APGOV VOCAB TEST

Bi-partisan support

An issue where both parties agree

Blanket Primary

Elections to select party nominees where voters are given a list of candidates from both parties

Closed Primary

Elections to select party nominees where only people who have registered in advance with the party can vote for that party’s candidates

Critical Elections

An election when the majority party is displaced by the minority party

Cross Pressure

An idea that when voters have conflicting thoughts on elections, voter turnout decreases

Electorate

The people who are registered and eligible to vote

Electioneering

Direct group involvement in the election process

Gender gap

A term to describe the difference between men and women

General election

An election held to choose which candidate will hold office

Majority election

An election where the winner must recieve more than 50% to win the election

Partisan

Person who is firmly behind a particular party

Party identification

A citizen’s self-proclaimed preference for one party or the other

Political socialization

Process by which we aquire our political beliefs

Plurality election

An election where whomever gets the most votes wins

Soft money

Money given to the party, not candidate

Hard money

Money given directly to the candidate

Political party

A team of people seeking to get members of its group elected to office

Political efficacy

The belief that one’s political participation matters

Super P.A.C

A political action committee created by the most wealthy of the world with a strong impact on the election process

Motor voter act

Requires states to allow people to register to vote at the same time they apply for a driver’s liscence

Party polarization

A vote in which majority of Democratic legislators oppose a majority of Republican legislators