Back to AI Flashcard MakerPolitical Science /AP Gov: Unit 2 Vocab (PT 2) Part 2
AP Gov: Unit 2 Vocab (PT 2) Part 2
This deck covers key vocabulary and concepts related to elections, campaign finance, and political processes in the United States, including amendments, court cases, and election terminology.
26th Amendment
Constitutional amendment that granted 18 year old the right to vote.
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Key Terms
Term
Definition
26th Amendment
Constitutional amendment that granted 18 year old the right to vote.
Electorate
Voters
Midterm Election
Congressional election not accompanied by presidential election.
Candidate Centered Campaigns
Election campaigns and other political process in which candidates, not political parties, have the majority of influence and initiative.
Single Member District
An electoral district in which voters choose one representative or official.
Super Tuesday
Day when most southern states hold presidential primaries.
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
26th Amendment | Constitutional amendment that granted 18 year old the right to vote. |
Electorate | Voters |
Midterm Election | Congressional election not accompanied by presidential election. |
Candidate Centered Campaigns | Election campaigns and other political process in which candidates, not political parties, have the majority of influence and initiative. |
Single Member District | An electoral district in which voters choose one representative or official. |
Super Tuesday | Day when most southern states hold presidential primaries. |
Presidential Coattails | The situation occurring when voters cast their ballots for congressional candidates of the president's party because they support the president. |
Faithless Elector | An elector who votes for someone other than the candidate who won the most votes in the state. |
12th amendment | Constitutional amendment that added the separation of the president and vice president onto two different ballots for electors. |
Presidential Election of 2000 | Bush narrowly won the election with 271 electoral votes to Gore's 266; Gore won popular votes (first in over 100 years for popular vote winner was defeated; issues with 'hanging and pregnant chads'. |
Recall | A procedure for submitting to popular vote the removal of officials from office before the end of their term, is a feature of some state government systems. |
Political Action Committee (PAC) | Extension of an interest group or a corporation that contributes money to political campaigns-financial arm of the interest group. |
Soft Money | Contributions to political parties for party-building activities, now subject to the same regulations that apply to candidate donations. |
Hard Money | Campaign funds donated directly to candidates; amounts are limited by federal election laws. |
Buckey v Valeo | Landmark case that established in politics 'money is speech,' overturning the limits Congress had imposed on self-financing of campaigns. |
Citizens United v FEC | A 2010 decision by the United States Supreme Court holding that independent expenditures are free speech protected by the 1st Amendment and so cannot be limited by federal law. Leads to creation of SuperPACs & massive rise in amount of third party electioneering (Citizens for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow) |
McCutcheon v FEC | A 2014 decision by the United States Supreme Court that struck down limits on how much individuals and corporations could give in total (aggregate) to federal candidates and party committees claiming free speech rights. It left in place the limitations per candidate. |
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (McCain-Feingold) | Act passed in 2002 that banned the use of soft money in federal campaigns and increased limits on individual and group contributions to candidates, other original provisions have been ruled unconstitutional. |
Bundling | A tactic in which PACs collect contributions from like-minded individuals (each limited to $2000) and present them to a candidate or political party collectively, thus increasing the PAC's influence. |
527's | Organizations that are independent of any party or candidate, and thus are not regulated by the FEC, as they advocate publicly for or against specific candidates, parties, or policies. |
Super PAC's | Groups that may raise unlimited amounts of money to spend for or against candidates, but they may not coordinate their spending with the candidate's campaigns and their contributors must be disclosed. |
501c Group | Groups that are exempted from reporting their contributions and can receive unlimited contributions. the tax code specifies that such groups cannot spend more than half their funds on political activities. |
Federal Election Commission | Created by the 1974 amendments to the Federal Election Campaign Act to administer election reform laws. Its duties include overseeing disclosure of campaign finance information and public funding of presidential elections, and enforcing contribution limits. |
Incumbent | Those already holding political office. |
Straight-ticket voting | Voting for the same party on a ballot. |