Campaigns and Voting Behavior
Nomination – The official selection of a candidate to represent a political party in an election, typically determined through primaries or caucuses.
National Party Convention – A large gathering held every four years by political parties to formally nominate their presidential and vice-presidential candidates and establish the party platform.
McGovern–Fraser Commission – A Democratic Party commission established after the 1968 election to reform the nomination process, making it more transparent and giving greater influence to voters rather than party elites.
Superdelegates – Party leaders and elected officials who automatically receive a vote at the Democratic National Convention without having to compete in primaries or caucuses.
Invisible Primary – The period before actual voting begins in which candidates seek to gain support from party elites, donors, and the media to build momentum for their campaign.
Caucus – A local gathering of party members who discuss and vote on their preferred candidate, rather than casting a secret ballot as in a primary election.
Presidential Primary – A state-level election in which voters select their preferred candidate for a party’s nomination, influencing how delegates are allocated for the national convention.
Frontloading – The tendency of states to move their primaries or caucuses earlier in the election season to gain greater influence in the nomination process.
Campaign Contributions – Money given directly to a candidate’s campaign by individuals, political parties, or organizations, which is subject to legal limits and reporting requirements.
Independent Expenditures – Money spent by individuals or groups to support or oppose a candidate without coordinating with the candidate’s campaign, allowing for unlimited spending.
Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) – A 1971 law that regulates campaign financing, requiring disclosure of contributions and expenditures and setting limits on donations.
Political Action Committees (PACs) – Organizations that raise and donate money to political campaigns, subject to contribution limits under federal law.
Federal Election Commission (FEC) – The independent agency responsible for enforcing federal campaign finance laws, monitoring political donations, and ensuring transparency.
Soft Money – Unregulated contributions to political parties that can be used for party-building activities but not directly for candidate campaigns.
Dark Money – Political spending by nonprofit organizations (such as 501(c) groups) that do not have to disclose their donors, making it difficult to track funding sources.
527 Groups – Tax-exempt organizations that can raise unlimited funds for political activities, including issue advocacy, but cannot directly support or oppose candidates.
Citizens United v. FEC (2010) – A Supreme Court case that ruled that corporations and unions can spend unlimited money on independent political expenditures, leading to the rise of Super PACs.
501(c) Groups – Nonprofit organizations that can engage in political activities but are not required to disclose their donors, often used for dark money contributions.
Super PACs – Political action committees that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money for independent political expenditures but cannot directly coordinate with campaigns.
Political Efficacy – The belief that one’s political participation can make a difference in government and policy decisions.
Civic Duty – The belief that citizens have a responsibility to participate in democratic processes, such as voting, to ensure a functioning government.
Voter Registration – The process by which eligible citizens sign up to vote before an election, often requiring proof of residency and identification.
Motor Voter Act (1993) – A law that allows people to register to vote when they apply for or renew a driver’s license, aimed at increasing voter participation.
Policy Voting – When voters make decisions based on how candidates align with their own policy preferences rather than party loyalty or personal characteristics.
Electoral College – The system used to elect the U.S. president, where each state is allocated electors based on congressional representation, and the candidate who wins a majority of electoral votes (270 or more) wins the presidency.
Battleground States – States that are highly competitive in presidential elections and can be won by either party, making them key targets for campaign efforts.