5+6vocab

527 organization

A political group organized under section 527 of the IRS code that may accept and spend unlimited amounts of money on election activities so long as they are not spent on broadcast ads run in the last 30 days before a primary or 60 days before a general election in which clearly identified candidate is referred to and a relevant electorate is targeted (pg 154)

Amicus curiae brief

Literally, a "friend of the court" brief, filed by an individual or organization to present arguments in addition to those presented by the immediate parties to a case (pg 143)

Bipartisan Campaign

Reform Act (BCRA)

largely banned party soft money, restored long-standing prohibition on corporations and labor unions use of general treasury funds for electoral purposes, and narrowed the definition of issue advocacy (pg 150)

Bundling

A tactic in which PACs collect contributions from like-minded individuals (each limited to $2000) and present them to a candidate or political party as a "bundle," thus increasing the PAC's influence (pg 144)

Collective action

How groups form and organize to pursue their goals or objectives, including how to get individuals and groups to participate and to cooperate. The term has many applications in the various social sciences such as political science, sociology, and economics (pg 140)

Collective bargaining

the process in which a union represents a group of employees in negotiations w/ the employer about wages, benefits, and workplace safety (pg 130)

Closed shop

A company with a labor agreement under which union membership can be a condition of employment (pg 134)

Faction

A term the founders used to refer to political parties and special interests or interest groups (pg 130)

Federal Register

An official document, published every weekday, which lists the new and proposed regulations of executive departments and regulatory agencies (pg 142)

Free rider

An individual who does not to join a group representing his or her interests yet receives the benefit of the group's influence (pg 135)

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 (pg 153)

Interest group

A collection of people who share a common interest or attitude and seek to influence government for specific ends (to influence policy). Interest groups usually work within the framework of government and try to achieve their goals through tactics such as lobbying (pg 131)

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 (pg 154)

Issue network/iron triangle

Relationships among interest groups, congressional committees and subcommittees, and the government agencies that share a common policy concern (pg 145)

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 (pg 150) Lobbying: Engaging in activities aimed at influencing public officials, especially legislators, and the policies they enact (pg 142)

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 (pg 145)

Open shop

A company with a labor agreement under which union membership cannot be required as a condition of employment (pg 134)

Pluralism

A theory of government that holds that open, multiple, and competing groups can check the asserted power by any one group (pg 131)

Political Action Committee (PAC)

The political arm of an interest group that is legally entitled to raise funds on a voluntary basis from members, stockholders, or employees to contribute funds to candidates or political parties (pg 148)

Professional association

a group of individuals who share a common profession and are often organized for common political purposes related to that profession (pg 135)

Public choice

Synonymous with "collective action," it specifically studies how government officials, politicians, and voters respond to positive and negative incentives (pg 140)

Recall

a procedure for submitting to popular vote the removal of officials from office before the end of their term; ONLY AT STATE LEVEL (pg 130)

Revolving door

Employment cycle in which individuals who work for governmental agencies that regulate interests eventually end up working for interest groups or businesses with the same policy concern (pg 145)

Social Movement

A large body of people interested in a common issue, idea, or concern that is of continuing significance and who are willing to take action. Movements seek to change attitudes or institutions, not just policies (pg 131)

Soft money

Unlimited amounts of money that political parties previously could raise for party building purposes. Now largely illegal except for limited contributions to state and local parties for voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts

Super PAC

an independent expenditure only committee first allowed in 2010 after court decisions allowing unlimited contributions to such a PAC; Citizens United v. FEC (pg 143)

Caucus

A meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates for public office and to decide the platform (pg 166)

Closed primary

Primary election in which only persons registered in the party holding the primary may vote (pg 167)

Crossover voting

Voting by member of one party for a candidate of another party (pg 167)

Dealignment

Weakening of partisan preferences that points to a rejection of both major parties and a rise in the number of independents (pg 183)

Direct primary

Election in which voters choose party nominees (pg 166)

Divided government

Governance divided between the parties, as when one holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of Congress (pg 174)

Hard money

Political contributions given to a party, candidate, or interest group that are limited in amounts and fully disclosed. Raising such limited funds is harder than raising unlimited funds, hence the term "hard money." (pg 184)

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 (og 166)

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 (pg 169)

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 (pg 176)

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 (pg 164)

Open primary

Primary election in which any voter, regardless of party, may vote (pg 167)

Party convention

A meeting of party delegates to vote on matters of policy and in some cases to select party candidates for public office (pg 166)

Party identification

An informal and subjective affiliation with a political party that most people acquire in childhood (pg 180)

Party registration

The act of declaring party affiliation; required by some states when one registers to vote; Texas does NOT require (pg 179)

Patronage

The dispensing of government jobs to persons who belong to the winning political party. Soft money - Money raised in unlimited amounts by political parties for party-building purposes. Now largely illegal except for limited contributions to state or local parties for voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts (pg 165) Platform: document stating the policy positions of the party (pg 177)

Political party

An organization that seeks political power by electing people to office so that its positions and philosophy become public policy (pg 164)

proportional representation

An election system in which each party running receives the proportion of legislative seats corresponding to its proportion of the vote (pg 169)

Realigning election

An election during periods of expanded suffrage and change in the economy and society that proves to be a turning point, redefining the agenda of politics and the alignment of voters within parties (pg 172)

Soft money

money raised by political parties for party-building activities; largely banned by Bipartisan

Campaign Reform Act (pg 184)

Winner-take-all system Election system in which the candidate with the most votes wins (pg 169)