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Chapter 14

Terms in this set (24)

Political party
an organized group of party leader, officeholders, and voters who work together to elect candidates to political office
Party identification
the degree to which a voter is connected to and influenced by a political party
Straight-ticket voting
voting for all of the candidates on the ballot from one political party
Split-ticket voting
voting for candidates from different parties in the same election
Party platform
a set of positions and policy objectives that members of a political party agree to
Realignment
when the groups who support a political party shift their allegiance to a different political party
Recruitment
the process through which political parties identify potential candidates
Critical election
a major national election that signals a change in the balance of power between two parties
Party era
time period when one party wins the most national elections
Era of divided government
a trend since 1969, in which one party controls one or both houses of Congress and the president is from the opposing party
Nomination
the formal process through which parties choose their candidates for political office
Delegate
a person who acts as the voter's representative at a convention to select the party's nomination
Primary election
an election in which a state's voters choose delegates who support a presidential candidate for nomination or an election by a plurality vote to select a party's nominee for a seat in Congress
Open primary
a primary election in which all eligible voters may vote, regardless of their party affiliation
Closed primary
a primary in which only those who have registered as a member of a political party may vote
Caucus
a process through which a state's eligible voters meet to select delegates to represent their preferences in the nomination process
Superdelegate
usually a party leader or activist who is not pledged to a candidate based on the outcome of the state's primary or caucus
Front-loading
a decision by a state to push its primary or caucus to a date as early in the election season as possible to gain more influence in the presidential nomination process
National convention
a meeting where delegates officially select their party's nominee for the presidency
Candidate-centered campaign
a trend in which candidates develop their own strategies and raise money with less influence from the party elite
Two-party system
a system in which two political parties dominate politics, winning almost all the elections
Proportional representation system
an election system for a legislature in which citizens vote for parties, rather than individuals, and parties are represented in the legislature according to the percentage of the vote they receive
Single-member plurality system
an election system for choosing members of the legislature where the winner is the candidate who receives the most votes, even if the candidate does not receive a majority of the votes
Third party
a minor political party in competition with the two major parties
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