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| a proposed law or policy change that is placed on the ballot by citizens or interest groups for a popular vote |
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| a primary election in which voters can participate in the nomination of candidates, but only of the party in which they are enrolled for a period of time prior to primary day |
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| the condition in American government wherein the presidency is controlled by one party while the opposing party controls one or both houses of Congress |
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| the presidential electors from each state who meet after the popular election to cast ballots for president and vice president |
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| the point in history when a new party supplants the ruling party, becoming in turn the dominant political force; in the United States, this has tended to occur roughly every 30 years |
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| nonprofit independent groups that receive and disburse funds to influence the nomination, election, or defeat of candidates. Named after Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code, which defines and provides tax-exempt status for nonprofit advocacy groups |
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| a regularly scheduled election involving most districts in the nation or state, in which voters select officeholders; in the United States, general elections for national office and most state and local offices are held on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November in even-numbered years (every four years for presidential elections) |
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| a candidate running for re-election to a position that he or she already holds |
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| the party that holds the majority of legislative seats in either the House or the Senate |
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| the party that holds a minority of legislative seats in either the House or the Senate |
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| the process by which large numbers of people are organized for a political activity |
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| the process by which political parties select their candidates for election to public office |
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| a primary election in which the voter can wait until the day of the primary to choose which party to enroll in to select candidates for the general election |
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| an individual voter's psychological ties to one party or another |
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| political action committee (PAC) |
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| a private group that raises and distributes funds for use in election campaigns |
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| organized groups that attempt to influence the government by electing their members to important government offices |
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| elections to select a party's candidate for the general election |
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| proportional representation |
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| a multiple-member district system that allows each political party representation in proportion to its percentage of the total vote |
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| a procedure to allow voters to remove state officials from office before their terms expire by circulating petitions to call a vote |
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| the practice of referring a measure proposed or passed by a legislature to the vote of the electorate for approval or rejection |
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| status in society based on level of education, income, and occupational prestige |
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| the right to vote; also called franchise |
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| parties that organize to compete against the two major American political parties |
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| the percentage of eligible individuals who actually vote |
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| a political system in which only two parties have a realistic opportunity to compete effectively for control of the government |
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