AP Government Unit 4

occasion at which a political party officially announces its presidential nominee and reveals its party platform for the next four years (today nominees have been pre-determined by primary election results)

endorsement to run for office by a political party

process by which one acquires his/her political beliefs

officials who receive the greatest number of votes in a primary, but not more than one-half of the votes cast

form of election held by the majority of the states, during which voters select the nominees for political parties

group of people with common political goals which hope to influence policy through the election process

are third parties that promote one principle. The American Independent Party sponsored segregation

when legislation deals with part of policy problems but never deals with the entire problem

The process by which executive departments and agencies put legislation into practice, they are often allowed a degree of freedom to interpret legislation as they write guidelines to enact and enforce the law

a combo of groups of people who work together to achieve a political goal

a recent trend in which voters act increasingly independent of a party affiliation, a consequence of this is split-ticket voting which leads to a divided government

a government in which the presidency is controlled by one party and Congress is controlled by the other

asking the same question to a large number of people: often unscientific

political donations made to parties for the purpose of general party maintenance and support, such as get-out-the-vote campaigns, issue advocacy, and advertisements that promote the party (but not individual candidates. soft money contributions were banned in 2002 by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA)

the fundraising apparatus of interest groups, donations and contributions from PACs are regulated by federal law

a person whose job it is to make bad news favorable to the public

people qualified to vote

general elections for federal offices that are not presidential

difference in voting patterns for men and women: particularly in the greater tendency of the latter to vote for Democratic presidential candidates

political group organized around a particular political goal or philosophy, they attempt to influence public policy though political action and donations to sympathetic candidates

also called sub-government they are formed by the close working relationship among various interest groups, congressional committees, and executive agencies that enforce federal regulations (these groups can collectively exert a powerful influence over legislation and law enforcement)

(aka alliance networks) coalition of interest groups, members of Congress, and bureaucrats working closely together

a secret ballot

occurs when a presidential nominee chooses a vice presidential running mate who has different qualities in order to attract more votes

election of an official directly by the people rather than by an intermediary group such as the Electoral College

election held on the first Tuesday of November, during which voters elect officials

a strategy in which states have pushed forward the date of their primary elections

created the Federal Election Commission; requires disclosure of contributions and expenditures; provided presidential candidates with matching funds

Iowa is the first caucus and New Hampshire is the first primary

a social welfare organization. Net earnings must be used for the common good such as charity or education. Can support or oppose a candidate so long as it is not the primary purpose of the organization.

Named after a part of tax code, refers to a non-profit organization which is not limited by campaign finance laws because they advocate for a principle not a person or party

attempting to influence policy makers

candidate running for office who is considered the underdog

primary election in which voting is restricted to registered members of a political party

process through which voters can shorten an office holder's term, one of several Progressive Era reforms that increased voters' power over government

process through which voters may vote on new laws, one of several Progressive Era reforms that increased voters' power over government

primary election in which voters may select a candidate from any party for each office

election held between top two vote-getters in a primary election, when neither received a legally required minimum percentage of the vote, many states require a runoff when no candidate receives at least 40 percent of the primary vote for his or her party

primary election in which voters may vote in whichever party primary they choose, though they must select that part before entering the voting booth

members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a group or association

the process, mandated by the Constitution, by which the population of the U.S. is officially counted every 10 years, data is then used to help distribute federal money and to reapportion congressional districts

is an effort from the ground up and involves writing, phoning, or e-mailing legislators

a state which has no overwhelming support for a particular candidate

hotel in Washington D.C. where Nixon's spies were caught breaking into the Democratic National Headquarters

a sense of affiliation that a person has with a particular party

an indicative measure, ie. Measure public support for a person or idea

level of support for an elected official as perceived through election results

the process by which congressional districts are redrawn and seats are redistributed among states in the House, occurs every 10 years, when census data reports shifts in the population of districts

choosing candidates from different parties for offices listed on the same ballot

margin of error in public opinion poll, most are accurate within a margin of +/- 4 percent

occurs when a party undergoes a major shift in its electoral base and political agenda, the groups of people composing the party coalition may split up, resulting in a vastly different party. Realignments are rare and tend to be signaled by a critical election, last one occurred during the New Deal between the working-class and ethnic groups under the Democratic party

Race can't be the sole or predominant factor in redrawing districts [Also, Miller v. Johnson (1995)]

the political practice of trading government jobs and preferences for political and financial support, Andrew Jackson was the first to be widely accused of using this to reward political friends and supporters

also known as an issue network

By ruling that a state law violated the freedom of the press and rejecting prior restraint the Court incorporated the free press provision of the First Amendment