Unit Five Vocab

Voting

The most basic form of political participation in a democracy

Voter Turnout

The percentage of eligible voters who actually vote in an election

Voter Registration

The process of signing up to vote; can be a barrier to participation

Motor Voter Act (1993)

Allowed people to register to vote when getting a driver's license

Suffrage

The legal right to vote

15th Amendment

Prohibited denying the right to vote based on race (1870)

19th Amendment

Gave women the right to vote (1920)

26th Amendment

Lowered the voting age to 18 (1971)

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Banned discriminatory voting practices like literacy tests; federal oversight of elections

Electoral College

The body of electors who formally elect the president; 538 total, 270 needed to win

Winner-Take-All (Unit Rule)

The candidate who wins the popular vote in a state gets all of that state's electoral votes (most states)

Swing State (Battleground State)

A state where either party could win; gets the most campaign attention

Proportional Representation

Electoral seats are distributed based on percentage of votes received (not used in US general elections)

Single-Member District (Plurality System)

One representative per district; whoever gets the most votes wins (used in US House races)

Primary Election

An election within a party to choose its candidate for the general election

Closed Primary

Only registered party members can vote in the party's primary

Open Primary

Any registered voter can vote in any party's primary regardless of their registration

Caucus

A meeting of party members to select candidates and discuss party business

General Election

The final election where voters choose between party nominees

Campaign Finance

The money raised and spent to influence elections

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

The agency that regulates campaign finance

Hard Money

Donations made directly to a candidate's campaign; regulated and limited by law

Soft Money

Donations to political parties for "party building" activities; less regulated

Super PAC

Independent expenditure groups that can raise unlimited money but cannot coordinate directly with campaigns

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

Supreme Court ruled that corporations and unions can spend unlimited money on elections as free speech

527 Organization

Tax-exempt groups that raise money to influence elections but are not directly tied to candidates

Political Action Committee (PAC)

An organization that raises money to donate to candidates or spend on elections

Incumbency Advantage

The structural benefits that make sitting officeholders more likely to win reelection

Political Party

An organization that nominates candidates and tries to win elections to control government

Two-Party System

A political system dominated by two major parties (Democratic and Republican in the US)

Third Party

Any party other than the two major parties; faces structural barriers in the US

Realignment

A major shift in the party coalitions that define American politics

Dealignment

A weakening of party loyalty among voters; more people becoming independents

Party Platform

A formal statement of a party's positions on issues

Divided Government

When the president is from one party and one or both chambers of Congress are controlled by the other

Unified Government

When the president and both chambers of Congress are controlled by the same party

Interest Group

An organization that tries to influence government policy on behalf of its members

Lobbying

Attempting to influence legislators or government officials on behalf of an interest group

Lobbyist

A person hired to represent an interest group before the government

Free Rider Problem

People benefit from an interest group's work without joining or paying dues

Collective Action Problem

Difficulty getting people to work together for a common goal when individuals can benefit without contributing

Media

The various channels of communication that inform the public about politics (TV, newspapers, internet, social media)

Watchdog Function

The media's role in monitoring and investigating government actions

Agenda Setting

The media's power to determine which issues the public thinks are important

Framing

The way the media presents an issue, which influences how people think about it

Priming

The media's influence on the standards people use to evaluate politicians

Horse Race Journalism

Media coverage that focuses on who is winning or losing rather than on issues

Social Media

Online platforms that allow users to create and share content; increasingly important in politics