The study of human populations, including their temporal and spatial dynamics.
What is demography?
100
Television and radio, as compared with print media.
What is broadcast media?
100
Elections to select party nominees in which voters are presented with a list of candidates from all the parties. Voters can then select some Democrats and some Republicans if they like.
What are blanket primaries?
100
A citizen's personal affinity for a political party, usually expressed by a tendency to vote for the candidates of that party.
What is political identification?
100
A system adopted by the states that requires voters to register well in advance of Election Day. A few states permit Election day registration.
What is voter registration?
200
Process by which representative districts are switched according to population shifts, so that each district encompasses approximately the same number of people.
What is reapportionment?
200
The use of in-depth reporting to unearth scandals, scams, and schemes, which at times puts reporters in adversarial relationships with political leaders.
What is investigative journalism?
200
The way in which candidates attempt to manipulate the 3 Ms: money, media attention, and momentum.
What is campaign strategy?
200
Electoral contenders other than the two major parties. In America, they are not unusual, but they rarely win elections.
What are third parties?
200
A group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and vice president
What is the Electoral college?
300
A periodic and official count of a country's population.
What is a census?
300
The modern media trend for TV and radio shows to target very narrow ideological audiences (ex. conservatives watch Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly); results in greater political polarization
What is narrowcasting?
300
A meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates for public office and to decide the platform. (Pyramid-shaped)
What is a caucus?
300
The displacement of the majority party by the minority party, usually during a critical election period.
What is party realignment?
300
Passed in 1993, this act went into effect for the 1996 election. It requires states to permit people to register to vote at the same time they apply for their driver's license.
What is the Motor Voter Act?
400
A poll of voters exiting the polls (voting locations) to attempt to predict the outcome of the election. May create a bandwagon effect.
What is an exit poll?
400
Specific locations from which news frequently emanates, such as Congress or the White House. Most top reporters work a particular beat, thereby becoming specialists in what goes on at that location.
What are beats?
400
The recent pattern of states holding primaries early in order to maximize their media attention and political influence. Three-fourths of the presidential primaries are now held between February and mid-March.
What is frontloading?
400
Voting with one party for one office and with another party for other offices. It has become the norm in American voting behavior.
What is ticket-splitting?
400
Electoral choices that are made on the basis of the voters' policy preferences and on the basis of where the candidates stand on policy issues.
What is policy voting?
500
The level of confidence in the findings of a public opinion poll. The more people interviewed, the more confident one can be of the results.
What is the sampling error?
500
An intentional news leak for the purpose of assessing the political reaction.
What is a trial balloon?
500
A committee set up by a corporation or interest group to raise and funnels money to political candidates. Donation amounts are limited by FECA rules (hard money).
What is a Political Action Committee (PAC)?
500
Historical periods in which a majority of voters cling to the party in power, which tends to win a majority of the elections.
What are party eras?
500
The idea that the winning candidate has a mandate from the people to carry out his or her platforms and politics. Politicians like the theory better than political scientists do.