Unit 5 Vocab part 2

Honeymoon

Period at the beginning of the new president's term during which the president enjoys generally positive relations with the press and Congress, usually lasting about six months.

Horse race

A close contest; by extension, any contest in which the focus is on who is ahead and by how much rather than on substantive differences between the candidates.

Independent expenditure

The Supreme Court has ruled that individuals, groups, and parties can spend unlimited amounts in campaigns for or against candidates as long as they operate independently from the candidates. When an individual, group, or party does so, they are making an independent expenditure.

Initiative

Allows voters to petition to propose issues to be decided by qualified voters.

Interest group

A collection of people who share a common interest or attitude and seek to influence government for specific ends. Interest groups usually work within the framework of government and try to achieve their goals through tactics such as lobbying.

Investigative Journalism

Detective like reporting to uncover scandals.

Issue advocacy

Unlimited and undisclosed spending by an individual or group on communications that do not use words like 'vote for' or 'vote against,' although much of this activity is actually about electing or defeating candidates.

Issue network

Relationships among interest groups, congressional committees and subcommittees, and the government agencies that share a common policy concern.

Leadership PAC

A PAC formed by an officeholder that collects contributions from individuals and other PACs and then makes contributions to other candidates and political parties.

Libertarian party

A minor party that believes in extremely limited government. Libertarians call for a free market system, expanded individual liberties such as drug legalization, and a foreign policy of nonintervention, free trade, and open immigration.

Lobbying

Engaging in activities aimed at influencing public officials, especially legislators, and the policies they enact.

Lobbyist

A person who is employed by and acts for an organized interest group or corporation to try to influence policy decisions and positions in the executive and legislative branches.

Mass media

Means of communication that are reaching the public, including newspapers and magazines, radio, television (broadcast, cable, and satellite), films, recordings, books, and electronic communication.

Minor party

A small political party that rises and falls with a charismatic candidate or, if composed of ideologies on the right or left, usually persists over time; also called a third party.

National Chairperson

Day to day responsibilities of the party; hires staff, raises money, pays bills...MONEY!

National party convention

A national meeting of delegates elected in primaries, caucuses, or state conventions who assemble once every four years to nominate candidates for president and vice president, ratify the party platform, elect officers, and adopt rules.

New Deal Coalition

Align the Democratic Party with urban dwellers, labor unions, Catholics, Jews, the poor, southerners, African Americans.

News media

Media that emphasize the news.

Nongovernmental organization (NGO)

A nonprofit association or group operating outside of government that advocates and pursues policy objectives.

Nonpartisan election

A local or judicial election in which candidates are not selected or endorsed by political parties and party affiliation is not listed on ballots.

Open primary

Primary election in which any voter, regardless of party, may vote.

Open shop

A company with a labor agreement under which union membership cannot be required as a condition of employment - called 'right-to-work laws.'

Party convention

A meeting of party delegates to vote on matters of policy and in some cases to select party candidates for public office.

Party Dealignment

People are moving away from both parties...many believe there is a dealignment happening today.

Party Eras

A long period of party domination.

Party identification

An informal and subjective affiliation with a political party that most people acquire in childhood (ideology, education, income, occupation, race, gender, religion, family tradition, region, country, marital status).