AP Gov Ch. 12 Vocab

Electorate

individuals who are eligible to vote

Primary Election

Election in which voters decide which of the candidates within a party will represent the party in the general election

General Election

Election in which voters decide which candidates will actually fill elective public offices

Closed Primary

A primary election in which only a party’s registered voters are eligible to cast a ballot.

Open Primary

A primary election in which party members, independents, and sometimes members of the other party are allowed to participate.

Crossover Voting

Participation in the primary election of a party with which the voter is not affiliated.

Initiative

An election that allows citizens to propose legislation or state constitutional amendments by submitting them to the electorate for popular vote.

Referendum

An election whereby the state legislature submits proposed legislation or state constitutional amendments to the voters for approval.

Electoral College

The system established by the Constitution through which the president is chosen by electors from each state, which has as many electoral votes as it has members of Congress.

Reapportionment

The reallocation of the number of seats in the House of Representatives after each decennial census

Incumbency

Already holding an office.

Presidential Coattails

When successful presidential candidates carry into office congressional candidates of the same party in the year of their election.

Press Secretary

The individual charged with interacting and communicating with journalists on a daily basis.

Communications Director

The person who develops the overall media strategy for the candidate.

Finance Chair

The individual who coordinates the financial business of the campaign.

Campaign Manager

The individual who travels with the candidate and coordinates the campaign.

Pollster

A campaign consultant who conducts public opinion surveys.

Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA)

Passed in 1971, this is the primary law that regulates political campaign spending and fundraising. The law originally focused on increased disclosure of contributions for federal campaigns.

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

An independent regulatory agency founded in 1975 by the U.S. Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)

Passed in 2002, this act amended the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 with several provisions designed to end the use of nonfederal, or “soft money” (money raised outside the limits and prohibitions of federal campaign finance law) for activity affecting federal elections

Citizens United vs. FEC

2010 Supreme Court ruling that enabled corporations and unions have the same political speech rights as individuals under the First Amendment. As part of this ruling, the Supreme Court found that the government may not prohibit corporations or unions from using their general treasury funds to support or denounce political candidates in elections.

527 Committees

Organization created with the primary purpose of influencing electoral outcomes; the term is typically applied only to freestanding interest groups that do not explicitly advocate for the election of a candidate

Political Action Committee (PAC)

Officially recognized fundraising organization that represents interest groups and is allowed by federal law to make contributions directly to candidates’ campaigns

Independent Expenditures

Spending for campaign activity that is not coordinated with a candidate’s campaign

Super PAC

Political action committee established to make independent expenditures.

501c Groups

Interest group whose primary purpose is not electoral politics.

Public Funds

Donations from general tax revenues to the campaigns of qualifying presidential candidates.

Matching Funds

Donations to presidential campaigns whereby every dollar raised from individuals in amounts less than $251 is matched by the federal treasury.

Conventional Political Participation

Activism that attempts to influence the political process through commonly accepted forms of persuasion, such as voting or contacting elected officials

Retrospective Judgement

A voter’s evaluation of a candidate based on past performance on a particular issue.

Prospective Judgement

A voter’s evaluation of a candidate based on what he or she pledges to do about an issue if elected.

Front-Loading

The tendency of states to choose an early date on the nomination calendar