Elections, Campaigns, and Participation

Suffrage

The right to vote.

Voter turnout

The percentage of eligible voters who actually vote.

Political participation

Ways people get involved in politics.

Linkage institutions

Structures that connect people to government like parties elections media and interest groups.

Political party

A group that tries to influence government by electing its members.

Interest group

A group that tries to influence policy without directly running candidates.

PAC

Political Action Committee that raises and spends money to elect candidates.

Super PAC

A group that can spend unlimited money independently of campaigns.

Independent expenditures

Political spending not directly coordinated with a candidate.

Incumbent advantage

The benefits current officeholders have when running again.

Primary election

Election used to choose a party’s nominee.

General election

Election between party nominees.

Closed primary

Only registered party members can vote in that party’s primary.

Open primary

Voters can choose which party primary to vote in.

Frontloading

States holding primaries early to gain more influence.

Campaign finance

Money raised and spent in elections.

Soft money

Money given to parties for general activities not directly to candidates.

Hard money

Money given directly to candidates and regulated by law.

Dark money

Political spending by groups that do not have to fully disclose donors.

Reapportionment

Redistributing House seats among states after the census.

Redistricting

Redrawing election district lines.

Gerrymandering

Drawing districts to favor a party or group.

Majority-minority district

A district where a racial or ethnic minority makes up most of the population.

Malapportionment

Unequal representation because districts have very different population sizes.

Poll tax

A tax once used to keep people from voting.

Literacy test

A discriminatory test once used to restrict voting.

Voter ID law

A law requiring identification to vote.

Motor Voter Act

Law making voter registration easier through driver’s license offices.

Voting Rights Act

Law protecting voting rights and banning racial discrimination in voting.