Key Concepts in Political Parties and Interest Groups

Boycott

A form of pressure or protest—an organized refusal to purchase a particular product or deal with a particular business.

Climate Control

The use of public relations techniques to create favorable public opinion toward an interest group, industry, or corporation.

Direct Technique

An interest group activity that involves interaction with government officials to further the group's goals.

Free Rider Problem

The difficulty interest groups face in recruiting members when the benefits they achieve can be enjoyed without joining the group.

Incentive

A reason or motive for supporting or participating in the activities of a group based on the desire to associate with others and to share with others a particular interest or hobby.

Indirect Technique

A strategy employed by interest groups that uses third parties to influence government officials.

Interest Group

An organized group of individuals sharing common objectives who actively attempt to influence policy.

Labor Movement

Generally, the economic and political expression of working-class interests; politically, the organization of working-class interests.

Latent Interest

Public-policy interests that are not recognized or addressed by a group at a particular time.

Lobbyist

An organization or individual who attempts to influence legislation and the administrative decisions of government.

Material Incentive

A reason or motive for supporting or participating in the activities of a group based on economic benefits or opportunities.

Public Interest

The best interests of the overall community; the national good, rather than the narrow interests of a particular group.

Purposive Incentive

A reason for supporting or participating in the activities of a group based on agreement with the goals of the group.

Service Sector

The sector of the economy that provides services—such as health care, banking, and education—in contrast to the sector that produces goods.

Social Movement

A movement that represents the demands of a large segment of the public for political, economic, or social change.

Solidary Incentive

A reason or motive having to do with the desire to associate with others and to share with others a particular interest or hobby.

Convention Delegates

Delegates are individuals chosen to represent their states at their party conventions prior to a presidential election.

Dealignment

A decline in party loyalties that reduces long-term party commitment.

Democratic Party

One of the two major American political parties evolving out of the Republican Party of Thomas Jefferson.

Divided Government

A situation in which one major political party controls the presidency and the other controls the chambers of Congress, or in which one party controls a state governorship and the other controls the state legislature.

Electoral College

A group of persons, called electors, who are selected by the voters in each state. This group officially elects the president and the vice president of the United States.

Era of Good Feelings

The years from 1817 to 1825, when James Monroe was president and had, in effect, no political opposition.

Faction

A subgroup or bloc within a legislature or political party acting in pursuit of some special interest or position.

National Committee

A standing committee of a national political party established to direct and coordinate party activities between national party conventions.

National Convention

The meeting held every four years by each major party to select presidential and vice presidential candidates, to write a platform, to choose a national committee, and to conduct party business.

Party Identification

Linking oneself to a particular political party.

Party-In-Government

All of the elected and appointed officials who identify with a political party.

Party-In-The-Electorate

Those members of the general public who identify with a political party or who express a preference for one party over another.

Party Organization

The formal structure and leadership of a political party, including election committees; local, state, and national executives; and paid professional staff.

Party Platform

A document drawn up at each national convention outlining the policies, positions, and principles of the party.

Patronage

Rewarding faithful party workers and followers with government employment and contracts.

Plurality

A number of votes cast for a candidate that is greater than the number of votes for any other candidate, but not necessarily a majority.

Political Party

A group of political activists who organize to win elections, operate the government, and determine public policy.

Realignment

A process in which a substantial group of voters switches party allegiance, producing a long-term change in the political landscape.

Republican Party

One of the two major American political parties. It emerged in the 1850s as an antislavery party and consisted of former Northern Whigs and antislavery Democrats.

Safe Seat

A district that returns the legislator with 55 percent of the vote or more.

Splinter Party

A political party that has broken away from a larger party.

State Central Committee

The principal organized structure of each political party within each state. This committee is responsible for carrying out policy decisions of the party's state convention.

Straight-Ticket Voting

Voting exclusively for the candidate of one party.

Swing Voters

Voters who frequently swing their support from one party to another.

Third Party

A political party other than the two major political parties (Republican and Democratic).

Ticket Splitting

Voting for candidates of two or more parties for different offices.

Tipping

A phenomenon that occurs when a group that is becoming more numerous over time grows large enough to change the political balance in a district, state, or country.

