Term
click below
click below
Term
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Electoral Process
Va and US Govt
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Nomination | the process of candidate selection in a democracy; the naming of those who will seek office |
general elections | the regularly scheduled election at which voters make a final selection of officeholders |
caucus | as a nominating device, a group of like-minded people who met to select the candidates they will support in an upcoming election |
direct primary | an election held within a party to pick that party’s candidate for the general election |
closed primary | a party nominating election in which only declared party members can vote |
open primary | a party-nominating election in which any qualified voter can take part |
blanket primary | a voting process in which voters receive a long ballot containing the names of all contenders, regardless of party, and can vote however they choose |
runoff primary | a primary in which the top two vote-getters in the first direct primary face one another |
non partisan elections | elections in which candidates are not identified by party labels |
absentee voting | provisions made for those unable to get to their regular polling places on election day |
coattail effect | the effect of a strong candidate running for an office at the top of a ballot helping to attract voters to their candidates on the party’s ticket |
precinct | the smallest unit of election administration; a voting district |
polling place | the place where the voters who live in a certain precinct go to vote |
ballot | the device voters use to register a choice in an election |
political action committees (PACs) | the political extension of special interest groups which have a major stake in public policy |
subsidy | a grant of money, usually from a government |
soft money | money given to State and local party organizations for voting-related activities |
hard money | campaign money that is subject to regulations by the FEC |
public opinion | those attitudes held by a significant number of people on matters of government and politics |
public affairs | those events and issues that concern the people at large |
mass media | means of communication that reach large, widely dispersed audiences simultaneously |
opinion leaders | any person who, for any reason, has an unusually strong influence on the views of others |
mandate | the instructions or commands a constituency gives to its elected officials |
public opinion polls | devices that attempt to collect information by asking people questions |
straw vote | polls that seek to read the public’s mind by simply asking the same question of a large number of people |
universe | the whole population that a poll tries to measure |
sample | a representative piece of the total universe |
random sample | a certain number of randomly selected people who live in a certain number of randomly selected places |
quota sample | a sample deliberately constructed to reflect several of the major characteristics of a given population |
medium | a means of communication; something which transmits information |
public agenda | the public issues on which the people’s attention is focused |
sound bites | short, sharply focused reports that can be aired in 30 sec. |