AP GOV VOCAB

Elections & Campaigns

Primary season – The time when parties pick their candidates.

Horse race journalism – Media focuses on polls and “who’s winning,” not issues.

Frontloading – States move primaries earlier to get more influence.

Super Tuesday – A big day when many states hold primaries at once.

Campaign manager – Person who runs and organizes a campaign.

National Convention – Party meeting to officially pick the presidential nominee.

Delegate – A person chosen to vote for a candidate at the convention.

Swing state – A state that could vote either party; not predictable.

Party platform – The official beliefs and goals of a party.

Plurality – Most votes (not necessarily majority).

Electoral College – System that elects the president using state electors.

Inauguration – Ceremony when the president officially takes office.

Campaign finance – Money raised and spent on elections.

Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974 – Law that set rules on campaign money.

Federal Election Commission (FEC) – Enforces campaign finance laws.

Hard money – Regulated, limited donations directly to a candidate.

Soft money – Unregulated money given to parties, not candidates.

Buckley v. Valeo – Candidates can spend unlimited money on their own campaign.

Independent expenditures – Money spent by outside groups, not coordinated with candidates.

Issue ads – Ads that talk about issues, not directly telling you how to vote.

Political Action Committee (PAC) – Group that raises money to support candidates.

McCain-Feingold (BCRA 2002) – Limited soft money and issue ads close to elections.

Super PAC – Can raise/spend unlimited money but cannot coordinate with candidates.

Citizens United v. FEC – Corporations/unions can spend unlimited money on elections (free speech).

---

Political Parties

Two-party system – Only two major parties dominate.

Third party – A smaller party outside the big two.

Critical election – A major shift in party loyalty.

Realignment – When voting groups permanently switch party support.

Dealignment – People stop identifying with either party.

---

Congress & Districting

Redistricting – Redrawing House district boundaries.

Reapportionment – Reassigning how many House seats each state gets after the census.

Single-member district – One representative per district.

Party machine – Local political organization that controls votes and jobs.

Gerrymandering – Drawing districts to favor one party.

Independent redistricting commissions – Non-partisan groups that draw fair districts.

---

Court Cases (Voting/Districting)

Baker v. Carr – Allowed federal courts to review redistricting (“one person, one vote”).

Voting Rights Act of 1965 – Protected minority voting rights; banned discriminatory voting laws.

Reno v. Shaw (Shaw v. Reno) – Race cannot be the main factor in drawing districts.

---

Campaign & Congress Terms

Franking privilege – Congress members can mail for free to voters.

Incumbency – Already holding office; gives big election advantages.

17th Amendment – Senators are elected directly by voters, not state legislatures.

Advise and consent – Senate approves presidential appointments/treaties.

Senatorial courtesy – President asks home-state senators before picking local judges.

Confirmation hearing – Senate questioning of nominees before approval.

---

Primaries

Open primary – Anyone can vote in either party’s primary.

Closed primary – Only registered party members can vote.

Blanket primary – Voters can pick candidates from any party on one ballot.

Caucus – Local party meeting to choose candidates.

---

Bureaucracy

Bureaucrat – Government worker who carries out laws.

G/S Scale (GS Scale) – Pay scale for federal employees.

Pendleton Civil Service Act (1883) – Ended patronage; hires based on merit.