Elections and the Political Process - CE. 8., CE. 9, and CE. 10

Candidate

A person who runs for election to public office.

Nominate

The process by which political parties select and offer candidates for public office.

Political Party

An organization of people with common interests who want to influence government by campaigning and elected their party's candidates to office.

Two Party System

A political system with two strong political parties - in the U.S. these are the Democratic and Republican Parties

Third Party

Minor political parties in a two-party system that challenge the two major parties; candidates of Third Parties are NOT usually elected; bring attention to a certain cause like the environment (Green Party)

Political Spectrum

The differences in political views held by the different political parties. Left - liberal (Democrats); Right - Conservative (Republicans); Middle - Moderate

Platform

A series of statements expressing the party's principles, beliefs, and positions on election issues.

Bias

prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.

Campaign

Active effort to get support for a particular candidate elected to office.

Media

The means of communication, such as radio and television, newspapers, and magazines, the reach or influence people widely; the media plays a huge role in elections

Propaganda

information, often false or misleading, used to influence public opinion or promote a particular cause

Political Action Committee (PAC)

The political arms of an interest group that collect voluntary contributions from members to fund political candidates and parties the interest groups favor.

Electoral College

The groups of electors that cast the official votes that elect President and Vice President; 270 electoral votes are needed to win the presidency

Functions of Political Parties

1. Recruiting & nominating candidates for public office. 2. Educating the electorate about campaign issues

3. Helping candidates win elections

4. Monitoring actions of officeholders.

Similarities between Political Parties

1. Organize to win elections 2. Influence public policies

3. Reflect both liberal and conservative views

4. Define themselves in a ways that wins majority support by appealing to the political center (moderates)

Differences between Political Parties

are stated in the party platforms and reflected in campaigning

Role of Third Parties

Introduce new ideas and/or press for a particular issue but rarely win elections against the two major political parties.

Moderates

A person who avoids the extremes of the political spectrum and is the major target of both Republicans and Democrats during an election.

Democratic Party

The more liberal political party

Republican Party

The more conservative political party

Qualifications to Register to Vote in Virginia

*U.S. Citizen

*VA Resident

*At least 18 years old

Ways to Register to Vote in Virginia

*In person at registrar's office

*At Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)

*At other designated sites

*Mail-in application

Education, Age, Income

Factors in predicting which citizens will vote - typically the more educated, older, and higher income citizens vote more frequently

Reasons why citizens fail to vote

Lack of interest or failure to register

Winner-take-all system

In a presidential election, if a candidate wins the popular vote in a state, he/she wins ALL of the electoral college votes in that state. This applies to 48 of the 50 states EXCEPT for Maine and Nebraska.

Rising Campaign Costs

Have led to efforts to reform campaign finance laws.

Results of Rising Campaign Costs

*Require candidates to conduct fund-raising

*Limit opportunities to run for public office

*Give interest groups increased influence

*Encourage development of PACS

Mass Media Roles in Elections

*Identifying candidates

*Emphasizing selected issues

*Writing editorials, political cartoons, op-ed pieces

*Broadcasting different points of view

Strategies for Evaluating Campaign Media

*Separating fact from opinion

*Detecting bias

*Evaluating sources

*Identifying propaganda

Write-in Candidate

A candidate whose name does not appear on a ballot but who asks voters to write his or her name in as their choice

Minority Party

In both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the political party to which fewer than half the members belong

Majority Party

the party that holds the majority of legislative seats in either the House or the Senate

Public Policy

the course of action the government takes in response to an issue or problem

Political Beliefs

What you believe in politically.

Bipartisan

It is supported by members of BOTH of the two major political parties (the Democrats and the Republicans)

Suffrage

the right to vote

In order to vote in Virginia . . .

a citizen must register at least 22 days before election day