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A group of like-minded people who meet to select the candidates they will support in an upcoming election
What is a caucus?
The naming of those who will seek office
What is nomination?
Regularly scheduled elections at which voters make the final selection of officeholders
What is a general election?
Those means of communication that reach large audiences, especially television, radio, printed publications, and the Internet
What is mass media?
A term for a current officeholder
What is an incumbent?
A party's nominating election in which any qualified voter can cast a ballot. This is the case in Virginia
What is an open primary?
a person who tries to persuade public officials to do those things that interest groups want them to do
What is a lobbyist?
Congressional election that occurs between presidential election years
What is an off year election?
Lawmaker who owes his or her first allegiance to his or her political party and votes according to the party line
What is a partisan?
Period of time during which, each year, Congress assembles and conducts business
What is a session?
An intraparty election. It is held within a party to pick that party's candidates for the general election
What is a direct primary?
A party's nominating election in which only declared party members can vote. Virginia does not have these
What is a closed primary?
A voting process in which voters receive a long ballot containing names of all contenders, regardless of party, and can vote however they choose
What is a blanket or jungle primary?
What is a runoff primary?
Elections in which candidates are not identified by party levels. This is typical in local elections, such as supervisors and school board elections
What are nonpartisan elections?
Web site postings usually devoted to a specific subject, often allowing visitors to post comments
What is a weblog (blog)?
Device that attempts to collect information by asking people questions
What is a public opinion poll?
Private organizations whose members share certain views and work to shape public policies. Examples are: AARP, NRA, Labor unions, etc.
What is an interest group?
An organization of workers who share the same type of job, or who work in the same industry, and press for government policies that will benefit their members
What is a labor union?
An interest group that seeks to institute certain public policies of benefit to all or most people in the county, whether or not they belong to or support that organization
What is a public interest group?
Lawmaker who attempts to balance the basic elements of the trustee, delegate, and partisan roles. Essentially, this person tries to serve both their constituency and their political party
What is a politico?