UNIT 2 POLITICAL BELIEFS and BEHAVIORS Key Terms

Attentive public

• those who follow politics and public affairs carefully.

Australian ballot

• secret ballots 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 to attract more votes for the ticket.

Blanket primary

• election to choose candidates that is open to independents, and that allows voters to choose candidates from all the parties.

Caucus

• local party meeting

Closed primary

• party election to choose candidates that is closed to independents.

  Voters may not cross party lines.

Coattail effect

• the influence of a popular presidential candidate on the election of congressional candidates of the same party.

Demographics

• characteristics of populations, e.g. income, gender, race

Direct election

• election of an official directly by the people rather than by an intermediary group such as the Electoral College.

Direct primary

• election in which the people directly choose party candidates for office.

Fixed terms

• terms of office that have a definite length of time

• 6 years for Senators, 2 for House, 4 for President, Lifetime tenure for USSC justices

Front loading

• scheduling presidential primary elections earlier (e.g., February or March) in an election year.

• purpose: maximize exposure, campaign spending, bandwagon effect, media coverage

Gender gap

• difference in voting patterns for men and women, particularly in the

  greater tendency for women to vote for Democratic presidential candidates.

General election

• election in which the officeholders are chosen. Contrast with a primary election, in which only the candidates are chosen.

Hard money

• campaign contributions donated directly to candidates.

Ideology

• set of beliefs about political values and the role of government.

Incumbent

• an officeholder who is seeking reelection.

• Advantages: retrospective voting, franking privilege, casework

Independent

• one is not registered with a political party

Issue advocacy ads

• Ads that focus on issues and do not explicitly encourage citizens to vote for a certain candidate.

Open primary

• election to choose candidates that is open to independents, and

  in which voters may choose candidates from any one party.

Party identification

• a sense of affiliation that a person has with a particular political party.

Party platform

• a list of positions and programs that the party adopts at the national convention

Political culture

• the widely shared beliefs, values, and norms that citizens share about their government.

Plurality

• more votes than anyone else, but less than half (not necessarily a majority)

Political efficacy

• capacity to understand + influence political events

Political socialization

• process in which one acquires his/her political beliefs

factors: family/peers, education, media, and demographics, religion, globalization

Realigning election

• an election in which there is a long term change in party alignment.

Safe seat

• an office that is extremely likely to be won by a particular candidate or political party.

Single member district system

• system in which the people elect one representative per district.

Soft money

• campaign contributions that are not donated directly to candidates, but are instead donated to parties.

Solid-South

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

Split ticket voting

• casting votes for candidates of one's own party and for candidates of opposing parties, e.g., voting for a Republican presidential candidate and a Democratic congressional candidate.

Straight ticket voting

• Casting votes only for candidates of one’s party

Suffrage

• The right to vote

Superdelegate

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

Super PACs

• PACs whose contributions to “independent” expenditure groups that are considered protected free speech and not subject to existing or FEC (Federal Election Commission) regulations

Super Tuesday

• a Tuesday in early March in which many presidential primaries, particularly in the South, are held.

Swing state

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