VQ #11 Elections

Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act

banned soft money contributions to national political parties from corporations and unions; independent expenditures by corporations, labor unions, trade associations, and nonprofit organizations are sharply restricted.

Citizens United v. FEC

corporations have a 1st Amendment right to expressly support political candidates for Congress and the White House

Federal Election Campaign Act

A law passed creating the Federal Election Commission, provided public financing for presidential primaries and general elections, limited presidential campaign spending, required disclosure, and attempted to limit contributions.

Federal Election Commission

A six-member bipartisan agency that administers and enforces campaign finance laws.

Voter registration

requirment that indiviudals complete forms prior to being able to vote in elections

Winner-take-all

An election system in which the candidate with the pluarity of votes wins the district.

Caucuses

Registered voters and party members meet at a location to choose candidates.

Closed Primary

A primary election in which voters must first declare to which party they belong.

Coattail Effect

the tendency for a popular political party leader such as the president to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election.

Electoral College

system used in electing the president and vice president, in which voters vote for electors pledged to cast their ballots for particular party's candidates.

Front-loading

the recent tendency of states to hold primaries early in the calendar in order to capitalize on media attention

general election

election for an office, such as for a state governor.

Incumbent

Candidate for an elected office that currently holds that office

Initiative

citizens formulate a law and gather the signatures of registered voters necessary to get the measure on a ballot

Invisible Primary

Early attempts to raise money, line up campaign consultants, generate media attention, and get commitments for support even before candidates announce they are running.

Midterm Elections

a type of election where the people can elect their representatives in the middle of the term of the executive or of another set of members.

Open Primary

A primary in which voters can vote for the candidates of either the Democratic or the Republican party

Plurality

the number of votes cast for a candidate who receives more than any other but does not receive an absolute majority.

Primary election

An election intended to select a party's candidates for elective office

Split Ticket

Voting for candidates from different parties on the same ballot.