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ch.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 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 process by which candidates whoa re not affiliated with one of the two major parties can get on the ballot for the general election in most states. |