Poli- Sci terms.

Buckley V. Veno

1976, limits on candidate spending.

Citizens United V. Federal Elections

2010, ruled that corporations and unions can spend unlimited amount of money on companions and political expedintures

Federal Election Campaign Act

1972, regulated political campaign fundraising and spending.

Political Participation

protest demonstrations, online, money, petitions, voting, protest.

19th amendment

1960, women gain the right to vote.

28th amendment

1971, lowered voting age to 18.

Voting Rights Act

1965, addressed racial discrimination on voting.

Midterm

Election in the middle of a presidential term, Focusing on congressional and local offices.

congressional elections

held every 2 years, chosen by party officials.

Closed primary

only allows members of a political party to vote.

Open elections

allow all registered voters including dependents to vote.

Competitive election

5% difference or less

Proportional Representation

Political party wins legislature seats proportionate to the % of overall votes.

Incumbent

a candidate running for a position they already hold

Super Delegate

only allowed to vote if no candidate has the majority

electoral college

works by allocating a set number of electors to each state based on its Congressional representation, who then cast votes to elect the President and Vice President.

Grass Roots campaign

political campaign that works on local levels

Party Platform

A document containing party values and philosophy

Gerry Mandering

the manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor a particular political party or group

Caucuses AKA king caucus

informal and often exclusive practice in early U.S. history where party leaders in Congress would select presidential candidates, bypassing broader public involvement.

Retrospective voting

Retrospective voting is when voters base their decisions on a candidate's past performance in office.

Prospective Voting

Prospective voting is when voters choose candidates based on their promises and plans for the future.

Referendum

a direct vote by the electorate on a specific proposed law or policy

Initiatives

vote proposed

Senator

6 year term

House members

2 year term

Political Action Committee

an organization that collects and distributes contributions to support political candidates or influence elections.

501(c)(4)

a nonprofit organization that can engage in political advocacy and lobbying, as long as it primarily focuses on social welfare.

Gridlock

describes a deadlock where opposing groups can't agree, preventing decision-making and action.