American Gov't Chapter 7

General Election

Regularly scheduled election at which voters make a final selection of office holders.

Polling Place

The place where voters go to cast their ballots.

Five private donors to political campaigns.

1) Small contributors $5-$10. 2) Wealthy individuals and families "fat cats" 3) Candidates 4) Various non-party groups (PACs) 5) Temporary organizations

What are the five broad categories that describe the way most nominations are made?

1. Self-announcement 2. Caucus 3. Convention 4. Direct primary 5. Petition

Subsidy

A grant of money, usually from the government.

Absentee Voting

A voting option for those who are unable to make it to the polls.

What is the overall purpose and importance of election law in the American political process?

All people have an equal chance to participate in the political process equally; makes sure that elections are fair and equal.

Non-Partisan Election

Candidates aren't identified by party labels.

A group of like-minded people who meet to choose candidates for office.

Caucus

Because of the _______, candidates can benefit from the popularity of another candidate on the ballot from their party.

Coattail effect

Briefly describe the role and importance of money in the election process.

Financial donations to a candidate's campaign allow the campaign to purchase advertising, signs, and to travel for campaigning.

Closed Primary

Only declared members of the party can vote.

Each _______ has one polling place.

Precinct

In a _______, voters must choose between the two top finishers in an earlier primary election.

Runoff primary

Precinct

Smallest unit of a voting district.

Ballot

The device by which voters register their choices in an election.

How does a presidential contender qualify for public funding in the pre-convention period? Has anyone ever declined public money? If so, who?

They must raise at least 100K in contributions from individuals. 5K from 20 states. Individuals cannot give more that $250. No one has ever declined it before.

To what extent are the States involved in regulating the electoral process?

They try to get an accurate accounting of registered voters.

Direct Primary

An election held within a party to pick the party's candidates for the general election.

Describe the differences between the open and the closed primary.

Closed Primary- Primary election in which only persons registered in the party holding the primary may vote Open Primary-a primary in which any registered voter can vote (but must vote for candidates of only one party)

At which level is the convention still a major nominating device in American politics?

Conventions have become the principal means for making nominations at every level in American politics.

Outline the limitations on PACs.

No one may give more than 2K to any federal candidate in a primary election. No one can give more that 5K to a PAC in a year. No one can give more than 25K to a National Party Committee (NAP). No one can give more that 95K in total.

Describe the basic difference between the office-group ballot and the party-column ballot. What are the advantages of each?

Office-Group Ballot: Candidates are grouped by office and then listed in random order. Gives everyone a chance to be at the top of the ballot to receive whatever psychological advantage there may be. Party-Column Ballot: Lists each party's candidates in a column under the party's name. There's usually an X at the top so you can vote for everyone in that party. It encourages straight-ticket voting.

Open Primary

Only qualified voters can participate. It also encourages Raiding.

One commonly heard criticism of the _________ is that is encourages "raiding".

Open primary

The political arm of a special-interest group.

Political Action Committees (PACs)

An election held within a political party at which the voters choose candidates who will appear on the ballot in an upcoming general election.

Primary Election

_______ is given to State and local party organizations for "party-building activities".

Soft money

Nomination

The process of candidate selection in an electoral system.

To what extent is the Federal Government involved in the regulation of elections? Give at least three examples of federal laws that regulate elections.

They must comply with all of the major provisions. Three examples: 1) must replace all lever-operated and punch-card voting devices by 2006 2) train locals better who work in precinct polling places on election day. 3) Centralize and computerize voting registration systems.

What was the major purpose of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002?

To ban soft money contributions to political parties.

Why did Congress force the states to abandon the use of punch-card ballots?

Voters failed to make clean punches. Their incomplete perforations made the cards difficult or impossible for computers to read.