Key Terms in Political Party Governance

Caucus

A meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates for public office and to decide the platform (pg 166)

Closed primary

Primary election in which only persons registered in the party holding the primary may vote (pg 167)

Crossover voting

Voting by member of one party for a candidate of another party (pg 167)

Dealignment

Weakening of partisan preferences that points to a rejection of both major parties and a rise in the number of independents (pg 183)

Direct primary

Election in which voters choose party nominees (pg 166)

Divided government

Governance divided between the parties, as when one holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of Congress (pg 174)

Hard money

Political contributions given to a party, candidate, or interest group that are limited in amounts and fully disclosed. Raising such limited funds is harder than raising unlimited funds, hence the term 'hard money.' (pg 184)

Honeymoon

Period at the beginning of the new president's term during which the president enjoys generally positive relations with the press and Congress, usually lasting about six months (pg 166)

Minor party

A small political party that rises and falls with a charismatic candidate or, if composed of ideologies on the right or left, usually persists over time; also called a third party (pg 169)

National party convention

A national meeting of delegates elected in primaries, caucuses, or state conventions who assemble once every four years to nominate candidates for president and vice president, ratify the party platform, elect officers, and adopt rules (pg 176)

Nonpartisan election

A local or judicial election in which candidates are not selected or endorsed by political parties and party affiliation is not listed on ballots (pg 164)

Open primary

Primary election in which any voter, regardless of party, may vote (pg 167)

Party convention

A meeting of party delegates to vote on matters of policy and in some cases to select party candidates for public office (pg 166)

Party identification

An informal and subjective affiliation with a political party that most people acquire in childhood (pg 180)

Party registration

The act of declaring party affiliation; required by some states when one registers to vote; Texas does NOT require (pg 179)

Patronage

The dispensing of government jobs to persons who belong to the winning political party. (pg 165)

Platform

Document stating the policy positions of the party (pg 177)

Political party

An organization that seeks political power by electing people to office so that its positions and philosophy become public policy (pg 164)

Proportional representation

An election system in which each party running receives the proportion of legislative seats corresponding to its proportion of the vote (pg 169)

Realigning election

An election during periods of expanded suffrage and change in the economy and society that proves to be a turning point, redefining the agenda of politics and the alignment of voters within parties (pg 172)

Soft money

Money raised by political parties for party-building activities; largely banned by Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (pg 184)

Winner-take-all system

Election system in which the candidate with the most votes wins (pg 169)