Incumbent - The person already holding an elective office

Coattails - The alleged tendency of candidates to win more votes in an election because of the presence at the top of the ticket of a better known candidate, such as the president

Political action committee (PAC) - A committee set up by a corporation, labor union, or interest group that raises and spends campaign money from voluntary donations.

Malapportionment - Drawing the boundaries of legislative districts so that they are unequal in population.

Gerrymandering - Drawing the boundaries of legislative districts in bizarre or unusual shapes to favor one party.

Position issue - An issue about which the public is divided and rival candidates or political parties adopt different policy positions

Valence issue - An issue about which the public is united and rival candidates or political parties adopt similar positions in hopes that each will be thought to best represent those widely shared beliefs

General election - a regular election where all registered voters may vote for candidates for political office

Primary election

Open primary -  voting process to elect candidates by allowing voters of any party affiliation to vote in one party’s primary election

Closed primary -  voting process to elect candidates where only voters registered in a given party can vote in their party’s primary election      

Soft money - Funds obtained by political parties that are spent on party activities, such as get out the vote drives, but not on behalf of a specific candidate

Independent expenditures - Spending by political action committees, corporations, or labor unions to help a party or candidate but done independently of them

527 Organization - Organizations under section 527 of the internal revenue code that raise and spend money to advance political causes

Proportional system - a type of electoral system in which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionally in a legislative body

Winner-take-all system - serve as a structural barrier to third-party and independent candidate success ; winner-take-all voting advantages the two-party system in the U.S.

Incumbency advantage - benefits current officeholders possess over challengers

Electoral College - states can choose how they allocate their electors; most states use a winner-take-all system

Popular vote - an election where the candidate with a majority or plurality of all votes in the nation

Presidential election - Incumbency advantage phenomenon ii. Open and closed primaries iii. Caucuses iv. Party conventions v. General (presidential) elections vi. The Electoral College

Congressional election - process and outcomes in U.S. congressional elections are affected by: i. Incumbency advantage phenomenon ii. Open and closed primaries iii. Caucuses iv. General (presidential and midterm) elections

Modern campaign - benefits and drawbacks of modern campaigns are represented by: i. Dependence on professional consultants ii. Rising campaign costs and intensive fundraising efforts iii. Duration of election cycles iv. Impact of and reliance on social media for campaign communication and fundraising

Campaign finance - includes financial contributions from individuals, political action committees, political parties

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 - an effort to ban soft money and reduce attack ads with “Stand by Your Ad” provision: “I’m [candidate’s name] and I approve this message”