poli chap 15
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prenomination campaign
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the political season in which candidates for president begin to explore the possibility of running by attempting to raise money and garner support After a new president is selected, potential candidates begin to consider and prepare for the next election in four years.
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invisible primary
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the competition among candidates seeking the party nomination for front runner status prior to the primaries and caucuses
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presidential primary
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a statewide election to select delgates who will represent a state at the partys national convention
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open primary
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an election that allows voters to choose on the day of the primary election the party in which they waznt to vote
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closed primary
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an election that requires voters to decide ahead of time their party affliation
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caucus
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method of choosing party nominees in which party members attend local meetings at which they choose delegates commited to a particular candidate
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nomination campaign
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the political season in which the two major parties hold primaries and caucuses in al the states to choose party delegates committed to a specific candidates Stage two of the general election
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frontloading
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therecent trend of states moving their primaries and caucuses earlier in the year to attract greater attention from the candidates and the media
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incumbent race
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general election race pitting a person currently holding the office against a challenger
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open election
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general election race in which neither candidate is incumbent.
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battleground states
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states identified as offering either the major-party candidate a reasonable chance for victory in the electoral college
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electoral college
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constitutional mechanism by which presidents are chosen. each state is allocated electoral college votes based on the sum of that states US senators and house members
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electors
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individuals appointed to represent a states presidential vote in the electoral college; in practice, voters in presidential elections vote for a slate of electors committed to a particular candidate, rather than voting directly for the candidate1
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unit rule
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the system in 48 states by which the candidate who wins the most votes among popular votes cast for president in a state recieves all the electoral votes from that state; aalso known as winner takes all system.
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federal election campaign act (FECA)
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the federal legislation passed in 1971 that estblished disclosures requirements and restricted individual campaign contributors
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hard money
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donations made directly to political candiadates and their campaigns that must be declared wuth the name of the donor
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soft money
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money not donated ddirectly to a candidates campaign but rather to a political advocacy group or a political party for party building activities
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Federal election commission (FEC)
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agency created in 1974 to enforce federall election laws
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independent campaign expenditure
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political donations that PACs or individuals spend ti support campaigns, but do not directly contribute to the campaigns
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buckley v. valeo(1976)
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1976 supreme court opinion that held that spending money to influence elections is protected 1st amendment speech, and that prohibited limilations on independent expenditures or personal money spent by candidates on their own campaigns
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bipartisan campaign reform act of 2002 (BCRA)
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also called the mccain-feingold act, the federal legislation that 1 restricted soft money spent by political parties, 2 reguulated expenditures on ads that refer to specific candidates immediately before an election, and 3 increased limits on hard movey donated directly to candidates and their campaigns
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midterm congressional elections
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congressional elections midway between successive presidential elections
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coattail effect
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potential benefit that successful presidential candidates off to congressional candiates of the same party during presidential election years
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power of incumbency
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the phenomenon by which incumbent members of congress running for reelection are returned to office at an extremely high trate
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safe seat
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a congressional seat from a district that includes a high percentage of voters from one of the major parties
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marginal seat
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a seat in a congressional district that has a relatively similar numbers of democrat and republican voters
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franking priviledge
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the traditional right of members of congress to mail materials to their constituents without paying postage.
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12 amendment
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required that electors vote separately for president and vice president, reducing the possibility of a tie.
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22 amendment
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limited presidents to two four year terms in office
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23 amendment
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gave Washington DC 3 votes ( which is not a state so it does not have any voting members in the house or senate)
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national convention
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each party holds a convention to highlight its platform and formally select its candidates
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Maine and Nebraska
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Two states that do not use Unit Rule with electoral college votes
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Nominating conventions
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stage three of the general election process
