Elections and the Political Process - Fasttrack Vocabulary Review

Bias

a consistent tilt to favor one side of an issue, while ignoring or discounting evidence that supports the other side.

Campaign

the organized effort by a candidate to win support in an election. Also, if used as a verb, the act of seeking support in an election.

Campaign Finance Reform Laws

laws that try to limit how much money an individual, an organization, or a company can donate to a candidate. These laws attempt to make sure no one can "buy" an election.

Conservative

political views that favor traditional ideas about individual responsibility, family life, and business freedom. Conservatives generally believe the role of the government, and especially federal government social programs, should be limited. Most conservatives today tend to be in the Republican Party.

Editorial

in a newspaper, a short essay that gives the newspaper publisher's or top editors' view of a public issue. An editorial can focus public attention on an important issue, and often gets public officials to act.

Electoral College

the group, as described in the Constitution, that actually casts the votes that select the President and Vice-President. The members from each state are chosen by the public according to how votes in that state are cast in the November election.

Interest Group

an organization of people with an interest in a particular public issue, such as gun control or the environment. Interest groups play a big role in politics because they can bring attention, money, and votes to public issues.

Liberal

political views that favor a large role for the government in promoting greater equality of conditions in society. Liberals believe the government should create extensive social welfare programs to help meet the needs of citizens. Liberals today tend to be members of the Democratic Party.

Media

the term for all forms of communication, including radio, TV, newspapers, books, magazines, the Internet, recordings and movies, etc.

Moderate

in politics, people who fall in the middle range of the liberal - conservative split.

Nominate

to officially put forth a candidate to run for political office.

Nominating Convention

a large meeting held by a political party to officilly pick the party's candidate for a public office. Often they are held in July or August before the November election.

Op-Ed Pieces

commentary essays run in a newspaper, usually on the page facing the editorial page (opposite the editorial page). They may be submitted by anyone, including readers, political leaders, and experts.

PAC's (Political Action Committees)

These organizations raise money to donate to candidates based on whether they support the PAC's particular views on issues.

Platform (of a political party)

the official statement of a political party's view or position on various public issues.

Political Party

an organization of citizens that tries to get its members elected to public office and influence public policies and laws.

Political Spectrum

the imaginary line stretching from liberal (or "left wing") to conservative (or "right wing") along which political views can be placed.

Primary Election

an election in which members of a political party vote to help select the party's candidate. The primary is typically held 6 to 12 months before the general election in November.

Propaganda

information, usually false or misleading, that is deliberately repeated over and over in an attempt to influence votes or public opinion on an issue.

Simulation

a "play acting" version of a real activity, such as an election or trial, often done so the participants can gain practice.

Third Party

in a two-party system, the smaller "extra" political parties. While third parties rarely win big national elections, they can influence politics by focusing attention on specific issues. The Third Party candidate usually takes votes away from one of the two major political party candidates. This can impact election results.

Two-Party System

a political system with two main political parties, as in the United States. Smaller "third parties" may exist, but have much less influence than the major parties.

Suffrage

the right to vote

Bipartisan

A measure that is supported by members of the two major political parties (the Democrats and the Republicans)