Ap Gov Unit 2 Vocab Quiz Part Ii

Front 1

2002 Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act (McCain-Feingold Act)

Back 1

A United States federal law that amended the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, which regulates the financing of political campaigns.

Front 2

527 groups

Back 2

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.

Front 3

Blue state

Back 3

States whose residents predominantly vote for the Democratic Party presidential candidates.

Front 4

Campaign contributions/donations

Back 4

Money given to candidates by outside sources.

Front 5

Campaign manager

Back 5

The individual who travels with the candidate and coordinates the many different aspects of the campaign.

Front 6

Campaign spots/ads

Back 6

The use of an advertising campaign through the media to influence political debate, and ultimately, voters.

Front 7

Challenger (candidate)

Back 7

Candidate who is challenging an incumbent for a position.

Front 8

Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission

Back 8

A U.S. constitutional law case dealing with the regulation of campaign spending by organizations.

Front 9

Coattail effect

Back 9

The tendency of lesser-known or weaker candidates lower on the ballot to profit in an election by the presence on the party's ticket of a more popular candidate.

Front 10

Congressional redistricting

Back 10

The redrawing of congressional districts to reflect increases or decreases in seats allotted to the states, as well as population shifts within a state.

Front 11

Federal Election Campaign Act (1974)

Back 11

A United States federal law designed to increase disclosure of contributions for federal campaigns. It was amended in 1974 to place legal limits on the campaign contributions.

Front 12

Federal Elections Commission (FEC)

Back 12

An independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act.

Front 13

Free rider problem

Back 13

Potential members fail to join a group because they can get the benefits, or collective good, sought by the group without contributing to the effort.

Front 14

Front-loaded campaign

Back 14

The movement of state delegate selection contests to the beginning of the nomination calendar.

Front 15

Front-loading primaries

Back 15

Choosing an early date to hold the primary election.

Front 16

General election

Back 16

Election in which voters decide which candidates will actually fill elective public offices.

Front 17

Gerrymandering

Back 17

The legislative process through which the majority party in each statehouse tries to ensure that the maximum number of representatives from its political party can be elected to Congress through the redrawing of legislative districts.

Front 18

Get-out-the-vote drive (GOTV)

Back 18

A push at the end of a political campaign to encourage supporters to go to the polls.

Front 19

Hard money

Back 19

Legally specified and limited contributions that are clearly regulated by the Federal Election Campaign Act and by the Federal Elections Commission.

Front 20

Incumbent (candidate)

Back 20

The current holder of a political office.

Front 21

Incumbent advantage

Back 21

The fact that being an office helps a person stay in office because of a variety of benefits that go with the position.

Front 22

Independent expenditure

Back 22

A political campaign communication that expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate that is not made in cooperation, consultation or concert with or at the request or suggestion of a candidate, candidate’s authorized committee or political party.

Front 23

Matching funds

Back 23

Donations to presidential campaigns from the federal government that are determined by the amount of private funds a qualifying candidate raises.

Front 24

Open seat

Back 24

An election (especially for a legislature) in which no incumbent is running.

Front 25

National party convention

Back 25

A party conclave (meeting) held in the presidential election year for the purposes of nominating a presidential and vice presidential ticket and adopting a platform.

Front 26

Party machine

Back 26

A party organization that recruits its members with tangible incentives and is characterized by a high degree of control over member activity.

Front 27

Political action committee (PAC)

Back 27

Federally mandated, officially registered fundraising committee that represents interest groups in the political process.

Front 28

Position issue

Back 28

An issue dividing the electorate on which rival parties adopt different policy positions to attract voters.

Front 29

Proportional representation primary

Back 29

A voting system that apportions legislative seats according to the percentage of the vote won by a particular political party.

Front 30

Public financing

Back 30

The receipt of federal government funds to pay for the valid expenses of candidates’ political campaigns in both the primary and general elections.

Front 31

Purple/swing state

Back 31

A U.S. state where the two major political parties have similar levels of support among voters, viewed as important in determining the overall result of a presidential election.

Front 32

Red state

Back 32

A U.S. state that predominantly votes for or supports the Republican Party.

Front 33

Regional primary

Back 33

A proposed system in which the country would be divided into five or six geographic areas and all states in each region would hold their presidential primary elections on the same day.

Front 34

Secular (gradual) realignment

Back 34

The gradual rearrangement of party coalitions, based more on demographic shifts then on shocks to the political system.

Front 35

Soft money

Back 35

The virtually unregulated money funneled by individuals and political committees through state and local parties.

Front 36

Spin

Back 36

In public relations, it is a form of propaganda, achieved through providing an interpretation of an event or campaign to persuade public opinion in favor or against a certain organization or public figure.

Front 37

Stump speech

Back 37

A speech addressed to the general public during a political campaign or in support of a cause; a standard speech used by a politician running for office.

Front 38

Super Tuesday

Back 38

A day on which several US states hold primary elections.

Front 39

Superdelegate

Back 39

Delegate slot to the Democratic Party's National Convention that is reserved for an elected party official.

Front 40

Valence issue

Back 40

A political issue about which voters will usually share a common preference. Prosperity is a common example of this type of issue.

Front 41

Voter fatigue

Back 41

The apathy that the electorate can experience under certain circumstances, one of which could be (in exceptional circumstances) that they are required to vote too often, or that they feel disengaged.

Front 42

Whistle-stop train (bus) tour

Back 42

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.

Front 43

Winner-take-all primary

Back 43

A primary in which all of a state's delegates are required to vote for the same candidate.