unit 1 vocab quiz #3 political parties ap gov

ap gov vocab quiz

Party Organization

a specific political party’s leaders and workers at the national, state, and local levels.

Party in government

the group of officeholders who belong to a specific political party and were elected as candidates of that party.

Party in the electorate

The group of people who identify with a specific political party.

Party system

Periods in which the names of the major parties, their supporters, and the issues dividing them have remained relatively stable.

Party principle

The idea that a political party exists as an organization distinct from its elected officials or party leaders.

Spoils system

the practice of rewarding party supporters with benefits like federal government positions.

Realignment

A change in the party coalition's size or composition or the nature of the issues that divide the parties. This typically occurs within an election cycle or two but can also occur gradually over a decade or longer.

National Committee

An American political party’s principal organization, comprising party representatives from each state.

Issue ownership

a political party owns an issue if it is perceived by voters as the most competent party to solve a particular problem.

Caucus (congressional)

the organization of Democrats within the House and Senate that meets to discuss and debate the party’s positions on various issues, reach a consensus, and assign leadership positions.

Conference

The Republican organization within the House and Senate meets to discuss and debate the party’s positions on various issues, reach a consensus, and assign leadership positions.

Unified government

A situation in which one party holds a majority of the seats in the House and Senate and the president is a member of the same party.

Divided government

A situation in which the same party does not control the House, Senate, and Presidency.

Party Identification

A citizen's loyalty to a specific political party

Negative partisanship

Identification with a political party based on dislike of the other party rather than positive feelings about the party identified with.

Party coalitions

The groups that identify with a political party usually described in demographic terms such as African American Democrats or evangelical Republicans.

Caucus (electoral)

A local meeting where party members select a party’s nominee for the general election.

Nominating convention

A meeting held by each party every four years at which states’ delegates select the party’s presidential and vice presidential nominees and approve the party platform.

Party platform

A set of objectives outlining the party’s issue positions and priorities. Candidates are not required to support their party’s platform.

Single-member district

An electoral system in which every elected official represents a geographically defined area, and each area elects one representative.

Third Parties

Form outside the two-party system. More ideological citizens may not believe that their agenda is being heard and implemented by either party, so they create their own party