Elections And Campaigns

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incumbent

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s the existing holder of a political office.

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coattails

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tendency for a popular political party leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election.

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political Action Committee (PAC)

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private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation.[

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federal matching funds

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the requirement or condition that a generally minimal amount of money or services-in-kind originate from the beneficiaries of financial amounts, usually for a purpose of charitable or public good.

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primary

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an election in which voters in a jurisdiction select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the following general election.

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front-loaded campaign

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To concentrate costs or benefits in an early period.

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clothespin vote

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The vote cast by a person who does not like either candidate so cotes for the less objectionable of the two, putting a clothespin over his or her nose to keep out the unpleasant stench.

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position issue

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An issue about which the public is divided and rival candidates or political parties adopt different policy positions.

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valence issue

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An issue about which the public is united and rical candidates or political parties adopt similar positions in hopes that each will be thought to best represent those widely shared beliefs.

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general election

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AN election held to choose which candidate will hold office.

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open primary

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A primary election in which voters may choose in which party to vote as they enter the polling place.

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closed primary

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A primary election in which voting is limited to already registered party members.

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blanket primary

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A primary election in which each voter may vote for candidates from both parties.

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runoff primary

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A second primary election held when no candidate wins a majority of the votes in the first primary.

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Smith v. Allwright (1944)

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was an important decision of the United States Supreme Court with regard to voting rights and, by extension, racial desegregation. It overturned the Democratic Party's use of all-white primaries in Texas, and other states where the party used the rule.

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white primaries

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were primary elections in the Southern States of the United States of America in which any non-White voter was prohibited from participating. White primaries were found in many Southern States after about 1890 and through the mid-1960s.[1]

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whistle-stop train tour

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a style of political campaigning where the politician makes a series of brief appearances or speeches at a number of small towns over a short period of time. Originally, whistlestops were conducted from the open platform of an observation car or a private railroad car.

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campaign spots

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The activity of attracting public attention to a product or business, as by paid announcements in the print, broadcast, or electronic media.

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Federal Election Campaign act (1974)

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s a United States federal law which increased disclosure of contributions for federal campaigns, and amended in 1974 to place legal limits on the campaign contributions. The amendment also created the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

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Federal Election Commission (FEC)

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an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States.

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Buckley v. Valeo (1976)

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was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States upheld a federal law which set limits on campaign contributions, but ruled that spending money to influence elections is a form of constitutionally protected free speech, and struck down portions of the law. The court also stated candidates can give unlimited amounts of money to their own campaigns.

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soft money

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Funds obtained by political parties that are spent on party activities, such as get-out-the-vote drives, but not on behalf of a specific candidate.

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hard money

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paper or coin currency

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Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (2002)

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* 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, even for state and local races or issue discussion;
* 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, and prohibiting any such ad paid for by a corporation (including non-profit issue organizations such as Right to Life or the Environmental Defense Fund) or paid for by an unincorporated entity using any corporate or union funds.

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527s

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Organizations that, under section 527 of the INternal Revenue Code, raise and spend money to advance political causes.

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prospective voting

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Voting for a candidate because you favor his or her ideas for handling issues.

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retrospective voting

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Voting for a candidate because you like his or her past actions in office.

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critical election

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a dramatic change in the political system

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split ticket voting

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when you vote for candidates from different parties in the same election

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straight ticket voting

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the practice of voting for candidates of the same party for multiple positions

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"front loading"

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when a candidate puts all of his resources into the beginnning of his campiagns in hope to get past the primary

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"Winner-take-all" primaries

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If a candidate take majority of a vote they then obtain the whole vote

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Super Tuesday

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refers to the Tuesday in February or March of a presidential election year when the greatest number of states hold primary elections to select delegates to national conventions at which each party's presidential candidates are officially nominated.

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Opposition Research

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work hired to do in order to garner information about the other candidates.

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McConnell V. FEC (2003)

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is a case in which the United States Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of most of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, often referred to as the McCain–Feingold Act.