political party

organised group of people with at least roughly similar political aims and opinions, that seeks to influence public policy by getting its candidates elected to public office.

linkage insitution

is a structure within a society that connects the people to the government or centralized authority. These institutions include: elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.

rational-choice theory

is the view that people behave as they do because they believe that performing their chosen actions has more benefits than costs. That is, people make rational choices based on their goals, and those choices govern their behavior.

party identication

refers to the political party with which an individual identifies. Party Identification is loyalty to a political party.

ticket splitting

A vote for candidates of different political parties on the same ballot, instead of for candidates of only one party. In the presidential elections, for example, a voter may choose a Republican candidate for president, but a Democratic candidate for senator.

party machine

in U.S. politics, a party organization, headed by a single boss or small autocratic group, that commands enough votes to maintain political and administrative control of a city, county, or state".

patronage v. merit system

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closed primaries

type of primary election used to choose candidates who will run in the general election. In a closed primary, only voters registered for the party which is holding the primary may vote.

open primaries

primary election in which voters are not required to declare party affiliation.

blanket primaries

also known as a top-two primary or jungle primary, is a type of primary election that occurs before the general election to choose candidates to run in the general election. In a blanket primary, unlike an open primary, voters choose candidates for each office without regard to party.

national party convention

a convention of a major political party, especially one that nominates a candidate for the presidency.

national committee

the chief executive agency of a political party usually consisting of members chosen by the national convention to represent geographical areas or constituent elements in the party and having general supervisory powers over the organization of national conventions and the planning of campaigns

coaltion

an alliance for combined action, especially a temporary alliance of political parties forming a government or of states.

critical election

Realigning election (often called a critical election or political realignment) are dramatic change in the political system. Scholars frequently apply the term to American elections and occasionally to other countries.

party realignment

A central component of realignment is the change in behavior of voting groups. Realignment means the switching of voter preference from one party to another, in contrast to dealignment where a voter group abandons a party to become independent or nonvoting.

party dealignment

refers to weakening ties between two major political parties and the voters; voters increasingly identify themselves as independents

winner-take-all system

Rules for selecting delegates are determined by the political parties and vary by state. Delegates can be selected on a winner-take-all basis—as in many Republican Party state primaries, in which the candidate who wins the most votes wins all the delegates at stake—or by proportional

nomination

the action of nominating or state of being nominated.

McGovern-Faser Commission

formally known as Commission on Party Structure and Delegate Selection was a commission created in response to the tumultuous 1968 Democratic National Convention.

Superdelegates

(in the Democratic Party) an unelected delegate who is free to support any candidate for the presidential nomination at the party's national convention.

caucus

a group of people with shared concerns within a political party or larger organization.

frontloading

distribute or allocate (costs, effort, etc.) unevenly, with the greater proportion at the beginning of an enterprise or process

party platform

a list of the values and actions which are supported by a political party or individual candidate, in order to appeal to the general public, for the ultimate purpose of garnering the general public's support and votes about complicated topics or issues.

direct mail

unsolicited advertising sent to prospective customers through the mail.

independent expenditure

elections in the United States, is 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

federal election campaign act

is 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.

political action committee

an organization that raises money privately to influence elections or legislation, especially at the federal level.

federal election commission

is 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.

soft money

a contribution to a political party that is not accounted as going to a particular candidate, thus avoiding various legal limitations

527 group

is a type of U.S. tax-exempt organization organized under Section 527 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 527). A 527 group is created primarily to influence the selection, nomination, election, appointment or defeat of candidates to federal, state or local public office.

501 (c) groups

Nonprofit, tax-exempt groups organized under section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code that can engage in varying amounts of political activity, depending on the type of group. For example, 501(c)(3) groups operate for religious, charitable, scientific or educational purposes.

superpacs

a type of independent political action committee which may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, and individuals but is not permitted to contribute to or coordinate directly with parties or candidates.

selective perception

is the process by which individuals perceive what they want to in media messages while ignoring opposing viewpoints. It is a broad term to identify the behavior all people exhibit to tend to "see things" based on their particular frame of reference.

political effficacy

is the citizens' faith and trust in government and their belief that they can understand and influence political affairs. It is commonly measured by surveys and is used as an indicator for the broader health of civil society.

motor voter act

to enhance voting opportunities for every American. The Act has made it easier for all Americans to register to vote and to maintain their

mandate theory of elections

The idea that the winning candidate has a mandate from the people to carry out his or her platforms and politics. Politicians like the theory better than political scientists do.

electoral college

a body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president

interest group

An organized group that tries to influence the government to adopt certain policies or measures. Also called pressure group.

elitism

the advocacy or existence of an elite as a dominating element in a system or society.

hyperpluralism

A state in which many groups or factions are so strong that a government is unable to function.

pluralism

a condition or system in which two or more states, groups, principles, sources of authority, etc., coexis

iron triangle

is a unique relationship between the bureaucracy, congressmen, and lobbyists that results in the mutual benefit of all three of them.

potential group

def: All the people who might be interest group members because they share some common interest.
Significance:People getting along because of their beliefs.

actual group

Definition:The part of the potential group consisting of members who actually join.
Significance:People who are completely part of the group

free rider problem

Definition:The problem faced by interest groups when citizens can reap the benefits of interest group action without actually joining.
Significance:Actual group members might have a problem with that if they actually joined and these potential group members did not have to join to get the benefits.

selective benefits

Definition:Goods (such as information publications, travel discounts, and group insurance rates) that a group can restrict to those who pay their annual dues.
Significance:Some get more benefits then others because they pay.

single issue group

Definition:Groups that have a narrow interest, tend to dislike compromise, and often draw membership from people new to politics.
Significance:Want all support they can get.

lobbying

someone other than a citizen acting on his own behalf, directed to a governmental decisionmaker with the hope of influencing his decision."
Significance:Being able to persuade someone in power.

electioneering

Definition:Direct group involvement in the electoral process.
Significance:Helping one another become more involved in the government.

right-to-work laws

Definition:A state law forbidding requirements that workers must join a union to hold their jobs.
Significance:Can have a job without it.

public interest lobbies

the achievement of which will not selectively and materially benefit the membership of activities of the organization.
Significance:Purpose is to receive that collective good.