Unit 8 Vocab

Political party

An alliance of groups banded together to win elections.

Democratic Party

A liberal political party in the United States, known for its progressive beliefs.

Republican Party

A conservative political party in the United States, recognized for its conservative beliefs.

National Party Convention

The place where the party delegates officially vote for presidential candidates.

Grass-roots organization

Political parties organized at the local level, catering to the local needs of the area.

Candidate-centered campaigns

Modern elections focused more on the individual candidate instead of their party, weakening the power of the parties.

Proportional representation

A system where seats are granted based on the percentage of votes received, not used in American elections.

Single member district (Winner-take-all)

An electoral system where states are divided into multiple districts, with only one winner per district.

Realigning period (Critical elections)

An election where many groups of people switch parties.

Split-ticket voting

The practice of voting for candidates from multiple political parties.

Straight-ticket voting

The practice of voting for every candidate on a ballot from the same political party.

Dealignment

A trend where fewer people associate themselves with just one political party.

Party platform

The set of beliefs and policies that a political party stands for.

Third party

Minor parties that promote beliefs not adopted or supported by the major parties.

Divided Government (Gridlock)

A situation where different parties control different branches of government.

Incumbent

A person running for reelection.

Constituent

A person living in a representative’s district.

Caucus

A type of primary election where people attend a community meeting instead of a polling place.

Primary election

An election where voters select candidates for each political party.

Frontloading

The practice of focusing campaign efforts on the early primaries.

Coattail effect

The phenomenon where a popular presidential candidate boosts the support for their entire party.

Closed primary

A primary election where voters must register with a political party before the election.

Open primary

A primary election where voters can choose which party to vote for on election day.

Superdelegates

Elite Democrats who automatically get to vote for the presidential candidate at the party convention.

General election

The election held in November to select winners for various offices.

Midterm election

All elections that occur in non-presidential voting years.

Political Action Committee (PAC)

A non-profit organization that can accept tax-free donations and spend money towards political causes.

Federal Election Campaign Act 1971

A law to regulate campaign donations and spending, overseen by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

Hard Money

Contributions tracked by the FEC, given to PACs, parties, and candidates.

F.E.C.

Federal Election Commission, an agency that oversees campaign finance.

Soft Money

Illegal funds when political parties spend money directly on their own advertising.

Independent Expenditures/Dark Money

Funds spent directly by individuals or groups on advertising and campaign events, which are legal.

Bi-Partisan Campaign Reform Act (2002)

A law aimed at blocking soft money and independent expenditures.

Citizens United v. FEC

A ruling that BICRA violated First Amendment rights by banning independent expenditures.

Super PAC

Non-profit organizations that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money on advertisements but cannot give money directly to candidates.