| Question | Answer |
| platform | general stance |
| candidates can use | -as much of their own money as possible
- |
| problems of our current system | -donators want access not ideas
-tough to challenge without money
-need to be wealthy
-too much incumbancy advantage |
| reforms proposed for campaign finance | free tv and radio
more limits on finance
non standard election
shorter campaign times |
| bundling | giving money to candidates under someone elses name |
| PAC's | Political action committee, wants access not ideas, raise money for candidates/parties |
| milikis | FDR killed the parties
great society killed the parties |
| aldrich | parties are different not bad
percentage of votors changes over time
enterprise, enterprenuer |
| Schier | campaign money is wasted, parties have no power, party regulars vote but no one else |
| General Principals (how elections are run) 5 | - term limits
- fixed terms
- regularly scheduled
-winner take all
-single member districts |
| Which has more safe seats, house or senate? | House |
| Why do incumbents win? | primary advantages
coattail affect is limited |
| what are challenger obstacles for house? | money and organization |
| Incumbent advantages? | -sophomore surge
-franking
-constituent services
-party backing
-name recognition
-redistricting |
| franking | free mailing used by incumbents |
| constituent services | can help people with their problems already |
| sophomore surge | already have one year, name recognition helps |
| redistricting | the actual drawing of boundries |
| reapportionment | dividing number of state legistlatures amoung a state population
once every 10 years result of census |
| party realignment | a major shift of voters from one party to another |
| when are house seats lost? | -retirement
-gerrymandering
-reapportionment and redsitricting
-malapportionment |
| what is gerrymandering? | the deliberate redrawing of legistlative districts in favor of a party |
| senate elections - why are they harder to keep? | -more money spent on getting them
-name recognition
-national committee attention
-more prestige |
| how to get on the presidential ballot | -win big party nomination
-winner take all
-superdelegates
get your name on all 50 state ballots through petitions or fees |
| HOW TO GET ON THE PRESIDENTIAL BALLOT WITH THE CONVENTION | pick a VP
make a speech
unite the party |
| how to win general election | -go for toss up states
-run for the middle
-dont lose debates |
| mccain feingold law | tried to regulate soft money, or unregulated money |
| what struck down the mccain feingold law? | citizens united vs federal election board |
| citizens united vs federal elections board | businesses and individuals should be able to spend money how they want |
| 527 groups | independant of political groups, but can do their dirty work |
| issue ads | can be run by anyone as long as they are about issues not the candidate (cannot tell you to vote for someone!) |
| open primary | dont have to state party affiliation |
| closed primary | have to state party |
| blanket | canvote for more than one candidate |
| direct | candidates for public office are nominated by direct vote of the people |
| australian ballot | people could vote in private rather than in public; gov. now organized voting rather than state |
| whigs | anti jackson, loose constitution, opposed democrats |
| green party | centered on grassroots; nonviolence
enviro |
| bull moose party | teddy roosevelt
-womasns suffrage
-solcial wefare for children n woman
-easier method to amend constitution |
| voter turnout since 1960 | generally stays between 50-65% |
| dealignment | voters starting to aign with third parties or as an independant rather than the two regular parties
happens when dissatisfied with dems and repubs |
| caucus | party regulars meet in a house or building, people make sopeeches supporting candidates
iowa is the first to hold a caucus |
| patronage | giving jobs to those in your political party |
| party identification | voters loyalty to a specific party |
