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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 the 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 the party's principles, beliefs, and positions on election issues. |
| Plank | Each individual part of a political party's platform. |
| National Committee | Representatives from the 50 state party organizations who run a political party. |
| Caucus | A meeting of political party members to conduct party business. |
| Precinct | A geographic area 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 appointments and deliver votes. |
| Direct Primary | An election which voters choose candidates to represent each party in a general election. |
| Closed Primary | An election which only the declared members of a party are allowed to vote for the party's nominees. |
| Open Primary | An election where voters need not declare their party preference to vote for the party's nominees. |
| Plurality | The most votes among all those running for political office. |
| Majority | A number that is more than 50 percent of the total. |
| Petition | A formal request for government action. |