A2 unit 3c elections

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Anti- Federalists
term applied to the people who opposed the adoption of the US Constitution because they feared that it gave too much power to the central government
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Battleground states( swing states)
Those states which are not consistenly won by either party at presidential elections and are consequently seen as key to the outcome of the elections
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Bi- partisan Campaign Reform Act( BCRA), 2002
Law that banned candidates and parties from raising soft money, while aiming to encourage a reliance on hard- money donations
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Blanket primaries
Public contests to choose the most suitable candidate to represent a party in an election, in which voters could cast a vote for both main parties until this type of primary was declared unlawful by the Supreme Court in 2000
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' Blue' states
Those states consistently won by the Democratic candidate at presidential elections
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Caucus
A means of choosing someone to represent a political party in an election through meetings in which attendees attempt to persuade each other to support their preferred candidate
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Citizen legislature
A law- making body composed of people who are not full- time, permanent politicians
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Closed primaries
Public contests to choose the most suitable candidate to represent a party in an election, in which only voters who have declared their pary affilitation can participate
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Direct Democracy
Forms of democracy in which all qualified citizens can participate in the policy- making process( referenda, initiatives and propositions
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Electoral college
Mechanism used to elect the president, each state is alloted a number of voted, based on its population
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Exploratory committee
An organisation set up by potential presidential candidates that is legally entitled to raise a limited amount of money( maximum $5,000) that can be used to conduct opinion polls to see if the wider public views them as viable candidates
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Faithless electors
People who represent their state in the electoral college, but do not cast their votes in line with the popular vote of the state
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Federal Elections Campaign Acts( FECA)
A series of laws passed in the 1970s to regulate how campaign funds could be raised and spent
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Federal Elections Commission
The organisaton estabilished to monitor whether FEDC were being boeyed and to impose punishments
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Federalists
A term applied to the people who supported the adoption of the US Constitution and would, in many cases, have been prepared to increase the power it gave to the central government
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First Past the Post
The electoral system used in most elections in the USA in which the candidate with the most votes is declared the winner
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Fiscal conservatives
A term applied to a strand of conservative thought that favours minimal government intervention
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527s
Organisations set up in response to the Bi- Partisan Campaign reform act to arise and spend soft money in election after candidates and parties were banned from doing so by the ACT
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Front- loading
The practice of states moving the date on which they hold their presidential primaries nearer to the start of the process in January, in order to increase the influence they have on the outcome
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Gerrymandering
Redrawing the boundaries of Congressional districts in ways designed to give one party an electoral advantage
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Hard money
Campaign donations that may be used by candidates or parties to persuade voters to support them at elections
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Incumbency advantage
The benefits enjoyed by people holding an official position when facing a challenge from an opponent
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Incumbents
People who hold an official position
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Initiatives
A vote providing the public with an opportunity to support or oppose a proposal put forward by their fellow citizens
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Invisible primary
The period between the formal announcement that candidates are running for the presidency, and the start of the official primaries, when contenders aim to become sufficiently well known across the country and to have raised sufficient funds
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Matching funds
system designed to encourage candidates to limit the campaign funds they raise privately in return for funding provided by the taxpayer
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Mid- term elections
Congressional elections that take place halfway through a presidential term, with all the House of Representatives and one- third of the senate standing for election
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' Motor voter' Act(1993)
Properly known as the National Voter registration Act, this law was designed to make registering to vote easier by making registration forms available whenever someone applied for a driving licence or social services
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National conventions
The events, held in the summer of each presidential election year, when the poltiical parties formally adopt their candidates for the general election and set out their main policies
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Open primaries
Public contests to choose the most suitable candidate to represent a party in an election, in which all voters, regardless of their party affiliation, can participitate
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Political Action Committee
Organisation estabilished for the specific purpose of raising funds to be spent in election campaigns that must operate within the rules established by the FECA and are subject to monitoring by the FEC
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Primary
The mechanism used to select candidates to represent the main parties at elections, in which the general public can bote for the person they think would make the most suitable candidate
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Raiding
A tactic that may be used in open primaries by supporters of the one party who cross over and vote for a weak candidate to represent the other party
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Recall elections
A procedre enabling voters to remove an elected official from office before his/ her time has expired
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'Red' states
Those states consistently won by the Republican candidate at presidential elections
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Redistricting
The process that takes place after each census at the start of each decade to redraw the boundaries of Congressional districts to reflect population shifts
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Referenda
Votes providing the public with an opportunity to support or oppose a proposal put forward by the government( only used by some states)
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Social conservatives
A term applied to a strand of conservative thought that emphasises the importance of promoting a set of values as central to constructive policy- making
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Soft money
Donations given for the purpose of expanding political party activities, political education or promoting political participitation
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Superdelegates
Senior Democrats who are given votes in the selection of a presidential nominee on the basis that they judgement and experience of the party's most important members is given some weight in the nomination process
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Super Tuesday
Name given to the day in the presidential primary calendar when the most states hold their primary simultaneously
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Those states which are not consistenly won by either party at presidential elections and are consequently seen as key to the outcome of the elections

Back

Battleground states( swing states)

Card 3

Front

Law that banned candidates and parties from raising soft money, while aiming to encourage a reliance on hard- money donations

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

Public contests to choose the most suitable candidate to represent a party in an election, in which voters could cast a vote for both main parties until this type of primary was declared unlawful by the Supreme Court in 2000

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

Those states consistently won by the Democratic candidate at presidential elections

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
View more cards

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