AP Gov Chapter 13: Elections and Campaigns VOCAB

Political participation

Ways in which individuals take action to shape the laws and policies of a government

Political action committees (PACS)

Organizations that raise money to elect and defeat candidates, may donate money to a candidates campaign (limits)

indivuduals, corporation,s and unions may form PACs

Linkage Institution

Channels that connect individuals with government, including elections political parties, interest groups, and the media

Social movement

Joining of individuals who seek social/political change with the goal of placing issues on the policy agenda

Suffrage/franchise

The right to vote

26th amendment

Allows 18 and over to vote

24th amendment

Prohibits Congress/states from imposing poll taxes as a requirement for voting in federal elections

Poll tax

A payment required by a state/federal government before a citizen can vote

Voter turnout

Number of eligible voters who participate in an election, as a percentage of the total number of eligible voters

Demographic characteristics

Measurable characteristics of a population, such as economic status, education, age, race/ethnicity, and gender

Socioeconomic status (SES)

Meausure of an individuals wealth, income, occupation, and educational attainment

Political efficacy

A persons belief that they can make an effective politcal change

Political mobilization

Efforts by political parties to encourage their members to vote

Sponsoring meetings, recruiting, etc

Registration requirements

Who can vote, how many ballots can be cast, where someone can go to vote

Absentee ballot

Voting completed and submitted by a voter before the day of an election without going to polls

Rational choice voting

Voting based on what a citizen believes what is in their best interest

Retrospective voting

Voting based on an assesssment of a candidates past performance

Prospective voting

Voting for a candidate who promises to enact policies favored by the voter in the future

Party-line voting

Voting for candidates who belong only to one political party for all of the offices on the balolot

Electoral college

constitutionally required process for selecting the president thru slates of electors chosen in each state pledged to vote for a nominee in the presidential election

Winner-takes-all system

Candidate who wins the PLURALITY of votes within a state recieves all of that states votes in an electorla college

Battleground states

States w a close contest between the Republican and Democratic candidate in a presidential election

Swing states

Levels of support for the parties are similar and elections “Swing” back and fort between parties

Get Out the vote (GOTV)

An effort to mobilize supporters

Super PACs

An organization that may spend an unlimited amount of money on a political campaign, along as the spending is not coordinated with a campaign