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chpt something through 16
ap gov
67
Political Studies
10th Grade
03/08/2011

Additional Political Studies Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
social capital
Definition
the myriad relationships that individuals enjoy that facilitate the resolution of community problems through collective action
Term
civic virtue
Definition
the tendency to form small-scale associations for the public good.
Term
interest groups
Definition
organized groups that try to influence public policy
Term
disturbance theory
Definition
political scientist David B. Truman's theory that interest groups form in part to counteract the efforts of other groups.
Term
public interest groups
Definition
organizations that seek a collective good that will not selectively and materially benefit group memebers.
Term
economic interest group
Definition
a group with the primary purpose of promoting the financial interests of its members.
Term
political action committees (PACs)
Definition
federally mandated, officially registered fund-raising committees that represent interest groups in the political process.
Term
lobbyist
Definition
interest group representative who seeks to influence legislation that will benefit his or her organization through political persuasion
Term
trade association
Definition
a group that represents a specific industry
Term
lobbying
Definition
the activities of a group or organization that seeks to influence legislation and persuade political leaders to support the group's position.
Term
patrons
Definition
persons who finance groups
Term
collective good
Definition
something of value that cannot be withheld from a nonmember of a group, for example, a tax write-off or a better enviorment.
Term
free rider problem
Definition
potential members fail to join a group because they can get the benefit, or collective good, sought by the group without contributing the effort
Term
electorate
Definition
citizens eligible to vote
Term
mandate
Definition
a command, indicated by an electorate's votes, for the elected officials to carry out their platforms
Term
retrospective judgment
Definition
a voter's evaluation of the performance of the party in power
Term
prospective judgment
Definition
a voter's evaluation of a candidate based on what he of she pledges to do about an issue if elected
Term
primary election
Definition
election in which voters decide which of the candidate within a party will represent the party in the general election
Term
closed primary
Definition
a primary in which party members, independents, and sometimes members of the other party are allowed to vote.
Term
open primary
Definition
a primary in which party members, independents, and sometimes members of the other party are allowed to vote
Term
crossover voting
Definition
participation in the primary of a party with which the voter is not affiliated
Term
raiding
Definition
an organized attempt by voters of one party to influence the primary results of the other party
Term
runoff primary
Definition
second primary election between the two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes in the first primary
Term
nonpartisan primary
Definition
a primary used to select candidates regardless of party affiliation.
Term
general election
Definition
election in which voters decide which candidates will actually fill elective public offices.
Term
initiative
Definition
an election that allows citizens to propose legislation and submit it to the state electorate for popular vote.
Term
referendum
Definition
an election whereby the state legislature submits proposed legislation to the state's voters for approval
Term
regional primary
Definition
a proposed system in which the country would be divided into five or six geographic areas and all states in each region would hold their presidential primary elections on the same day
Term
front-loading
Definition
the tendency of states to choose an early date on the primary calendar
Term
unit rule
Definition
a traditional party practice under which the majority of a state delegation can force the minority to vote for its candidate
Term
superdelegate
Definition
delegate slot to the Democratic Party's national convention that is reserved for an elected party offical
Term
electoral college
Definition
representatives of each state who cast the final ballots that actually elect a president
Term
elector
Definition
member of the Electoral College chosen by methods determined in each state
Term
party realignment
Definition
a shifting of party coalition groupings in the electorate that remains in place for several elections
Term
critical election
Definition
an election that signals a party realignment through voter polarization around new issues
Term
secular realignment
Definition
the gradual rearrangement of party coalitions, based more on demographic shifts than on shocks to the political system
Term
gerrymandering
Definition
the legislative process through which the majority party in each statehouse tries to assure that the maximum number of representatives from its political party can be elected to Congress through the redrawing of legislative districts
Term
midterm election
Definition
election that takes place in the middle of a presidential election
Term
turnout
Definition
the proportion of the voting-age public that votes
Term
ticket-splitting
Definition
voting for candidates of different parties for various offices in the same election
Term
nomination campaign
Definition
that part of a political campaign aimed at winning a primary election
Term
general election campaign
Definition
that part of a political campaign aimed at winning a general election
Term
personal campaign
Definition
that part of a political campaign concerned with presenting the candidate's public image
Term
organizational campaign
Definition
that part of a political campaign concerned involved in fund-raising, literature distribution, and all other activities not directly involving the candidate.
Term
media campaign
Definition
that part of a political campaign in which the candidate reaches out to the voters, in person or via the media, to create a positive impression and gain votes.
Term
voter canvass
Definition
the process by which a campaign reaches individual voters, either by door to door solicitation or by telephone.
Term
get-out-vote
Definition
a push at the end of a political campaign to encourage supporters to go to the polls
Term
campaign manager
Definition
the individual who travels with the candidate and coordinates the many different aspects of the campaign.
Term
campaign consultant
Definition
the private-sector professionals and firms who sell to a candidate the technologies, services, and strategies required to get that candidate elected.
Term
finance chair
Definition
a professional who coordinates the fund-raising efforts for the campaign
Term
pollster
Definition
a professional who takes public opinion surveys that guide political campaigns
Term
direct mailer
Definition
a professional who supervises a political campaign's direct-mail fund-raising strategies
Term
communications director
Definition
the person who develops the overall media strategy for the candidate, blending the free press coverage with the paid TV, radio, and mail media
Term
press secretary
Definition
the individual charged with interacting and communicating with journalists on a daily basis
Term
media consultant
Definition
a professional who produces candidates' television, radio, and print advertisements
Term
paid media
Definition
political advertisements purchased for a candidate's campaign
Term
free media
Definition
coverage of a candidate's campaign b the news media
Term
positive ad
Definition
advertising on behalf of a candidate that stresses the candidate's qualifications, family, and issue positions, without reference to the opponent
Term
negative ad
Definition
advertising on behalf of a candidate that stresses the candidate's qualifications, family, and issue positions, without reference to the opponent.
Term
contrast ad
Definition
ad that compares the records and proposals of the candidates, with a bias toward the sponsor
Term
spot ad
Definition
television advertising on behalf of a candidate that is broadcast in sixty-thirty, or ten-second duration
Term
candidate debate
Definition
forum in which political candidates face each other to discuss their platforms, records, and character.
Term
political action committee (PAC)
Definition
Federally mandated, officially registered fund-raising committee that represents interest groups in the political process
Term
public funds
Definition
donations from the general tax revenues to the campaigns of qualifying presidential candidates
Term
matching funds
Definition
donations to presidential campaigns from the federal government that are determined by the amount of private funds a qualifying candidate raises
Term
hard money
Definition
legally specified and limited contributions that are clearly regulated by the Federal Election Campaign Act and by the Federal Election Commission
Term
soft money
Definition
the virtually unregulated money funneled by individuals and political committees through state and local parties.
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