AP Gov - Chapter 9

Split Ticket Voting

Candidates from different parties for different offices

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010), is a US constitutional law case, in which the United States Supreme Court held that the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting political independent expenditures by corporations, associations, or labor unions. In a 5-4 decision, the Court held that portions of BCRA violated the First Amendment.

FEC

Federal Election Committee -- A bipartisan federal agency of six members that oversees the financing of national election campaigns

Soft Money

Financial contributions to party committees for capital and operational expenses

Hard Money

Financial contributions given directly to a candidate running for congressional office or the presidency

527s

A 527 organization or 527 group is a type of U.S. tax-exempt organization created primarily to influence the selection, nomination, election, appointment or defeat of candidates to federal, state or local public office. There are no upper limits on contributions to 527s and no restrictions on who may contribute. Because they may not expressly advocate for specific candidates or coordinate with any candidate's campaign, many 527s are used to raise money to spend on issue advocacy and voter mobilization.

McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform (BCRA)

A United States federal law that amended the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, which regulates the financing of political campaigns. The Act was designed to address two issues: --The increased role of soft money in campaign financing, by prohibiting national political party committees from raising or spending any funds not subject to federal limits --The proliferation of issue advocacy ads, by defining as "electioneering communications" broadcast ads that name a federal candidate within 30 days of a primary or caucus or 60 days of a general election

Electoral College

A body of electors chosen by voters to cast ballots for president and vice president

Buckley v. Valeo (1976)

A case in which the Supreme Court of the United States struck down several provisions in the 1974 Amendment to a law that limited campaign expenditures, independent expenditures by individuals and groups, and expenditures by a candidate from personal funds. The Court upheld the provision which sets limits on individuals' campaign contributions.

Caucus

A closed meeting of the members of a political party to decide questions of policy and the selection of candidates for office

Incumbent

A current officeholder

General Election

A national election held by law in November of every even-numbered year

Primary Election

A preliminary election conducted within a political party to select candidates who will run for public office in a subsequent election

Closed Primary

A primary election in which voters must declare their party affiliation before they are given the primary ballot containing that party's potential nominees

Open Primary

A primary election in which voters need not declare their party affiliation and can choose one party's primary ballot to take into the voting booth

Straight Ticket Voting

A single party's candidates for all the offices

Open Election

An election that lacks an incumbent

Election Campaign

An organized effort to persuade voters to choose one candidate over others competing for the same office

Iowa Caucus

Iowa caucuses are the first in the country and serve as an early indication of which candidates for president might win the nomination of their political party at that party's national convention, and which ones could drop out for lack of support

McConnell v. FEC (2003)

McConnell v. Federal Election Commission, is a case in which the United States Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of most of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002

PACs

Political Action Committee set up by and representing a corporation, labor union, or special interest group that raises and spends campaign contributions on behalf of one or more of the candidates or causes

Blanket Primary

Primary election that permits all voters, regardless of party affiliation, to vote on any candidate

Front-loading

States' practice of moving delegate selection primaries and caucuses earlier in the calendar year to gain media and candidate attention

Coattail Effect

Tendency of lesser-known or weaker candidates to profit in an election by the presence on the ballot of a more popular candidate

FECA

The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 is a United States federal law which increased disclosure of contributions for federal campaigns. It was amended in 1974 to place legal limits on the campaign contributions. The amendment also created the Federal Election Commission (FEC). It was amended again in 1976, in response to the provisions ruled unconstitutional by Buckley v. Valeo and again in 1979 to allow parties to spend unlimited amounts of hard money on activities like increasing voter turnout and registration.

New Hampshire Primary

The New Hampshire Primary has been a major testing ground for candidates for both the Republican and Democratic nominations -- make or break for candidates