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Elections and Campaigns Vocab:)

Key Concepts:

Terms in this set (21)

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.
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