Unit 3 - Campaigns, Elections, Interest Groups and Mass Media

Incumbent

Individual currently holding an office

Frontloading

The tendency of states to choose an early date on the primary calendar

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002

(aka McCain-Feingold) - Banned soft money to national parties; no independent expenditures 60days before general election & 30 days before primary election

Super PAC

A PAC to which corporations, unions, and other organizations can donate freely

Mandate

A command, indicated by an electorate's votes, for the elected officials to carry out their platforms

National Conventions

A gathering of delegates to select a party's presidential and vice-presidential ticket and to adopt its national platform

Caucus

A meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement

Pollster

A professional who takes public opinion surveys that guide political campaigns

PACs

A type of organization that campaigns for or against candidates, ballot initiatives or legislation At the federal level, an organization becomes a PAC when it receives or spends more than $1,000 for the purpose of influencing a federal election

Spot Ad

Advertising in select markets rather than nationwide

Ballot Measures - Initiatives

An election that allows citizens to propose legislation and submit it to the state electorate for popular vote

Midterm Election

An election that takes place in the middle of a presidential term

Ballot Measures - Referendums

An election whereby the state legislature submits proposed legislation to the state's voters for approval

Voter Canvass

As required by the Secretary of the State and the laws of Connecticut, a canvass of all voters, to ensure the accuracy of the Voter Registry List, is conducted every year

Citizens United v. FEC

Court held that the First Amendment prohibited the government from restricting independent political expenditures by corporations and unions

LULAC v. Perry

Court ruled that only District 23 of the 2003 Texas redistricting violated the Voting Rights Act. The Court refused to throw out the entire plan, ruling that the plaintiffs failed to state a sufficient claim of partisan gerrymandering

Campaign Reform Act of 1974

Created the FEC; all contributions over $100 disclosed; no foreign contributions; establishment of PACs - $5,000 per candidate; individual contributions - $1,000 per candidate; presidential elections

Superdelegates

Delegate slot to the Democratic Party's national convention tat is reserved for an elected party official

Majority-minority districts

Drawing district boundaries to give a minority group a majority

General Election

Election in which voters decide which candidates will actually fill elective public offices

Primaries (open v. closed, etc)

Election in which voters decide which of the candidates within a party will represent the party in the general election Open: A primary in which party members, independents, and sometimes members of the other party are allowed to vote Closed: A primary election in which only a party's registered voters are able to vote

Single Member Districts

Electoral district from which one person is chosen by the voters for each elected office

Plurality

Electoral process in which the candidate who polls more votes than any other candidate is elected

Hard Money

Legally specified and limited contributions that are clearly regulated by the Federal Election Campaign Act and by the Federal Election Commission

527s

Nonprofit and unregulated interest groups that focus on specific causes or policy positions and attempt to influence voters

501(c)s

Nonprofit, tax-exempt interest groups that can engage in varying levels of political activity; not subject to FEC disclosure rules

Presidential Debates

Official televised debates between presidential nominees that are highly important to the campaign.

Campaign Staff

Paid staff, political consultants and dedicated volunteers who work behind the scenes to support candidate (plan general strategy, conduct polls, write speeches etc.)

Proportional v. Winner-Take-All Delegate Allocation

Proportional: the percentage of votes won reflects the amount of power the candidate is given Winner-take-all: the candidate with the majority of votes, however large, receives all power

Redistricting

Redrawing congressional districts to reflect increases or decreases in seats allotted to the sates as well as population shifts within a state

Electoral College

Representatives of each state who cast the final ballots that actually elect a president

Delegate

Someone who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization

Buckley v. Valeo

Supreme Court upheld federal limits on campaign contributions and ruled that spending money to influence elections is a form of constitutionally protected free speech. The court also stated candidates can give unlimited amounts of money to their own campaigns.

Incumbency Advantage

The advantage current officeholders have in an election, in particular as it relates to the high rates at which congressional legislators win re-election

Shaw v. Reno

The court ruled in a 5-4 decision that redistricting based on race must be held to a standard of strict scrutiny under the equal protection clause

Winner-take-all electoral system

The electoral system that US has where the candidate with the most votes (even only slightly) wins all the power

Gerrymandering

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

Invisible Primary

The period between when a person announces their candidacy and when the actual primaries take place. During this period candidates raise money for their campaign

Straight Ticket

The practice of voting for candidates of the same party for multiple positions

Reapportionment

The reallocation of the number of seats in the House after each Census

Franking Privilege

The right of members of Congress to send mail to their constituents at the government's expense

Coattail Effect

The tendency for a popular political party leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election

Soft Money

The virtually unregulated money funneled by individuals and political committees through state and local parties

Casework

The work that a lawmaker does to help constituents with a problem

GOTV (Get Out the Vote)

Used to describe two categories of political activity, both aimed at increasing the number of votes cast in one or more elections Absentee ballot, early voting, election day voting

Ticket Splitting

When someone votes for candidates of multiple parties on one ticket