Chapter 8

majority voting

A voting system in which a candidate must win more than 50 percent of votes to win the election. If no candidate wins enough votes to take office, a runoff election is held between the top two vote-getters.

plurality voting

A voting system in which the candidate who receives the most votes within a geographic area wins the election, regardless of whether that candidate wins a majority (more than half) of the votes.

electoral votes

Votes cast by members of the electoral college; after a presidential candidate wins the popular vote in a given state, that candidate's slate of electors cast electoral votes for the candidate on behalf of that state.

What is the paradox of voting?

Voting is costly and the chances of affecting the election outcome are small.

runoff election

Under a majority voting system, a second election held only if no candidate wins a majority of the votes in the first general election. Only the top two vote-getters in the first election compete in the runoff.

Runoff elections only occur in states that use .

majority voting

closed primary

A primary election in which only registered members of a particular political party can vote.

split ticket

A ballot on which a voter selects candidates from more than one political party.

straight ticket

A ballot on which a voter selects candidates from only one political party.

primary

A ballot vote in which citizens select a party's nominee for the general election.

GOTV ("get out the vote") or the ground game

A campaign's efforts to "get out the vote" or make sure their supporters vote on Election Day.

caucus

A local meeting in which party members select a party's nominee for the general election.

incumbents

A politician running for re-election to the office he or she currently holds.

open primary

A primary election in which any registered voter can participate in the contest, regard- less of party affiliation.

political business cycle

Attempts by elected officials to manipulate the economy before elections by increasing economic growth and reducing unemployment and inflation, with the goal of improving evaluations of their performance in office.

soft money

Contributions that can be used for voter mobilization or to promote a policy proposal or point of view as long as these efforts are not tied to supporting or opposing a particular candidate.

What effect does fund-raising have for incumbents?

It ensures the potential for an aggressive campaign, and it deters opposition.

What are superdelegates?

Democratic party officials who are free to support any candidate for nomination

hard money

Donations that are used to help elect or defeat a specific candidate.

Winner-take-all

During the presidential primaries, the practice of assigning all of a given state's delegates to the candidate who receives the most popular votes. Some states' Republican primaries and caucuses use this system.

proportional allocation

During the presidential primaries, the practice of determining the number of convention delegates allotted to each candidate based on the percentage of the popular vote cast for each candidate. All Democratic primaries and caucuses use this system, as do some states' Republican primaries and caucuses.

What is the most accurate statement about the role of economic conditions in the 2012 election?

Looking across the entire nation, economic conditions did not strongly favor either candidate.

Why was congressional turnover so low in 2012?

Most vulnerable House members and senators had already lost in 2008 and 2010.

What role did the question of marriage rights for gays and lesbians play in the 2012 election?

Neither campaign emphasized this issue.

issue voters

People who are well informed about their own policy preferences and knowledgeable about the candidates, and who use all of this information when they decide how to vote.

voting cues

Pieces of information about a candidate that are readily available, easy to interpret, and lead a citizen to decide to vote for a particular candidate.

electoral college

The body that votes to select America's president and vice president based on the popular vote in each state. Each candidate nominates a slate of electors who are selected to attend the meeting of the college if their candidate wins the most votes in a state or district.

general elections

The election in which voters cast ballots for House members, senators, and (every four years) a president and vice president.

federal election commission

The government agency that enforces and regulates election laws; made up of six presidential appointees, of whom no more than three can be members of the same party.

coattails

The idea that a popular president can generate additional support for candidates affiliated with his party. Coattails are weak or nonexistent in most American elections.

paradox of voting

The question of why citizens vote even though their individual votes stand little chance of changing the election outcome.

open seat

an elected position for which there is no incumbent

Research shows that modern campaign ads are likely to .

have beneficial effects, such as informing voters

The winner-take-all method of allocating most states' electoral votes results in candidates focusing on states and states.

high population; swing

Voters who rely on voting cues to determine their vote choice are .

likely to cast a reasonable vote, and more so if they are informed

GOTV and "ground game" refer to a candidate's attempts to .

mobilize supporters

What is soft money?

money that is not tied to a specific candidate

Weak coattails and split tickets serve as indicators that .

most elections are determined by local issues

The recent trend in the presidential nomination process has been to .

schedule primary elections earlier in the process

election cycle

the two year period between general elections

popular vote

the votes cast by citizens in an election

An open-seat election is one where .

there is no incumbent in the race