Political Vocabulary Review

A collection of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to political processes and electoral strategies.

Amicus curiae brief

'Friend of the court' brief filed by an interest group to influence a Supreme Court decision.

Australian Ballot

Secret ballot printed at the expense of the state.

Balancing the Ticket

Occurs when a presidential nominee chooses a vice presidential running mate who has different qualities in order to attract more votes for the ticket.

Caucus

Local party meeting, has the same purpose as a primary.

Closed primary

Party election to choose candidates that is closed to independents. Voters may not cross party lines.

Coattail Effect

The helpful effect a popular president can have on congressional candidates from the same party.

Divided Government

Government in which one party controls the presidency while another party controls Congress.

Feeding Frenzy

The media 'attack' when they sense wrongdoing or scandal in government, devoting great amounts of coverage to such stories.

Free rider problem

The problem faced by interest groups when citizens can reap the benefits of interest group action without joining, participating, or contributing.

Front Loading

Scheduling presidential primary elections early in an election year.

General Election

Election in which the officeholders are chosen after a primary election.

Horse race coverage

The tendency of the media to report on an election campaign as if it were a horse race.

Incumbent

An officeholder seeking re-election.

Iron Triangle

An informal association of federal agency, congressional committee, and interest group that influences policy making.

Litigation

The act or process of carrying out a lawsuit.

Lobbying

Attempting to influence policy makers.

Open Primary

Election to choose candidates that is open to independents.

Photo opportunity

A staged campaign event that attracts favorable visual media coverage.

Plurality

More votes than anyone else, but less than half.

Political Action Committees (PACs)

An interest group that raises funds and donates to election campaigns.

Single Member District System

System in which the people elect one representative per district.

Soft Money

Campaign contributions that are donated to parties instead of directly to candidates.

Solid South

Historically, the South voted solidly Democratic, but is now strongly Republican.

Sound Bite

A short, pithy comment likely to attract media attention.

Spin Control

Placing a certain slant on a story to deflect negative public attention.

Superdelegate

A delegate to the Democratic national convention who is there by virtue of holding an office.

Super Tuesday

A Tuesday in early March when many presidential primaries are held.

Swing State

A state that does not consistently vote either Democratic or Republican in presidential elections.