Analyzing Campaigns and Elections

Vocabulary flashcards capturing key concepts, foundational democratic values, framework categories, and legal precedents from the Chapter 1 lecture notes on campaign analysis.

Insecure majorities

A concept described by Frances Lee in which political control of the House, Senate, and White House flips frequently between parties.

Rules (Electoral Framework)

The fixed laws and constitutional doctrines that shape campaign dynamics, voter eligibility, donation limits, and election outcomes.

Reality (Electoral Context)

The background economic and political conditions—such as candidate biography, economic trends, party reputations, and foreign affairs—that actors cannot fully control.

Strategy (Electoral Campaigning)

The controllable decisions and tactics adopted by candidates, parties, interest groups, and media to raise turnout and persuade voters.

Citizens' choices

The decisions made by individual voters regarding whether to vote and how to vote, influenced by habits, identities, and campaign information.

Representative democracy

A form of government in which eligible voters choose leaders at local, state, and national levels to make decisions on policy.

Open contestation

The hallmark of representative democracy wherein political leaders face regular, competitive elections and can lose power.

Campaigns

The designated period before an election during which political candidates actively communicate with voters to present beliefs and commitments.

Democratic backsliding

The process by which incumbent leaders incrementally degrade democratic quality and electoral contestation to retain power without outright canceling elections.

Nationalization

The political trend where congressional candidates' electoral success increasingly aligns with the national party brand rather than local ties.

Agenda-setting

The process of shaping electoral outcomes by limiting the available field of political choices presented to voters.

Table 1.1: Requirements for Democratic Values

A summary chart detailing the specific systemic requirements for the four primary democratic values: Free choice, Political equality, Deliberation, and Free speech.

Free choice

A core democratic value requiring at least 2 candidates, voter participation in nominating candidates, and freedom from intimidation, coercion, or manipulation.

Political equality

A core democratic value requiring equal voting impact per person, equal burdens on voters, equal ability for candidates to spread information, and uniform rules.

Deliberation

A core democratic value requiring adequate time for discussion, diverse information sources, candidates who state reasons for positions, and space for allowed criticism.

Free speech

A core democratic value requiring an absence of laws infringing political speech so candidates, parties, and groups can express beliefs and hear from voters.

Buckley v. Valeo

A Supreme Court ruling that struck down FECA's mandatory limits on campaign spending and candidate self-funding on First Amendment grounds.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Federal civil rights legislation that legally prohibited discriminatory literacy tests as a voter eligibility requirement.

Same-day registration

A voting reform implemented in 23 states plus DC that permits eligible citizens to register on election day, boosting turnout by roughly 3 percentage points.