Poli Sci 9-11

In primaries, who do voters vote for?

The voter may choose only from candidates of one party.

What conditions must exist in order for a voter to engage in issue voting?

The voter must be aware of the issue and have an opinion concerning it. The issue must be at least minimally important to the voter. The voter must be able to identify with the candidates position on the issue accurately. The voter must believe that one party or candidate represents the voter's own position better than the other party or candidate.

Who do superdelegates vote for?

They can vote for Whomever they choose.

Political parties and social groups

They go after them when necessary, they make it easier to bring higher voter turnout

How do third parties help or play an important role in an election?

They may bring up issues that the candidates maybe avoiding

dealignment

A substantial reduction in the proportion of the voting population consistently voting for and identifying with one party

What are the ingredients to a successful campaign?

Achieve high turnout from their own party identifiers, win a large share of the vote from their own party, encourage some of the other candidates partisans to defect, reduce turnout among the other candidates identifiers, win independence.

What's the vote prediction that generates a correct prediction nearly 85 to 90 percent of the time?

Candidate evaluation followed by party ID.

What are the "big three" determinants of vote choice?

Candidate evaluations, party ID, issue voting.

Coordinated expenditures

Legally limited purchases or payments made by a political party on behalf of, and incoordination with, a specific company

What groups are behind the Republican Party?

Libertarian leaning groups, business associations, gun rights' groups, veterans, pro-life groups, conservative think tanks, and conservative talk radio outlets

What are superdelegates?

Members in the Democratic Party, who include members of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Democratic members of the US House and Senate, sitting Democratic governors, other distinguished Democratic Party leaders, such as former president, vice president, and DNC chairs

How is representation from each state obtained in the electoral college?

Small states received disproportionately high representation in the Electoral college relative to their population. Each state is also granted an elector for each member it sent to the House of Representatives and the senate.

What is issue voting?

Voting style in which the voter judges candidates based on the voter's and the candidate's opinions on specific issues and preferences for certain policies

What is prospective voting?

Voting style in which voters judge a candidate based on their assessment of what the candidate will do in the office if elected.

What is retrospective voting?

Voting style in which voters judge candidates based on the performance of the candidates or their parties rather than issue stands and assessments of what each candidate would do if elected.

When does a brokered convention occur?

When a candidate fails to win the majority of the superdelegate votes.

Two-party system

an electoral system in which one of two parties are most likely to win and gain power

Australian ballot

an official government produced ballot for elections that lists all offices and all candidates and parties that have qualified to be on the ballot

when do voters tend to make retrospective judgments?

on big issues, Such as the national economy, whether the country is a piece or at war, and if at war, whether that war is being executed successfully.

What is the plurality rule?

rule by which a candidate wins office by getting more votes than his or her opponent, even if that candidate does not receive an absolute majority of the votes.

For presidential election, what must a candidate win?

the electoral college

can voters use the party label to hold those in office accountable?

yes. A party label may indicate that a particular candidate must go about business in a particular manner

What does the elected nominee from each party gets automatically?

"Built in" support From the party's members in the electorate and may also get financial and logistical help from state and national party organizations

What's an open primary?

An election in which a voter can participate in either party's primary (but not both), regardless of party registration.

What is a closed primary?

An election in which only registered members of the political party can participate in the party's primary election

What is a modified open primary?

An election in which registered voters who are not affiliated with either party can vote in either party's primary.

When is soft money allowed?

As of 2002, parties are no longer allowed to use soft money

patronage

Awarding jobs in government on the basis of party support and loyalty rather than expertise or experience

How does the candidate receive nomination from his or her party?

By accumulating the majority of delegates.

What are battleground states?

Competitive states in which no candidate has an overwhelming advantage, and therefore electoral college votes are in play

Party machines

Disciplined local party organizations that selected candidates; got out the vote; provided benefits to supporters including government workers, local constituents, and businesses; and served as social service agencies for their followers

What is the winner take all?

