unit 5 AP gov hardest terms

political mobilization

efforts by political parties to encourage their members to vote

absentee ballot

voting completed and submitted by a voter before the day of an election without going to the polls

battleground state

a state where the polls show a close contest between the Republican and Democratic candidate in a presidential election

swing state

A state where levels of support for parties are similar and elections swing back and forth between Democrats and Republicans

get out the vote (GOTV)

efforts to mobilize supporters

super PAC

An organization that may spend an unlimited amount of money on a political campaign, as long as the spending is not coordinated with a campaign

party identification

The degree to which a voter is connected to and influenced by a particular political party

straight-ticket voting

Voting for all the candidates on the ballot from one political party

Split-ticket voting

Voting for candidates from different parties in the same election

party coalition

Groups of voters who support a political party over timer

realignment

When the groups of people who support a political party shift their allegiance to a different political party

critical election

A major national election that signals a change in the balance of power between the two parties

party era

Time period when one party wins most national elections

Era of divided government

A trend since 1969, in which one party controls one or both houses of Congress and the president is from the opposing party

primary election

An election in which a state’s voters choose delegates who support a presidential candidate for nomination or an election by a plurality vote to select a party's nominee for a seat in Congress

open primary

A primary election in which all eligible voters may vote, regardless of their party affiliation

closed primary

A primary election in which only those who have registered as a member of a political party may vote

Caucus

A process through which a state’s eligible voters meet to select delegates to represent their preferences in the nomination process

superdelegate

Usually a party leader or activist who is not pledged to a candidate based on the outcome of the state’s primary or caucus

front-loading

A decision by a state to push its primary or caucus to a date as early in the election season as possible to gain more influence in the presidential nomination process

national convention

A meeting where delegates officially select their party’s nominee for the presidency

candidate-centered campaign

A trend in which candidates develop their own strategies and raise money with less influence from the party elite

Theory of participatory democracy

The belief that citizens impact policymaking through their involvement in civil society

Civil society

Groups outside the government that advocate for policy

Pluralist theory

A theory that political power is distributed among many competing groups, which means that no single group can grow too powerful

Elitist theory

A theory that the wealthy elite class has a disproportionate amount of economic and political power

Free riders

Individuals who enjoy collective goods and benefit from the actions of an interest group without joining

Selective benefits

Benefits available only to those who join the group

Economic interest groups

Groups advocating on behalf of the financial interests of their members

Public interest groups

Groups that act on behalf of the collective interests of a broad group of individuals

Single-issue groups

Associations focusing on one specific area of public policy, often a moral issue about which they are unwilling to compromise

Government issue groups

Organizations acting on behalf of local, state, or foreign governments

revolving door

The movement of individuals between positions in government and lobbying positions

amicus curiae brief

A brief filed by someone who is not a party to a case in an attempt to persuade the Court to agree with the arguments set forth in the brief

wire service

An organization that gathers and reports on news and then sells the stories to other outlets

Media consolidation

The concentration of ownership of the media into fewer corporations