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Chapter 9
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Political party | An association of voters with board common interests who want to influence or control decision making in government by electing the party's candidates to public |
| 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 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 members of a party are allowed to vote for that party's nominees |
| Open primary | An election in which voters need not declare their party preference to vote for the party's nominees |
| Plurality | The most votes among all those running for a political office |
| Majority | A number that is more than 50 percent of the total |
| Petition | A formal request for government action |