Unit 8 Vocab

  • Political party: An alliance of groups banded together to win elections

  • Democratic Party: Liberal Party, know beliefs

  • Republican Party: Conservative Party, knoow beliefs

  • National Party Convention: The place where the party delegates officially vote for president

  • Grass-roots organization: Parties that are organized at the local level, catering to the local needs of the area

  • Candidate-centered campaigns: Modern elections focused more on the individual candidate instead of their party; this new strategy has weakened the power of the parties

  • Proportional representation (not used in American elections): When seats are granted based on the percentage of votes received

  • Single member district (Winner-take-all): states are divided into multiple districts, only one winner per district

  • Realigning period (Critical elections): An election where many groups of people switch parties

  • Split-ticket voting: People are willing to vote for people from multiple parties

  • Straight-ticket voting: entire ballot is voted for one party

  • Dealignment: Fewer people today associate themselves with just one party.

  • Party platform:The set of beliefs for the party

  • Third party: Minor parties who feel their beliefs who have not been adopted or supported by the major parties

  • Divided Government (Gridlock): different parties control different branches of government

  • Incumbent: a person running for reelection

  • Constituent:A person living in a representative’s district

  • Caucus: A type of primary election where people go to a community meeting instead of a polling place

  • Primary election: The people vote for the candidates for each party

  • Frontloading: When candidates focus their campaign on the early primaries. 

  • Coattail effect: A popular presidential candidate boosts the support for the whole party

  • Closed primary: Voters must register their political party before the election

  • Open primary: Voters get to choose which party they vote for on election day

  • Superdelegates: Elite Democrats who automatically get to vote for the presidential candidate at the convention

  • General election: The November election to pick the winners.

  • Midterm election: The all of the elections in the non-presidential voting year

  • Political Action Committee (PAC): A non-profit organization that can take donations from individuals and organizations tax-free. Can spend money towards a political cause (to candidates, political parties)

  • Federal Election Campaign Act 1971: A law to regulate campaign donations and spending, a government agency ( theFEC)

  • Hard Money: Money tracked by the FEC, money given to PACs, parties, and candidates

  • F.E.C.: Federal Election Commission. A federal agency that watches over campaign finance

  • Soft Money: Illegal. When political parties spend money directly on their own advertising

  • Independent Expenditures/Dark Money: when individuals or groups spend money directly on advertising, campaign events, Legal.

  • Bi-Partisan Campaign Reform Act (2002): A law that attempted to block soft money and independent expenditures. 

  • Citizens United v. FEC: Ruled that BICRA violated First Amendment rights by banning independent expenditures 

  • Super PAC: Non-profit organizations that can raise unlimited amounts of money and spend unlimited amounts of money on commercials and advertising. May not give money directly to candidates.