KEY TERMS: POLITICAL BELIEFS/POLITICAL BEHAVIORS (Underlined terms have appeared on the multiple choice sections of past released AP exams)

Australian ballot:

1. Government printed secret ballot 

Balancing the ticket

occurs when a presidential nominee chooses a vice presidential running mate who has different qualities in order to attract more votes for the ticket.

Blanket Primary

In this system, voters are not required to affiliate with a political party and may vote for any candidate on the ballot (“mix and match”). The candidate from each political party who receives the most votes in the primary advances to the general election.

Buckley v. Valeo, 1976

Upheld most provisions of FECA, stating that a law limiting contributions to political campaigns was constitutional, however it overturned the part of FECA that restricted a candidate from spending their own money.

Caucus

a party meeting to select delegates backing a particular primary candidate, i.e. the Iowa caucuses. This is one of two definitions of this word – the second type of caucus is in the Congress unit.

Citizens United v. FEC, 2010

Overturned parts of McConnell v. FEC, thus ruling that under the 1^st Amendment, corporate funding of independent political expenditures cannot be limited.  The Court upheld BCRA disclosure requirements for political advertisements and the ban on direct contributions to candidates from corporations and unions. Led to the rise of SuperPACs.

Closed primary

party election to choose candidates. Only registered party members can vote and is closed to independents. Voters may not cross party lines.

Coattail effect

the influence of a popular presidential candidate on the election of congressional candidates of the same party.

Direct election

election of an official directly by the people rather than by an intermediary group such as the Electoral College.

Direct primary

election in which the people choose candidates for office. 

Electorate

body of eligible voters

Front loading

scheduling presidential primary elections early (e.g., February or March) in an election year. 

Gender gap

difference in voting patterns for men and women, particularly the greater tendency of the latter to vote for Democratic presidential candidates.

General election

election in which the officeholders are chosen.  Contrast with a primary election, in which only the candidates are chosen.

Hard Money

disclosed, limited campaign contributions donated directly to candidates. Hard money limits are set and monitored by the FEC

Incumbent

an officeholder who is seeking reelection. Incumbents are often reelected due to a series of advantages

Independent

one is not registered with a political party.  Independent leaners tend to vote for candidates of one particular party, whereas pure independents have no consistent pattern of party voting

Independent Expenditures

spending by PACs, corporations, or labor unions to help a party or candidate, but is done independently of them, i.e. a SuperPAC

Issue advocacy ads

ads that focus on issues and do not explicitly encourage citizens to vote for a certain candidate. Typically used by 527 organizations.

McConnell v. FEC, 2002

Upheld a law prohibiting corporations and labor unions from running ads that mention candidates and their positions for sixty days before a federal general election.  Overturned by Citizens United decision

Open primary

election to choose candidates that is open to independents, and in which voters may choose candidates from any one party

PACs (Political Action Committees)

A committee set up by a corporation, labor union, or interest group that raises and spends campaign money from voluntary donations.  Since FECA, contributions are limited by law to $5,000 per candidate per election

Party identification

a sense of affiliation that a person has with a particular political party. This is the strongest predictor of voter behavior

Party platform

a list of positions and programs that the party adopts at the national convention.  Each position is called a plank

Political culture

the widely shared beliefs, values, and norms that citizens share about their government

Plurality

more votes than anyone else, but less than half, e.g., Clinton won a plurality (43%) of popular votes in 1992, but not a majority.  Plurality elections such as those for Congress are won by the person with the most votes, regardless if he/she has a majority (winner-take-all).

Political efficacy

capacity to understand and influence political events

Political socialization

process in which one acquires his/her political beliefs

Realigning (“critical”) election

an election in which there is a long term change in party alignment, e.g., 1896, 1932, 1964

Safe Seat

an office that is extremely likely to be won by a particular candidate or political party. Safe seats are kept due to incumbent advantages, especially gerrymandering

Single member district system

system in which the people elect one representative per district.  With a winner-take-all rule, this system strengthens the two major parties and weakens minor parties. Used in House elections

Soft Money

campaign contributions that are not donated directly to candidates, but are instead donated to parties, and are often undisclosed and unlimited. BCRA banned soft money to national parties and limited soft money to state parties in 2002

Solid South

historically, the South voted solidly Democratic.  However, since the 1960s (after LBJ’s Great Society) the South is now strongly Republican. Some demographers note that in recent years’ due to migration, immigration, and other factors, the Republican hold on the “Solid South” is declining

Split ticket voting

casting votes for candidates of one’s own party and for candidates of opposing parties, e.g., voting for a Republican presidential candidate and a Democratic congressional candidate. This is typically a result of using the office bloc ballot

Straight ticket voting

casting votes only for candidates of one’s party

Superdelegate

a delegate to the Democratic National Convention who is there by virtue of holding an office. Superdelegates are not bound to vote for the popular vote Democratic candidate and can vote for whomever they choose. This practice was heavily criticized by the Bernie Sanders’ base in the 2016 election and was reformed in 2018 by reducing the power of the Superdelegates by only allowing them to vote if there is no clear popular vote winner

Swing state

 a state that does not consistently vote either Democratic or Republican in presidential elections. These states are highly competitive