Campaign strategy

the master game plan candidates lay out to guide their electoral campaign

Federal Election commission

a six member bipartisan agency created by the federal election campaign act of 1974. The FEC administers the campaign finance laws and enforces compliance with their requirements

Soft money

political contributions earmarked for party-building expenses at the grass-roots level or the part advertising. Unlike money that goes to the campaign of a particular candidate, such party donations are not subject to contribution limits

Frontloading

the recent tendency of states to hold primaries early in the calendar in order to capitalize on media attention

Super delegates

National party leaders who automatically get a delegate slot the democratic national party convention

Federal campaign act

a law passed in 1974 for reforming campaign finances. The act created the federal election commission. Provided public financing for presidential primaries and general elections, limited presidential campaign spending, required disclosure, and attempted to limited contributions.

Select perception

the phenomenon that people often pay the most attention to things they already agree with and interpret them according to their own predispositions

Presidential primaries

election in which voters in a state vote for a candidate. Most delegates to the national party conventions are chosen this way