AP Gov Chapter 6

Caucus

A meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates for public office and to decide the platform Example: The Iowa caucus is one of the better known caucuses nationwide.

Party Identification

An affiliation with a political party that most people acquire in childhood. Example: I identify as a Republican

Hard Money

Political contributions given to a party, candidate, or interest group that are limited in amount and fully disclosed. Example: Hard money was harder to raise then soft money leading to breaches in the system with people using soft money. This lead to soft money no longer being allowed in most cases.

Patronage

The dispensing of government jobs to persons who belong to the winning political party Example: An example of Patronage is Obama nominating a democratic judge to the Supreme Court

Party Convention

A meeting of party delegates to vote on matters of policy and, in some cases, to select party candidates for public office Example: The DNC turned violent leading up to the 1968 election allowing Nixon and the Republicans to better secure the White House

National Party Convention

A national meeting of delegates elected in primaries, caucuses, or state conventions who assemble once every four years to nominate candidates for president and vice president, ratify the party platform, elect officers, and adopt rules Example: The 2016 RNC was one to be remembered. Ivanka Trump made a moving speech supporting her fathers nomination as the Republican candidate

Closed Primary

A primary election in which only persons registered to the party may vote in that party's primary Example: A Republican can only vote in a GOP primary.

Open Primary

A primary in which any voter, regardless of party, may vote Example: If I voted in the democratic primary even though I am a registered Independent, I am exercising the rights granted by an open primary

Minor Party

A small political party that often persists over time that is often composed of ideologies on the right or left or centered on a charismatic candidate. Aka a third party Example: The Green Party

Realigning Election

An election during periods of expanded suffrage and change in the economy and society that proves to be a turning point, redefining the agenda of politics and the alignment of voters within parties Example: After 20 years of Democrats being in office the election was a Realigning elections when Republicans took back the White House

Direct Primary

An election in which voters choose part nominees Example: In the direct primary of the 2016 election the GOP chose Trump, and the Democrats "chose" Hillary, still debated because many feel the Democratic primaries were rigged against Bernie Sanders.

Proportional Representation

An election system in which each party running receives the proportion of legislative seats corresponding to its proportion go the vote Example: Parliamentary Democracies often operate on proportional representation

Winner-Take-All-System

An election system in which the candidate with the most votes wins Example: The US has a single-member district, winner take all system

Political Party

An organization that seeks political power by electing people to office so that its positions and philosophy become public policy Example:The GOP and the Democratic Party are examples of political parties

Platform

Every four years the political parties form details general party-wide issue stances. Example: Many politicians believe platforms do not help to elect anyone cause they are designed to be ambiguous.

Divided Government

Governance divividdd between the parties, as when one holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of Congress Example: Obama's second term has been one with a divided government

Party-Independent Expenditures

Spending by political party committees that is independent of the candidate. The spending occurs in relatively few competitive contests and is often substantial Example: Democrats have had over $110 million in party-independent expenditures each cycle since 2006.

Honeymoon

The period at the beginning of a new president's term during which the president enjoys generally positive relations with the press and Congress, usually lasting about six months Example: The first six months of Obama's presidency were fairly positive with the press buzzing about change and hope, only to be lead into a much more tumultuous presidency for the rest of his term.

Crossover Voting

Voting by a member of one party for a candidate of another party Example: My uncle, a registered Democrat intends to vote for Trump.

Dealignment

Weakening of partisan preferences that point to a rejection of both major parties and a rise in the number of independents Example: With the tensions within both parties in the 2016 election, it has definitely been an election year that has caused much dealignment