Two-Party System

A political system in which only two parties have a reasonable chance of winning.

Unit Rule

A rule by which all of the state's electoral votes are cast for the presidential candidate receiving a plurality of the popular vote in that state.

Whig Party

A major party in the United States during the first half of the nineteenth century, formally established in 1836. The Whig Party was anti-Jackson and represented a variety of regional interests.

Australian Ballot

A secret ballot prepared, distributed, and tabulated by government officials at public expense.

Battleground State

A state likely to be so closely fought that the campaigns devote exceptional effort to winning the popular and electoral vote there.

Caucus

A meeting of party members designed to select candidates and propose policy.

Closed Primary

A type of primary in which the voter is limited to choosing candidates of the party of which he or she is a member.

Coat-Tail Effect

The influence of a popular candidate on the electoral success of other candidates on the same party ticket.

Communications Director

A professional specialist who plans the communications strategy and advertising campaign for the candidate.

Corrupt Practices Acts

A series of acts passed by Congress in an attempt to limit and regulate the size and sources of contributions and expenditures in political campaigns.

Elector

A member of the Electoral College, which selects the president and vice president. Each state's electors are chosen in each presidential election year according to state laws.

Finance Chairperson

The campaign professional who directs fundraising, campaign spending, and compliance with campaign finance laws and reporting requirements.

Focus Group

A small group of individuals who are led in discussion by a professional consultant in order to gather opinions on and responses to candidates and issues.

Front-Runner

The presidential candidate who appears to be ahead at a given time in the primary season.

Get Out the Vote (GOTV)

The phrase describes the multiple effort expended by campaigns to get voters out to the polls on Election Day.

Hard Money

This refers to political contributions and campaign spending that is recorded under the regulations set forth in law and by the Federal Election Commission.

Hatch Act

An act passed in 1939 that restricted the political activities of government employees. It also prohibited a political group from spending more than $3 million in any campaign and limited individual contributions to a campaign committee to $5,000.

Independent Expenditures

Nonregulated contributions from PACs, organizations, and individuals. The funds may be spent on advertising or other campaign activities, so long as those expenditures are not coordinated with those of a candidate.

Issue Advocacy Advertising

Advertising paid for by interest groups that support or oppose a candidate or a candidate's position on an issue without mentioning voting or elections.

Office-Block, or Massachusetts Ballot

A form of general election ballot in which candidates for elective office are grouped together under the title of each office. It emphasizes voting for the office and the individual candidate, rather than for the party.

Open Primary

A primary in which any registered voter can vote, but must vote for candidates of only one party.

Party-Column, or Indiana Ballot

A form of general election ballot in which all of a party's candidates for elective office are arranged in one column under the party's label and symbol. It emphasizes voting for the party, rather than for the office or individual.

Political Action Committee (PAC)

A committee set up by and representing a corporation, labor union, or special-interest group. PACs raise and give campaign donations.

Political Consultant

A paid professional hired to devise a campaign strategy and manage a campaign.

Pollster

The person or firm who conducts public opinion polls for the campaign.

Presidential Primary

A statewide primary election of delegates to a political party's national convention, held to determine a party's presidential nominee.

Press Secretary

The individual who interacts directly with the journalists covering the campaign.

Rational Ignorance Effect

An effect produced when people purposely and rationally decide not to become informed on an issue because they believe that their vote on the issue is not likely to be a deciding one; a lack of incentive to seek the necessary information to cast an intelligent vote.

Registration

The entry of a person's name onto the list of registered voters for elections. To register, a person must meet certain legal requirements of age, citizenship, and residency.

Soft Money

Campaign contributions unregulated by federal or state law, usually given to parties and party committees to help fund general party activities.

Super PAC

A political committee that can accept unlimited contributions from individuals and corporations to spend supporting a candidate as long as its efforts are not coordinated with the candidate's own campaign.

Tracking Polls

A poll taken for the candidates on a nearly daily basis as Election Day approaches.

Voter Turnout

The percentage of citizens taking part in the election process; the number of eligible voters who actually "turn out" on Election Day to cast their ballots.