Term
|
Definition
| those who follow politics and public affairs carefully. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Secret ballot printed at the expense of the state. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Occurs when a presidential nominee chooses a vice presidential running mate who has different qualities in order to attract more votes for the ticket. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| election to chooses candidates that is open to independents, and that allows voters to choose candidates from all the parties. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| party election to choose candidates that is closed to independents. Voters may not cross party lines. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the influence of a popular presidential candidate on the election of congressional candidates of the same party. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| characteristics of populations, e.g., race, sex, income. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| election of an official directly by the people rather than by an intermediary group such as the Electoral College. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| election in which the people choose candidates for office. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| terms of office that have a definite length of time, e.g., two years for a member of the House. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| scheduling presidential primary elections early (e.g. February or March) in an election year. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| difference in voting patterns for men and women, particularly in the greater tendency of the latter to vote for Democratic presidential candidates. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| election in which the officeholders are chosen. Contrast with a primary election, in which only the candidates are chosen. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| campaign contributions donated directly to candidates. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| set of beliefs about political values and the role of government. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| an officeholder who is seeking reelection. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| one who is not registered with a political party. Independent leaners tend to vote for candidates of one particular party, whereas pure independents have no consistent pattern of party voting. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| ads that focus on issues and do not explicitly encourage citizens to vote for a certain candidate. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| election to choose candidates that is open to independents and in which voters may choose candidates from any one party. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a sense of affiliation that a person has with a particular political party. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a list of positions and programs that the party adopts at the national convention. Each position is called a plank. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| the widely shared beliefs, values, and norms that citizens share about their government. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| more votes than anyone else, but less than half, e.g., Clinton won a plurality (43%) of popular votes in 1992, but not a majority. Plurality elections such as those for Congress are won by the person with the most votes, regardless if he/she has a majority. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| capacity to understand and influence political events. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| process in which one acquires his/her political beliefs. |
|
|
Term
| Realigning ("critical") Election |
|
Definition
| an election in which there is a long term change in party alignment, e.g., 1932. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| an office that is extremely likely to be won by a particular candidate or political party. |
|
|
Term
| Single member district system |
|
Definition
| system in which the people elect one representative per district. With a winner-take-all rule, this system strengthens the two major parties and weakens minor parties. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| campaign contributions that are not donated directly to candidates, but are instead donated to parties. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| historically, the South voted solidly Democratic. However, the South is now strongly Republican: Bush carried every Southern state in 2000. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| casting votes for candidates of one's own party and for candidates of opposing parties, e.g., voting for a Republican presidential candidate and a Democratic congressional candidate. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| casting votes for candidates of one's own party and for candidates of opposing parties, e.g., voting for a Republican presidential candidate and a Democratic congressional candidate. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a delegate to the Democratic national convention who is there by virtue of holding an office. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a Tuesday in early March in which many presidential primaries, particularly in the South, are held. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| a state that does not consistently vote either Democratic or Republican in presidential elections. |
|
|
