chapter 18 and 19

AP Gov

primary election

nominating election held to choose party candidates who will run in the general election

proportional system

An electoral system used throughout most of Europe that awards legislative seats to political parties in proportion to the number of votes won in an election.

Also used in states like Nebraska and Maine

split ticket

voting for candidates of different parties for various offices in the same election

Super Tuesday

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

swing states

In a presidential race, highly competitive states in which both major party candidates stand a good chance of winning the state's electoral votes.

winner take all system

an election system in which the candidate with the most votes wins

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.

midterm election

Elections held midway between presidential elections.

blanket primary

a primary election in which each voter may vote for candidates from both parties

Caucuses

meetings of party leaders to determine party policy or to choose the party's candidates for public office

closed primary

A primary in which only registered members of a particular political party can vote

Electoral College

a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president.

front-loading

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

general election

An election held to choose which candidate will hold office

incumbent advantage phenomenon

the ability to use all the tools of the presidency to support candidacy for a second term

invisible primary

The period before any votes are cast when candidates compete to win early support from the elite of the party and to create a positive first impression of their leadership skills.

open primary

A primary election in which voters may choose in which party to vote as they enter the polling place

Plurality

Candidate or party with the most votes cast in an election, not necessarily more than half.

Political Action Committee (PAC)

A committee set up by a corporation, labor union, or interest group that raises and spends campaign money from voluntary donations

dark ads

anonymously placed status updates, photos, videos, or links that appear only in the target audience's social media news feeds but not in the general feeds

war chest

unds collected by a candidate to spend on a political campaign

Federal Election Campaign Act (1971)

Enacted February 7, 1972; increased disclosure of contributions for federal campaigns

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.

hard money

donations given directly to a candidate

soft money

donations to a party or interest group that are not directly spent in support of a specific candidate.

Super PACs

Independent expenditure-only PACs are known as Super PACs because they may accept donations of any size and can endorse candidates. Their contributions and expenditures must be periodically reported to the FEC.