Chapter 12

501 ( c ) group

Interest groups whose primary purpose is not electoral politics

527 political committees

Organizations created with the primary purpose of influencing electoral outcomes.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)

amended the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 designed to end the use of nonfederal money for activitiy affecting federal elections.

Close Primary

A primary election in which only a party’s registered voters are eligible to cast a ballot.

electorate

the citizens eligible to vote

Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA)

the primary law that regulates political campaign spending and fundraising.

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

An independent regulatory agency founded to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States

front-loading

the tendency of states to choose an early date on the nomination calendar

Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV)

A push at the end of a political campaign to encourage supporters to go to the polls

Independent expenditures

Spending for campaign activity that is not coordinated with a candidate’s campaign or political party

initiative

an election that allows citizens to propose legislation by submitting them to the electorate for popular vote

McCutcheon v. FEC

determined Section 441 of the (FECA) as unconstitutional. Section 441 limits any individual’s total political contributions in a two-year period.

open primary

a primary election in which party members, independents, and sometimes members of the other party are allowed to participate.

Presidential coattails

when successful presidential candidates carry into office congressional candidates of the same party in the year of their election.

recall

an election in which voters can remove an incumbent from office prior to the next scheduled election.

referendum

an election whereby the state legislature submits proposed legislation to the voters for approval.

runoff primary

a second primary election between the two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes in the first primary.

super PAC

political action committees established to make independent expenditures.