Unit 5: Elections & Campaign Finance

Flashcards to review key vocabulary and concepts from Unit 5 lecture notes.

Federal Election Commission (FEC) Law

Individuals cannot donate more than $1,000 to a candidate, and political action committees cannot donate more than $5,000 per election.

Buckley V. Valeo

By limiting the amount of money you donate, Congress was violating citizens' 1st amendment rights.

Hard Money

Funds that are directly donated to a candidate's campaign, regulated by the law.

Soft Money

Funds donated not to a candidate, but to the party or interest group to help a candidate win, not regulated by the law.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)

Increased the limits of hard money donations and sought to curtail the spending of soft money.

Citizens United vs FEC

BCRA's limitations accounted to a violation of free speech; money donation is equivalent to free speech; corporate funding of ads & broadcasts cannot be limited.

Primary Elections

Members of the party decide which candidate they want to represent them.

Closed Primary

Voters must cast a ballot for a candidate which aligns with the voter's declared party.

Open Primary

Voters may cast a ballot for a candidate of any party regardless of party affiliation.

Caucuses

More local & public form of election.

General Election

The candidate for each party fights for votes in order to become president.

Incumbency Advantage

The incumbent has an advantage when running for reelection.

House of Representatives

All seats are up for election every two years.

Senate

One-third of seats are up for election every two years.

Political Action Committees (PAC)

Organizations that raise money for the sake of influencing the population to vote for their preferred candidate.

Connected PAC

Formed by corporations or other entities, can only collect funds from the members of the connected organization; money can be donated directly to candidates in limited quantities; can raise unlimited amounts of money provided individual limits are obeyed.

Non-connected PAC

Formed around a specific public interest; donations limited by law; can donate directly to a candidate's campaign.

Super PAC

Formed by anyone with unlimited donations but cannot directly coordinate with candidates

Winner-take-all Voting Districts

Whichever candidate gets the most popular votes is awarded all of the electoral votes of the state (except Nebraska and Maine).

Interest Groups

Form around a single issue to persuade policymakers to pass legislation that aligns with the voters' interests.

Lobbying

Representatives of interest groups who inform policymakers about their issues.

Issue Networks

Short-term cooperative networks that form among various interest groups when an issue touches along multiple groups.

Funding (Interest Groups)

More money equals more access and more influence.

Free Rider Problem

When a larger group benefits from the efforts of an interest group than are members of the group.

Social Movements/Protest Movements

Attempt to pass legislation by drawing attention to themselves.

Linkage Institution

A structure that connects people to the government or their political process.

Political Party

An organization bound by ideological beliefs to put forward candidates for election.

Political Party

Mobilization & education of voters

Party Platform

A formal set of principles & policy goals written and endorsed by the political party.

Republican Party Platform

Conservative, lower taxes, national security

Democratic Party Platform

Liberal, minority rights, public welfare

Candidate Recruitment

Usually someone who has money but is not a bad person.

Campaign Management

Trying to get their candidate elected by hosting fundraisers & developing media strategies.

Coalition

A demographic group (ex. millennials or retired persons).

Party Realignment

Which large groups of voters move from one party to another.

Psychographic Analysis

Classifies people according to their inner life like their personality, aspirations, & desires.

Franchise

Right to vote.

15th Amendment

Recognized the right of black men to vote.

19th Amendment

Recognized the right of women to vote.

23rd Amendment

Grants residents of Washington D.C. the right to vote.

24th Amendment

Abolished poll taxes that limited black turnout.

26th Amendment

Lowered voting age to 18.

17th Amendment

Citizens vote for the senators.

Rational Choice Model

Votes based on their individual self-interest after having carefully studied the issues & platforms.

Retrospective Model

Looks back on the previous track record of a politician in question.

Prospective Model

Votes based on the future the politician could bring.

Party Line Voting

Vote for all the candidates in their preferred party.

Structural Barriers

Government-issued IDs, mail, etc.

Political Efficacy

A citizen's sense if their vote matters.

Type of Election

Presidential: most voters, Local: least voters

Demographics

Women: Democrat, Men: Republican

Party Identification

More willing to vote for candidates in their preferred party.

Candidate Characteristics

More likely to vote for a candidate if they seem likeable and trustworthy.