APGOV UNIT 5 TERMS

Suffrage

The right to vote

Fifteenth Amendment

Gave African American men the right to vote

Seventeenth Amendment

Established the direct election of U.S. senators by voters

Nineteenth Amendment

Gave women the right to vote

Twenty-Fourth Amendment

Prohibited poll taxes in federal elections

Twenty-Sixth Amendment

Lowered the voting age to 18

Structural Barriers to Voting

Obstacles like voter ID laws or limited polling hours that can reduce voter turnout

Voter Registration Laws

State laws requiring citizens to register before voting

Midterm Elections

Elections held midway through a president’s term

Presidential Elections

Elections held every four years to elect the president

Referendum

A vote by the electorate on a single political question or policy

Recall

A procedure allowing voters to remove elected officials before the end of their term

Initiative

A process where voters can propose laws or constitutional amendments

Political Parties

Groups that organize to win elections

Interest Groups

Organizations that seek to influence government and policy

Linkage Institutions

Structures that connect citizens to government

Electorate

All eligible voters in an election

Voter Mobilization

Efforts by parties or interest groups to encourage people to vote

Invisible Primary

The early efforts by candidates to gain support before the primary season starts

Caucuses

The first major electoral event of the presidential nomination process

Primary

The first primary election in the presidential nomination process

Swing States

States where either major party has a good chance of winning

Plurality

Receiving more votes than any other candidate

Majority

Receiving more than half the votes

Front-Loading

States scheduling primaries early to gain influence

Retail Politics

Campaigning by meeting voters in person at local events

Party Platforms

The official statement of a political party’s policy goals

Party Chairperson

The head of a political party organization

Delegate

An individual chosen to represent a group at a party convention

Superdelegate

A party leader or elected official who can support any candidate at the national convention

Coattail Effect

When a popular candidate helps others in their party win elections

Candidate Recruitment

The process by which parties seek out individuals to run for office

Incumbency Advantage

The advantage current officeholders have in an election

Gerrymandering

Manipulating district boundaries to favor a political party

Iron Triangle

The relationship between bureaucracy, interest groups, & congressional committees

Issue Network

An alliance of various interest groups and individuals promoting a common cause

Free Rider Problem

When people benefit from resources without contributing to the cost

PAC (Political Action Committee)

An organization that raises and spends money to influence elections

Super PAC

Independent groups that can raise unlimited funds but can't coordinate directly with candidates

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain-Feingold)

Banned soft money and restricted issue ads close to elections

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

Ruled that corporations and unions can spend unlimited money on independent political ads

Hard Money

Political donations that are regulated and disclosed to the FEC

Soft Money

Money given to parties for "party-building" activities

Dark Money

Political spending by organizations that don't disclose their donors

Media as a Linkage Institution

The media connects people with government by informing and investigating

Gatekeeper

Media’s role in setting the political agenda by deciding which issues to cover

Scorekeeper

Media’s role in tracking political reputations and election winners/losers

Watchdog

Media’s role in exposing corruption and holding officials accountable

Horse-Race Journalism

Covering elections by focusing on polls and winners/losers rather than policy