AP GOV Chapter 14: Elections and Campaigns

Caucus

A meeting of party followers in which party delegates are selected

Momentum

When a candidate wins (especially an upset win), she or he tends to do better than expected in future contests. Sometimes also called the bandwagon effect.

Battleground States

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

Prospective Voting

Voting for a candidate because you favor his or her ideas for handling issues.

Retrospective Voting

Voting for a candidate because you like his or her past actions in office.

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 and that also divide voters.

Incumbent

The person already holding an elective office.

Gerrymandering

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

Incumbency Advantage

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

Coattails

The alleged tendency of candidates to win more votes in an election because of the presence at the top of the ticket of a better-known candidate, such as the president.

Political Action Committees (PACs)

Committees set up by a corporation, labor union, or interest group that raise and spend campaign money from voluntary donations.

Surge and Decline

Tendency for the president's party to do better in presidential years when he is at the top of the ticket (the surge), but to do worse when he is not because many voters are less enthusiastic and stay home (the decline).

Independent Expenditures

Spending by political action committees, corporations, or labor unions to help a party or candidate but done independent from the party or candidate.

Soft Money

Funds obtained by political parties that are spent on party activities, such as get-out-the-vote drives, but not on behalf of a specific candidate.

527 Organizations

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

Super PACs

A group that raises and spends unlimited amounts of money from corporations, unions, and individuals but cannot coordinate its activities with campaigns in any way.

501(c)4 groups

A social welfare organization that can devote no more than 50 percent of its funds to politics. Sometimes referred to as "dark money" groups because they do not have to disclose their donors.