| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Incumbent | The person already holding a political office. |
| Coattails | The alleged tendency of candidates to win more votes in an election because of the presence at the top of the ticket of a better known candidate, such as the president. |
| Political Action Committee (PAC) | A committee set up by a corporation, labor union, or interest group that raises and spends campaign money from voluntary donations. |
| Malapportionment | Drawing the boundaries of legislative districts so that they are unequal in population. |
| Gerrymandering | Drawing the boundaries of legislative districts in bizarre or unusual shapes to favor one party. |
| Sophomore surge | An increase in the votes congressional candidates usually get when they first run for reelection. |
| Caucus | A meeting of people, often in an auditorium or church basement, where they vote on who they would like their party's nominee to be. |
| Clothespin vote | The vote cast by a person who does not like either candidate so cotes for the less objectionable of the two, putting a clothespin over his or her nose to keep out the unpleasant stench. |
| Position issue | An issue about which the public is divided and rival candidates or political parties adopt different policy positions. |
| Valence issue | An issue about which the public is united and rical candidates or political parties adopt similar positions in hopes that each will be thought to best represent those widely shared beliefs. |
| General election | AN election held to choose which candidate will hold office. |
| Primary election | An election held to choose candidates for office. |
| Closed primary | A primary election in which voting is limited to already registered party members. |
| Open primary | A primary election in which voters may choose in which party to vote as they enter the polling place. |
| Blanket primary | A primary election in which each voter may vote for candidates from both parties. |
| Runoff primary | A second primary election held when no candidate wins a majority of the votes in the first primary. |
| Independent expenditures | Spending by political action committees, corporations, or labor unions that is done to help a party or candidate but is done independently of them. |
| Soft money | Funds obtained by political parties that are spent on party activities, such as get-out-the-vote drives, but not on behalf of a specific candidate. |
| 527 Organizations | Organizations that, under section 527 of the INternal Revenue Code, raise and spend money to advance political causes. |
| Prospective voting | Voting for a candidate because you favor his or her ideas for handling issues. |
| Retrospective voting | Voting for a candidate because you like his or her past actions in office. |
Combine with other sets
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