Unit 5 AP gov

1. Agenda Setting Power of the media to focus the public's attention on issues - designed to get the government to put the issue on their policy agenda

2. Initiative A form of direct democracy that allows citizens to petition for issues that will be decided by a direct ballot and not by the legislative branch.

3. Caucus The arena in which some states select delegates to the national convention through meetings where only party members are allowed to participate.

4. Class action suits A lawsuit involving numerous defendants aficted by the same law or action who are represented as a group.

5. Closed primary system The regulation that voters must preregister with a party to cast ballots on primary day, or the system where voters can only vote in the primary of the party they are registered to.

6. Coattail A concept allowing congressional and other candidates to ride the popularity of a leader like the president, especially at election time.

7. Constituent Voters from the district or state that elected that leader. House members' constituents are those from their district. Senators' constituents are the entire state.

8. Constituency Groups Groups that tend to support a political party.

9. Convention A summer gathering where the partisan parties elect their nominee, establish the party's platform and approve the vice-presidential nominee.

10. Dark Money Political contributions that do not need to be legally disclosed.

11. Delegates Members of a political party selected by party caucuses, primary votes, or other party rules. The party nominee is the candidate who receives the majority of the delegates' votes at the convention.

12. Electioneering The process by which interest groups try to infuence the outcome of an election.

13. Electoral College The process by which electors are selected by states and are 'directed' by the popular vote to select the president.

14. Exit poll Polls taken directly after voters are fnished to develop an early prediction of the outcome.

15. Franking A traditional privilege allowing Congressmen and Senators to mail information to their constituents for free. Incumbent advantage.

16. Grassroots Local eforts to raise money, raise awareness of certain issues, or infuence political leaders, when interest groups rally people to support a cause

17. Horse Race Journalism covering the polling numbers and strategies of candidates instead of the issues

18. Incumbent a person already holding an ofce, trying to get reelected

19. Incumbent Advantage the likelihood of an incumbent winning election as a result of their national name recognition, ability to promote policies, and use of resources

20. Interest group People who support a cause and work together for that cause or political interest

21. Iowa Caucus: traditionally the frst caucus of the presidential primary system, usually in January

22. Linkage institutions: The groups and agencies that connect the average citizens with the political leadership, including political parties, elections, interest groups, and the media

23. Lobby/lobbyist: Registered professionals who work at political centers on behalf of interest groups

24. Majority: The requirement that the winner of any vote must have 50% of the vote plus one more to win

25. McCain-Feingold Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act: campaign fnance reform law passed in 2002, bans soft money contributions, limits individual and PAC contributions, and requires mandatory reporting of contributions and expenditures

26. Midterm elections: the elections for all members of the House of Representatives and 1/3 of the senators when the presidency is not up for election, the election in the middle of the President's term

27. Motor Voter Act: law passed in 1993 to ease registration requirements, allows citizens to register by mail and at the DMV

28. Narrowcasting: The term describes the rise of media outlets that focus only on specific political events or target specific audiences. Examples include cable channels and Internet sites

29. National committee: The committee group for a political party that focuses on elections, money-raising activities, party building, and the development of party platforms

30. New Hampshire primary: traditionally the first primary of a new presidential election season (January)

31. Open primary system: the ability of a voter to decide on primary day which party list to select. Some states allow voters to go to primaries for more than one party

32. Party Base: people who each party counts on to vote for their candidates

33. Party-line Voting: Supporting a political party by voting for candidates from one political party for all public offices across the ballot

34. Plurality: winning an election by finishing first, without regard to the percentage of the vote won

35. Political Action Committee (PAC): a registered group that raises funds for candidates and campaigns

36. Primary an election where voters choose the candidates to run for ofce from a political party

37. Prospective Voting Voting based on predictions of how a party or candidate will perform in the future

38. Pundits Talking heads; political 'experts' used to fll time on the 24-hour news networks; interpret the news; have increased bias in the news media

39. Realignment the major regrouping of support within political parties

40. Rational-Choice Voting Voting based on what is perceived to be in the citizen's individual interest.

41. Referendum Proposed law placed on a ballot by the legislature for the people to vote on.

42. Retrospective Voting Voting to decide whether the party or candidate should be re-elected based on the recent past.

43. Safe Seats Congressional seats that are safely in the hands of one party, the number has increased as a result of gerrymandering.

44. Single-member districts Electoral district represented by a single ofce holder, the way Congress operates in the United States.

45. Soft Money Money contributed to political parties and not the candidates themselves.

46. Split-ticket voting When a voter selects some candidates from one party and others from another.

47. Straight-ticket voting When a voter votes for all the candidates from the same party.

48. Stump Speech Standardized speech that a presidential candidate repeatedly delivers at campaign events.

49. Super delegates Delegates to the Democratic Convention chosen by the party and not by the voters, generally party ofcials and ofceholders.

50. Super PACs Allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money from corporations, unions, individuals, and associations; cannot coordinate with candidates.

51. Swing States/Battleground States States that can be won by either party in an election.

52. Third Parties Any party that is not the Democrats or Republican; often introduce new ideas and spoil elections.

53. Trial balloons Used by politicians to see how the public will react to a policy before it is formally proposed.

54. Watchdog function The role of the media to check the power of government by reporting on its abuses.

55. Winner-Take-All Electoral system used by the United States, government seats are awarded to the candidates with the most votes.