Partisan News

News coverage that reflects or promotes the perspectives and interests of a particular political party or ideology.

Selective Exposure

The tendency of individuals to seek information and media sources that reinforce their existing political beliefs.

Echo Chamber

An information environment in which individuals primarily encounter opinions and information that confirm their existing beliefs, with limited exposure to opposing viewpoints.