Functions of Political Parties
This is the process where parties choose someone to represent them in an election.
What is recruiting and nominating candidates?
The U.S. mainly has this type of political party system.
What is a two-party system?
This term refers to the increasing need for candidates to raise large sums of money to run.
What are rising campaign costs?
To vote in Virginia, a person must be a U.S. citizen, a Virginia resident, and this age.
What is 18 years old by the day of the general election?
To win the presidency, a candidate must earn this many electoral votes.
What is 270?
Parties do this to inform citizens about where candidates stand on key topics.
What is educating the people about campaign issues?
One way third parties can influence elections, even when they don’t win.
What is introducing new ideas or taking votes from major parties?
This type of group can donate unlimited amounts of money to support or oppose candidates.
What are Super PACs?
The number of days before an election that voter registration closes in Virginia.
What is 22 days?
In most states, all of a state's electoral votes go to the winner of the popular vote. This is called the ______ system.
What is the winner-take-all system?
Political parties help their members do this by providing support, volunteers, and resources.
What is helping candidates win elections?
This part of a party tells voters what it believes and what it stands for.
What is the party platform?
One media role in elections is highlighting specific policy topics, also called this.
What is emphasizing selected issues?
This amendment allowed women to vote.
What is the 19th Amendment?
The number of electors a state has is based on this.
What is the number of senators plus representatives?
When a party keeps track of what elected officials are doing, they are performing this function.
What is monitoring actions of officeholders?
Despite differences, most parties aim to appeal to this part of the political spectrum.
What is the center?
One strategy for judging campaign ads is separating these two things.
What are fact and opinion?
Citizens with a low level of this are less likely to vote.
What is education (or income)?
This is when parties select a group of electors before the general election.
What is choosing a slate of electors?
This is the general term for all the major ways political parties engage with and involve citizens.
What are the functions of political parties?
This former president ran as a third-party candidate in the Bull Moose Party.
Who is Theodore Roosevelt?
The Supreme Court case that led to unlimited donations to Super PACs.
What is Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission?
This law was passed in 1965 to protect voting rights, especially for minorities.
What is the Voting Rights Act of 1965?
These states often decide close elections, so candidates focus their campaigns there.
What are swing states?