Campaign Finance
This type of campaign money is not subject to as many regulations as other types of contributions.
What is soft money?
This is the name used to describe a ballot that is extra long because it includes the candidates for dozens of local offices.
What is a bedsheet ballot?
In the US, this is the primary function of political parties.
What is nominating candidates for office.
This is what "amicus curiae" means in English.
What is "Friend of the Court"?
Each party holds an event to nominate candidates. What is the event called?
What is a convention?
This is the term used to describe the type of money that goes directly to candidates.
What is hard money?
This term describes a voter who votes for all the candidates of one political party.
What is straight ticket voting?
Nominating candidates, activating the voter base, and raising money for campaigns are all roles for these organizations.
What are political parties?
The narrow focus of interest groups makes them different than this other type of political organization.
What is a political party?
Caucuses are fine, but most states use this process to select nominees for president within each political party.
What are primaries?
Which was the 2002 law that tried to regulate the flow of soft money in politics?
What is the McCain Feingold Act?
This term describes a voter who votes for both Democrats and Republican's on Election Day.
What is split ticket voting?
What is the adjective used to describe something that both Parties work together on?
What is Bipartisan?
Some interest groups use these people, who are professional political influencers.
Who are lobbyists?
This is what we call people who are selected to attend the nominating convention.
What are delegates?
This is the government organization that enforces campaign finance laws.
What is the Federal Election Commission (FEC)?
This age demographic typically does not turn out to vote in large numbers.
What are young people?
One job of political parties is to screen candidates and then hold them to their promises after they win. What is this role called?
What is "Bonding Agent"?
These are just two of the potentially negative things about interest groups.
- Disproportionate influence, politicians become dependent upon them, they drive political debate to the extreme positions, bad for democracy (threats, bribery, corruption.), narrow & shortsighted views only benefit a few.
This is the name of the day in the presidential nominating season when many states hold their primary elections.
What is Super Tuesday.
This was the result of Citizen's United v. FEC.
What is: "It became easier for organizations to donate lots and lots of soft money."
Everyone in this area usually votes at a single polling (voting) place. What is this place called?
What is a precinct?
Each political party is very tightly managed by the leadership of a single, hierarchical organization. (T or F).
False: Political Parties are decentralized... many committees at state, local and national level - plus those outside the party organization.
This is one thing that political parties and interest groups have in common.
- Concerned about public policy
- Bring people together for political purpose
This is the number that equals the majority of electoral votes, and the number needed to win the presidency.
What is 270?