Political Participation, Campaigns, and Elections

These flashcards cover key concepts related to political participation, campaigns, and elections, focusing on voter turnout, election laws, and the electoral process.

Political Participation

Voting, campaigning, contributing money, protesting, and other activities that engage citizens in the political process.

Voter Turnout

The percentage of eligible voters who participate in an election.

Socio-Economic Status (SES)

A combined measure of an individual's social and economic position based on income and education.

Voter ID Laws

Regulations requiring individuals to show specific forms of identification at polling places to vote.

Open Primaries

Primaries in which registered voters can participate regardless of their party affiliation.

Closed Primaries

Primaries where only registered party members can vote.

Semi-Open Primaries

Primaries that allow Independents to choose which party's primary to vote in.

Gerrymandering

The manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor one party over another.

Electoral College

A body of electors established by the U.S. Constitution that formally elects the president and vice president.

Plurality System

An electoral system in which the candidate with the most votes wins, regardless of whether they achieve an absolute majority.

Heuristic Voting

The use of mental shortcuts or rules of thumb to make voting decisions, often based on group identity or initial impressions.

Frontloading

The practice of scheduling primaries early in the election season to influence the campaign.

Retrospective Voting

A voting strategy where voters assess the performance of the incumbent when deciding who to support.

Vote-by-Mail

A method of voting where ballots are mailed to voters rather than requiring them to go to a polling place.

Automatic Voter Registration (AVR)

A system in which citizens are automatically registered to vote when they interact with certain government agencies.

Competitiveness of Contest

The closeness of election races, which impacts voter turnout.

Swing Voters

Voters who are not consistently aligned with a particular political party and can be influenced by a variety of factors.

Voter Registration

The process by which eligible voters sign up and become eligible to vote in elections.

Incumbent

An existing officeholder who is seeking reelection.

Caucus

A meeting of party members to discuss and select candidates for office.

Superdelegates

Party leaders and elected officials who can support any candidate for the presidential nomination at the party convention.