Chapter 10 Gov Pol

Political Action Committee (Pac)

a committee set up by a corporation, labor union, or interest group that raises and spends campaign money for voluntary actions

Soft Money

funds obtained by political parties that are spent on party activities, but not on behalf of a specific candidate

Prospective Voting

Voting for a candidate because you favor their ideas for handling issues

Retrospective Voting

voting for a candidate because you like their past actions in office

Battleground States

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

Momentum

when a candidate wins they tend to do better than expected in future contests

Incumbency Advantage

the tendency of incumbents to do better than otherwise similar challengers, especially in congressional elections