AP Gov- Chapter 9 Vocab

Grassroots organizing

Tasks that involve direct contact with voters or potential voters

GOTV

Get out the vote

General election

An election that determines which candidates win the offices being sought

Caucus

Meeting of party members held to select delegates to the national convention

Open primary

A type of primary in which both parties’ ballots are available in the voting booth, and voters select one on which to register their preferences

Closed primary

A type of primary in which voting in a party’s primary is limited to members of that party

Super Tuesday

The Tuesday in early March on which the most primary elections are held, many of them in southern states

Runoff election

A follow-up election held when no candidate receives the majority of votes cast in the original election

Instant runoff election

A special runoff election in which the computerized voting machine simulates the elimination of last-place vote-getters

Referendum

An election in which voters in a state can vote for or against a measure proposed by the state legislature

Initiative

A citizen-sponsored proposal that can result in new or amended legislation or a state constitutional amendment

Proposition

A proposed measure placed on the ballot in an initiative election

Recall

A special election in which voters can remove an officeholder before his or her term is over

Australian ballot

A secret ballot prepared by the government, distributed to all eligible voters, and, when balloting is completed, counted by government officials in an unbiased fashion, without corruption or regard to individual preferences

Chad

A ready-made perforation on a punch card ballot

Party-column ballot

A ballot that organizes the candidates by political party

Coattail effect

The phenomenon by which candidates running for lower-level offices such as city council benefit in an election from the popularity of a top-of-ticket nominee

Office-block ballot

A type of ballot that arranges all the candidates for a particular office under the name of that office

Absentee voting

Casting a ballot in advance by mail in situations where illness, travel, or other circumstances prevent voters from voting in their precincts

Campaign consultant

Paid professional who specializes in the overall management of political campaigns or an aspect of campaigns

Campaign manager

A professional whose duties include a variety of strategic and managerial tasks, from fund-raising to staffing a campaign

Campaign strategy

Blueprint for the campaign, including a budget and fund-raising plan, advertising strategy, and staffing plan

Fund-raising consultant

A professional who works with candidates to identify likely contributors to the campaign and arranges events and meetings with donors.

Media consultant

A professional who brings the campaign message to voters by creating handouts and all forms of media ads

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

Supreme Court ruling stating that corporations and labor unions are entitled to the same First Amendment protections that individuals enjoy, resulting in drastically increased spending through superPACs by corporations and labor organizations

Super PACs

Politcal organizations that use contributions from individuals, corporations, and labor unions to spend unlimited sums independent from the campaigns, yet influencing the outcomes of elections

Independent expenditures

Outlays by PACs and others, typically for advertising for or agianst a candidate, but uncoordinated with a candidate’s campaign

501(c)4s

Nonprofit organizations operated exclusively for the promotion of social welfare, including lobbying or engaging in political campaigning

527

A tax-exempt group that raises money for politcal activities

Turnout rate

The proportion of eligible voters who actually voted

Prospective voting

A method of evaluating candidates in which voters focus on candidates’ positions on issues important to them and vote for the candidates who best represent their views

Retrospective voting

A method of evaluating candidates in which voters evaluate incumbent candidates and decide whether to support them based on their past performance

Salient

In relation to a voting issue—having resonance, being significant, causing intense interest

Incumbency

The situation of already holding the office that is up for reelection

Voter fatigue

The condition in which voters grow tired of all candidates by the time Election Day arrives, and may thus be less likely to vote

Rational abstention thesis

A theory that some individuals decide the costs of voting are not worth the effort when compared to the benefits