Election Processes and Campaign Dynamics

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering essential terms and concepts related to election processes, campaign dynamics, and political behavior.

Caucus

A meeting of party followers in which party delegates are selected.

Momentum

The boost that a candidate gains in future contests after an election victory, also called the bandwagon effect.

Battleground States

The most competitive states in the presidential election that either candidate could win; also called swing states.

Retrospective Voting

Voting for a candidate because you like their past actions in office.

Prospective Voting

Voting for a candidate based on their ideas for handling future issues.

Valence Issue

An issue on which everyone agrees, but the question is whether the candidate embraces the same view.

Positional Issues

Issues in which rival candidates have opposing views that divide voters.

Incumbent

The person currently holding an elective office.

Incumbency Advantage

The tendency of incumbents to perform better than similar challengers, especially in congressional elections.

Gerrymandering

Drawing the boundaries of legislative districts in unusual shapes to favor one party.

Surge and Decline

The tendency for the president’s party to perform better in presidential election years when the president is on the ticket (surge), but worse in midterm elections without the president (decline).

Coattails

The tendency of candidates to win more votes because of the presence of a better-known candidate at the top of the ticket.

Political Action Committees (PACs)

Committees that raise and spend campaign money from voluntary donations.

Independent Expenditures

Spending by PACs, corporations, or unions to help a party or candidate independently from the party or candidate.

Soft Money

Funds raised by political parties for party activities not specifically for a candidate.

527 Organizations

Groups that raise and spend money to advance political causes under section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Super PACs

Groups that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money for independent expenditures but cannot coordinate with candidates.

Hybrid PACs

A PAC that has both a super PAC part and a traditional PAC part.

501(c)(4) Groups

Social welfare organizations that can spend limited funds on politics, often referred to as 'dark money' groups.

Primary Process

The process where candidates compete for their party's nomination through elections and caucuses.

Invisible Primary

The early part of the primary process where party elites narrow down the candidate field.

General Election Campaign

The campaign period leading from Labor Day to Election Day, where candidates vie for the presidency.

Electoral College

The constitutional body that elects the president based on the votes from each state.

Swing or Battleground States

States where both major parties have similar levels of support and could realistically be won by either party.

Media Influence in Campaigns

The role of media coverage in shaping public perceptions of candidates, especially in early stages of elections.

Campaign Events

Key occasions such as debates and conventions that depict candidates and influence voter opinions.

Buckley v. Valeo (1976):

Upheld limits on contributions but ruled that candidates could spend unlimited amounts of their own money.

McConnell v. Federal Election Commission (2002):

Upheld the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, restricting ads that mention candidates close to elections.

Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life (2007):

Protected issue ads, ruling they cannot be banned before elections.

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010):

Overturned restrictions on corporate and union ads, paving the way for Super PACs.

McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission (2014):

Struck down aggregate limits on contributions to federal candidates and parties, allowing individuals to contribute the federal limit to multiple candidates.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002

This legislative act banned soft-money contributions to national parties from corporations and unions.

Changed the limits on individual contributions from $1,000 to $2,000, adjusted for inflation.

Also sought to limit independent expenditures by corporations, unions, and various organizations near election dates.