Election in which the candidate who gets the most votes wins, while any other candidate loses and receives nothing. This happens in the Republican presidential primaries

What's a primary?

Election in which voters choose the candidate that will represent their political party in the general election

What is candidate evaluation?

Evaluations based on the candidate's ideology and certain traits that characterize their personalities or policies

Independent expenditures

Funds spent to elect or defeat candidates but not coordinated with any candidates campaign

Hard money

Funds to be used by candidates or parties for the express purpose of running an election campaign, or by PACs for contributing to candidates

soft money

Funds to be used for political purposes other than running a campaign, for example, get out the vote efforts; or by some interest groups for political ads praising or attacking candidates

What problem does the open primary benefit, in which a close primary does not?

If the party voters have more extreme views than the candidates they are voting for, then that party may end up selecting a nominee who will not have a broad appeal in the general election.

What's a focus group?

In-depth interview with a small number of people representing important voter constituencies

What is a delegate?

Individuals who represent the state's voters in the selection of a political party's presidential candidate

valence issues

Issues on which virtually everyone agrees.

What groups are behind the Democratic Party

Labor unions, trial lawyers, environmental groups, teachers, pro-choice groups, liberal think tanks, and the liberal blogosphere

Blue states

Largely uncontested states in which the democratic candidate for precidency is very likely to win

Red states

Largely uncontested states in which the republican candidate for presidency is very likely to win

Who holds the country's first primary?

New Hampshire

examples of the progressive reforms (pg 406)

Nonpartisan elections: citywide rather then ward-based elections to city councils: the development of separate and often appointed rather than elected governing districts for services such as water, transportation, and schooling; and the hiring of city managers to run much of the day-to-day business of the city

What is a contested nomination?

One in which there is no incumbent president seeking the party's nomination

Third parties in regard to full general election campaign funding

Only if they receive at least 25% of the vote in the previous presidential election

Does the Republican Party have superdelegates?

Only the Democratic Party has superdelegates.

Political parties

Organized groups with public followings that seek to elect office holders who identify themselves by the group's common label, for the purpose of exercising political power

What are two alternate methods of voting?

Preference voting, where voters select their favorite candidate among those in the ballot or voters rank their choices. Approval voting, allows voters to indicate all candidates that they approve of, and the candidate receiving the most votes wins

Matching funds

Public monies given to qualifying candidates to match a certain percentage of the funds they have raised from private donors

What is fusion

Strategy which third parties endorse a major party candidate but list tha candidate separately on the ballot so that voters can vote for the candidate under the third-party

public money

Taxpayer funds used to help finance presidential campaigns

Field operations

The "ground war" intended to produce high turnout among party loyalist particularly in battleground states

Momentum?

The boost in media coverage, name recognition, fundraising, and perceptions of electability that accompanies unexpected and repeated primary success

What is the invisible primary?

The race to raise the most money and achieve front runner status before the primary season begins

Responsible party model

The idea that political parties should broadcast unified teams, present a clear policy platform, implement that platform when in office, and run on their record in subsequent election

What is a caucus?

a small meeting at which registered political party members select delegates to attend the national party convention and nominate a presidential candidate.

What leads to victory?

Turnout + loyalty + defection + persuasion

Issue evolution

a change in the partisan base of support for an issue over time, such that the position of Democrats and Republicans switch

Party platform

a document expressing the principles, beliefs, and policy positions of the party, as endorsed by delegates at the national party convention

Political action committee PAC

a group that collects money from individuals and makes donations to political parties and candidates

National party convention

a meeting held over several days in which delegates select the party presidential nominee, approve the party platform, and consider changes in particles and policies

Progressive reform

a set of political and electoral reforms in early 20th-century that had the combined effect of weakening political parties.

electoral realignment

a shift in the composition of party coalitions that produces a new, relatively durable pattern of party competition

Who holds the country's first Caucasus?

iowa

How long have primaries been a part of the election process?

last 30 years

Which two states does not have a winner take-all, for the designation of their electoral votes?

maine and nebraska (pg 323)