Political Science Chapter 10 Vocab

Front 1

Platform

Back 1

a party document, written at a national convention, that contains party philosophy, principles, and positions on issues

Front 2

Divided government

Back 2

the condition in American government wherein the presidency is controlled by one party while the opposing party controls one or both houses of Congress

Front 3

Third parties

Back 3

parties that organize to compete against the two major American political parties

Front 4

Majority party

Back 4

the party that holds the majority of legislative seats in either the House or the Senate

Front 5

Single-member district

Back 5

an electorate that is allowed to select only one representative from each district; the normal method of representation in the United States

Front 6

Gender gap

Back 6

a distinctive pattern of voting behavior reflecting the differences in views between men and women

Front 7

Multiple0member district

Back 7

anelectorate that selects all candidates at large from the whole district; each voter is given the number of votes equivalent to the number of seats to be filled

Front 8

Machines

Back 8

strong party organizations in late-nineteenth-and-early-twentieth-century American cities. These machines were led by "bosses" who controlled party nominations and patronage

Front 9

Nomination

Back 9

the process through which political parties select their candidates for election to public office

Front 10

Minority party

Back 10

the party that holds a minority of legislative seats in either the House or the Senate

Front 11

Plurality system

Back 11

a type of electoral system in which,to win a seat in the parliament or other representative body, a candidate need only receive the most votes in the election, not necessarily a majority of votes cast

Front 12

Proportional government

Back 12

a multiple-member district system that allows each political party representation in proportion to its percentage of the total vote

Front 13

Patronage

Back 13

the resources available to higher officials, usually opportunities to make partisan appointments to offices and to confer grants, licenses, or special favors to supporters

Front 14

Party organization

Back 14

the formal structure of a political party, including its leadership election committees, active members, and paid staff

Front 15

Soft money

Back 15

money contributed directly to political parties for voter registration and organization

Front 16

Party identification

Back 16

an individual voter's psychological ties to one party or another

Front 17

Political parties

Back 17

organized groups that attempt to influence the government by electing their members to important government offices

Front 18

Caucus (political)

Back 18

a normally closed meeting of a political or legislative group to select candidates, plan strategy, or make decisions regarding legislative matters

Front 19

Two-party system

Back 19

a political system in which only two parties have a realistic opportunity to compete effectively for control

Front 20

National convention

Back 20

a national party political institution that serves to nominate the party's presidential and vice presidential candidates, establish party rules, and write and ratify the party's platform

Front 21

Electoral realignment

Back 21

the point in history when a new party supplants the ruling party, becoming in turn the dominant political force. In the United States, this has tended to occur roughly every thirty years

Front 22

Party activists

Back 22

partisans who contribute time, energy, and effort to support their party and its candidates

Front 23

Policy entrepreneur

Back 23

an individual who identifies a problem as a political issues and brings a policy proposal into the political agenda

Front 24

Responsible party government

Back 24

a set of principles that idealizes a strong role for parties in defining their stance on issues, mobilizing voters, and fulfilling their campaign promises once in office