AP Government and Politics: Chapter 10 - Elections and Campaigns

12502107	Incumbent	The person already holding a political office.
12502108	Coattails	The alleged tendency of candidates to win more votes in an election because of the presence at the top of the ticket of a better known candidate, such as the president.
12502109	Political Action Committee (PAC)	A committee set up by a corporation, labor union, or interest group that raises and spends campaign money from voluntary donations.
12502110	Malapportionment	Drawing the boundaries of legislative districts so that they are unequal in population.
12502111	Gerrymandering	Drawing the boundaries of legislative districts in bizarre or unusual shapes to favor one party.
12502112	Sophomore surge	An increase in the votes congressional candidates usually get when they first run for reelection.
12502113	Caucus	A meeting of people, often in an auditorium or church basement, where they vote on who they would like their party's nominee to be.
12502114	Clothespin vote	The vote cast by a person who does not like either candidate so cotes for the less objectionable of the two, putting a clothespin over his or her nose to keep out the unpleasant stench.
12502115	Position issue	An issue about which the public is divided and rival candidates or political parties adopt different policy positions.
12502116	Valence issue	An issue about which the public is united and rical candidates or political parties adopt similar positions in hopes that each will be thought to best represent those widely shared beliefs.
12502117	General election	AN election held to choose which candidate will hold office.
12502118	Primary election	An election held to choose candidates for office.
12502119	Closed primary	A primary election in which voting is limited to already registered party members.
12502120	Open primary	A primary election in which voters may choose in which party to vote as they enter the polling place.
12502121	Blanket primary	A primary election in which each voter may vote for candidates from both parties.
12502122	Runoff primary	A second primary election held when no candidate wins a majority of the votes in the first primary.
12502123	Independent expenditures	Spending by political action committees, corporations, or labor unions that is done to help a party or candidate but is done independently of them.
12502124	Soft money	Funds obtained by political parties that are spent on party activities, such as get-out-the-vote drives, but not on behalf of a specific candidate.
12502125	527 Organizations	Organizations that, under section 527 of the INternal Revenue Code, raise and spend money to advance political causes.
12502126	Prospective voting	Voting for a candidate because you favor his or her ideas for handling issues.
12502127	Retrospective voting	Voting for a candidate because you like his or her past actions in office.