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chapter 9
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| political party | an association of voters with broad common interests who want to influence or control decision making in government by electing that party's candidates to public office |
| two party system | a system of government in which two parties compete for power |
| third party | a party that challenges the two major parties |
| platform | a series of statements expressing that party's principles, beliefs, and position on election issues |
| plank | each individual part of a politicians party's platform |
| national committee | representative form the 50 states party organization who run a political party |
| caucus | a meeting of political party members to conduct party business |
| precinct | a geographic ares that contains a specific number of voters |
| ward | several adjoining precincts making up a larger election unit |
| political machine | a strong party organization that can control political appointment and delivers votes |
| direct primary | an election in which voters choose candidates to represent each party in a general election |
| closed primary | an election in which only the declared member of a party are allowed to vote for that party nominees |
| open primary | an election in which voters need not declare their party preference of the legal thinking behind a courts decision in a case |
| plurality | the most votes among all those running for political office |
| majority | in both the house of representatives and the senate, the political party to which more that half the members belong |
| petition | a process by which candidates who are not affiliated with one of the two major parties can get on the ballot for the general election in most states |