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AP Government: Political Parties Flashcards

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9025666479Political Partya group that seeks to elect candidates to public office0
9025666480Direct Primarya primary where voters directly select the candidates who will run for office1
9025666481National ConventionA national meeting of delegates elected in primaries, caucuses, or state conventions who assemble once every four years to nominate candidates for president and vice president, ratify the party platform, elect officers, and adopt rules.2
9025666482National CommitteeOne of the institutions that keep the party operating between conventions. The national committee is composed of representatives from the states and territories.3
9025666483Congressional Campaign Committeean organization maintained by a political party to raise funds to support its own candidates in congressional elections4
9025666484National ChairmanAppointed by the DNC or the RNC as head of the party.5
9025666485Soft Moneypolitical contributions made in such a way as to avoid the United States regulations for federal election campaigns (as by contributions to a political action committee)6
9025666486Hard MoneyPolitical contributions given to a party, candidate, or interest group that are limited in amount and fully disclosed.7
9025666487Super-DelegatesNational party leaders who automatically get a delegate slot at the Democratic national party convention.8
9025666488Winner-Take-All-SystemAn election system in which the candidate with the most votes wins.9
9025666489Political Machinewell organized political organization that controls election results by awarding jobs and other favors in exchange for votes10
9025666490Tammany Halla political organization within the Democratic Party in New York city (late 1800's and early 1900's) seeking political control by corruption and bossism11
9025666491Patronage(politics) granting favors or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support12
9025666492Plurality Systeman electoral system in which the winner is the person who gets the most votes, even if he or she does not receive a majority; used in almost all American elections13
9025666493Caucusa private meeting of party leaders to choose candidates for office (Iowa Caucus)14
9025666494Linkage Institutionsthe channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the government's policy agenda. In the United States, linkage institutions include elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.15
9025666495Loyal OppositionWhen losers in the political game continue to support the system, even when the system is against their ideology.16
9025666496Out PartyThe party not in power17
9025666497Realignmentwhen popular support switches from one party to another18
9025666498First Party SystemBegan in 1792. The federalist party and its opposing republican party competed for control of the presidency. Republican party was made because people saw the federalists as gaining too much power.19
9025666499Second Party Systema period in American political history between 1828 and 1854 and saw rising levels in votes and the major parties were he Democratic led by Jackson and the Whigs led by Clay.20
9025666500New Deal CoalitionA coalition forged by the Democrats, who dominated American politics from the 1930s the the 1960s. Its basic elements were the urban working class, ethnic groups, Catholics and Jews, the poor, Southerners, African Americans, and intellectuals.21
9025666501Spoils SystemThe practice of rewarding supporters with government jobs. Jackson made this practice famous for the way he did it on a wide scale.22
9025666502Civil Servicethe group of people whose job it is to carry out the work of the government23
9025666503McGovern-Fraser Commissiona commission formed at the 1968 Democratic convention in response to demands for reform by minority groups and others who sought better representation.24
9025666504Party Dealignmentthe gradual disengagement of people and politicians from the parties, as seen in part by shrinking party identification.25
9025666505Personal FollowingThe political support provided to a candidate on the basis of personal popularity and networks26
9025666506Proportional Representationan electoral system used throughout most of Europe that awards legislative seats to political parties in proportion to the number of votes won in an election.27
9025666507Party PlatformA political party's statement of its goals and policies for the next four years. The platform is drafted prior to the party convention by a committee whose members are chosen in rough proportion to each candidate's strength. It is the best formal statement of a party's beliefs.28
9025666508DixiecratsWere conservative southern Democrats who objected to President Truman's strong push for civil-rights legislation. Southern Democrats who broke from the party in 1948 over the issue of civil rights and ran a presidential ticket as the States' Rights Democrats.29
9025666509Strom Thurmondgovernor of SC, leader of the Dixiecrats, ran for president under State's Rights Party in 194830
9025666510George WallaceRacist gov. of Alabama in 1962 ("segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever"); runs for pres. In 1968 on American Independent Party ticket of racism and law and order, loses to Nixon; runs in 1972, but gets assassinated.31
9025666511American Independent Partypolitical party whose most famous presidential candidate was Alabama governor George Wallace; mainly known for opposing racial desegregation.32
9025666512Ross PerotThis billionaire was a third-party candidate in the 1992 presidential election won 19 percent of the popular vote. His strong showing that year demonstrated voter disaffection with the two major parties. (Reform Party, Reason for Bill Clinton's Victory)33
9025666513Critical Electionselections that disrupt party coalitions and create new ones in a party realignment34
9025666514Free-Soil PartyFormed in 1847 - 1848, dedicated to opposing slavery in newly acquired territories such as Oregon and ceded Mexican territory.35
9025666515Jacksonian Democrats1828-1848: Jackson supporters, 1st national, well organized party that used slogans, canvassing and campaigning36
9025666516Whigsconservatives and popular with pro-Bank people and plantation owners. They mainly came from the National Republican Party, which was once largely Federalists. They took their name from the British political party that had opposed King George during the American Revolution. Their policies included support of industry, protective tariffs, and Clay's American System. They were generally upper class in origin. Included Clay and Webster37
9025666517Bull Moose Partynickname for the new Progressive Party, which was formed to support Roosevelt in the election of 191238

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