final apusgov

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 - (BCRA or McCain-Feingold)

A law that (1) placed limits on the amount of money one can donate to a political party (no more soft money to political parties) and (2) basically prevented corporations and unions from getting involved in elections.

Candidate

A person running for office.

Caucus

A small meeting of local party members to choose a party nominee.

Citizens United v FEC (2010)

A Supreme Court case holding that corporations and unions have the free speech right to participate in elections through independent expenditures conducted by SuperPACs.  Found BCRA partially unconstitutional and opened the door to dark money.

Closed Primary

A primary election in which only party members are eligible to vote.

Dark money

Money donated or spent on political activities by an untraceable source.

Delegate

A party member selected by his or her state party to attend the national convention.

Electorate

Americans who participate in politics by voting.

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

The federal agency that handles all campaign finance and election issues.

Frontloading

The recent tendency of states to hold their primaries or caucuses early in the nomination process to attract more media attention and to increase the state's importance in the process.

Hard money

Money donated to political campaigns that is subject to FEC rules and limits.

Independent Expenditures

Spending that is intended to help a candidate get elected but which is done without the candidate’s input or knowledge.  Often done by Super PACs.

Invisible Primary

The period before the primaries / caucuses begin when presidential candidates compete for money and media attention.

McGovern-Fraser Commission

A commission created by the Democratic Party in the late 1960s that recommended that delegates to the national convention should vote for the winner of their state’s primary or caucus.  The Commission also recommended that half of a state’s delegates be female and that racial minorities should be adequately represented.  Both parties accepted this recommendation.

Microtargeting

Sending specific campaign ads and literature to specific voters that match the specific beliefs and preferences of those voters.

National Convention

The political party meeting where delegates draft a platform and choose presidential and vice-presidential nominees.

Nominee

A candidate who has received his or her party’s formal nomination (endorsement).

Open Primary

A primary election in which all registered voters are eligible to participate, regardless of party affiliation.

Political Action Committee (PAC)

A group that collects donations from individuals and then donates that money to different candidates.

Primary

An election to decide a party nominee.

Soft money

Money donated to a 501 cause group that is not subject to FEC rules and limits.  (I changed this from the definition but either definition works).

Soft Money

Money donated to a group that promotes a CAUSE (ex. PETA) not a CANDIDATE.  There are no limits on the amount of soft money that can be donated.

Suffrage

The right to vote.

Super-delegates

Delegates to the Democratic national convention who are not required to vote for the winner of their state's primary or caucus.  There are not many super-delegates, and they are usually top party leaders like governors and senators.

Super PAC (Independent Expenditure Group)

A group that works to get a candidate elected through independent expenditures.  They may accept donations of any amount from any source, but they may not donate directly to a candidate’s campaign or communicate with that campaign.

501 Group (interest group)

A group that promotes a cause (ex. gun control) but which does not work for or against a particular candidate.  These groups can accept donations of any amount (soft money) from any source but may not donate money or campaign for any particular candidate or campaign.