AP Government Unit 5: Political Participation

The Franchise / Suffrage

This is the right to vote

Electorate

All of the people entitled to vote in a given election

15th Amendment

Citizens cannot be denied the right to vote because of race, color , or precious condition of servitude

17th Amendment

Direct election of senators

19th Amendment

Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1920) extended the right to vote to women in federal or state elections.

24th Amendment

Abolishes poll taxes

26th Amendment

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18

Direct Primary

A type of primary that allows citizens to choose candidates for a political party

Recall

Special election initiated by a petition to allow citizens to remove an official from office before the end of a term.

Referendum

Allows citizens to vote directly on an issue called a "proposition."

Initiative

Allows voters to bypass the legislature and get an issue on the ballot, or in some cases before the legislature.

Rational-Choice Voting

When people vote based on what they PERCEIVE to be in their best interest

Retrospective Voting

Voting based on past performance of the candidate.

Prospective Voting

Voting based on how the voter believes the candidate WILL perform if elected.

Party-Line Voting

Voting "straight ticket."

Political Efficacy

The belief that one's political participation really matters - that one's vote can actually make a difference. People have been loosing this, which is one of the reasons turnout has been so low.

Motor Voter Law

Law that allows you to register to vote when you update your license (1993)

Primary Elections

Elections held to select a party's candidate for the general election

Closed Primary

Only those votes who are registered in the party may vote in the primary.

Open Primary

Voters may choose to participate in either primary on election day.

Caucus

Party officials come together to select a nominee --- Iowa still uses this, but they use an "open" format.

Blanket Primary

Voters can choose candidates from either party on an office by office basis.

Runoff Primary

No one gets a majority in the primary election, so the top two face each other in a special election

General Election

An election held to choose which candidate will hold office (party 1 vs. party 2)

Mid-term Election

An election that takes place in the middle of a presidential term

Coattail Effect

The boost that candidates may get in an election because of the popularity of candidates above them on the ballot, especially the president.

Presidential Preference Primary

A primary in which the voters indicate their preference for a person seeking nomination as the party's presidential candidate.

Front-Loading

The recent tendency of states to hold primaries early in the calendar in order to capitalize on media attention.

Super Tuesday

A Tuesday in early March in which many presidential primaries, particularly in the South, are held.

Superdelegates

National party leaders who automatically get an unpledged delegate slot at the Democratic national party convention.

Electoral College

A group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and vice president

Maintaining Election

An election where traditional party power maintains power with traditional, loyal voters

Deviating Election

An election where a minority party wins with support from members in the majority party

Critical Election

An election where sharp changes in party loyalty due to changing social and economic conditions occurs

Realigning Election

An election where a minority party wins by building a new coalition of voters.

Dealigning Election

An election where party voting becomes less important, with a rise in independents and "split-ticket" voting.

Split-Ticket Voting

Voting for candidates of different parties for different offices at the same election

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

A commission created by the 1974 amendments to the Federal Election Campaign Act to administer election reform laws. It consists of six commissioners appointed by president and confirmed by the Senate. Its duties include overseeing disclosure of campaign finance information and public funding of presidential elections, and enforcing contribution limits.

Soft Money

Campaign contributions unregulated by federal or state law, usually given to parties and party committees to help fund general party activities.

Hard Money

Political contributions given to a party, candidate, or interest group that are limited in amount and fully disclosed.

Freedom of Expression

General rights to free speech, petition, assembly, found in the 1st amendment. Spending money is a form of this.

Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) (1971)

The primary United States federal law regulating political campaign spending and fundraising. The law originally focused on increased disclosure of contributions for federal campaigns.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) (2002)

The act that banned soft money contributions and increased the limits on hard money contributions

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

A decision by the United States Supreme Court holding that independent expenditures are free speech protected by the 1st Amendment and so cannot be limited by federal law. Lead to the creation of SuperPACs & a massive rise in amount of third party electioneering. It struck down the BCRA.

Political Parties

Groups that help elect people.

Two-Party System

An electoral system with two dominant parties that compete in national elections.

Divided Government

Governance divided between the parties, as when one holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of Congress.

Gridlock

The inability of the government to act because rival parties control different parts of the government

Straight Ticket

Voting for candidates who are all of the same party

Interest Groups

Groups of people who work together to influence public policy for similar interests or goals

PACs

Political Action Committees, raise money for candidates &/or parties

Super PACs

Independent expenditure-only PACs that may accept donations of any size and can endorse candidates. Their contributions and expenditures must be periodically reported to the FEC.

Dark Money

Political money where the donors of the money do not have to be disclosed