the extent to which persons believe their participation in politics makes a difference for what government and politcal leaders do. 

significance: in a democratic society, we have the oppurtunity to cast votes and make our voice be heard. this should emphasize the importance of participation since the government relies on the people

the public space between the formal realm of government and the private realm of the family in which people form voluntary ties to each other.

significance: It is necessary for democratic life, as seen by Robert Putnam. American citizens are not as involved as compared to the past in voluntary associations that forms the bedrock of a vibrant civil society.

those who make wages and labor in subordinate positions in the service industries that have grown rapidly in the past three decades

the modern tendency for some to participate in politics through monetary contributions to Washington lobby groups.

significance: Today, people are not participating in voluntary associations, including the upper class, and now the main form of participation is writing checks to support these institutions

a nexus of laws, institutions, and practices that enforces systemic advantages for some over others. in u.s. electoral pratices, a complex of practices prevent high voter turnout and the mobilization of many new voters.

significance: others matter more than others

the practice, introduced in the Progressive era of the early 20th century, whereby individual citizens are given the responsibility to register to vote. in most countries, the gov't itself assumes the responsibility of registering citizens.

(s): used to decrease voting participation. in the south, used to prevent african americans from voting. in the north, used to prevent fraud in urban areas -> used to cleanse the electorate of urban immigrants and other working-class voters

a series of measures, instituted by southern state governments around the turn of the 20th century, enforcing strict racial segregation as well as exclusion of African Americans from political participation by means of literacy tests, poll taxes, and "whites only" party primary contests. 

(S): used in conjunction of the personal voter registration to prevent african americans and some poor whites to vote

the law that removed the barriers that southern officials had placed in the way of African americans who sought to vote, and legilated federal supervision of the voting process where voting rights had been violated

(s): combating the Jim crows law, allowing african americans to vote

election contests in which candidates base their support on their personality, distinctive record, and self-developed organization rather than on their party affliations 

s: in elections, it means that individual candidates and their personalityies are extremely important each step of the way. rather than basing candidates on their views and political stances, there is a higher value in their personality and record

prominent media pundits and reporters who can make or break presidential candidates early on by giving or withholding credibility to particular candidates

s: gatekeepers of American politics provide challenges for candidates, which helps determine whether or not candidates can be taken seriously as contenders

the preelection year competition for money, support, and media attention among potential presidential candidates

s: a fundraising test. candidates need to develop a consistent campaign theme that is viewed as neither too vague or too wonkish, not too radical to attract continuous donors. passing this test means being able to launch their campaign and purpose for running

voters who tend to lark firm party loyalties and whose allegiances can shift during electoral campaigns, depending on the strategies and tactics of campaign organizations

s: about a quater of the electorate or more. only way to persuade this group is by achieving high name recognition and craft consistent and repeatable favorable images that impress those voters

the process by which incumbent officeholders are constantly gearing their official actions toward their reelection process

s: once in office, members of Congress use all means at their disposal to make it difficult for challengers to beat them, whether by getting federal money for their districts, catering to elite financial backers, using their committee positions as platforms for publicity or championing popular sides on "hot button issues" goal: ward off potential strong challengers and build their political and financial capital to keep their job.

a series of federal laws regulating the size of campaign donations to federal candidates for office, administered by the Federal Election Commission 

s: Nixon campaign took in millions of dollars of unreported cas contributions, sometimes handed over in shopping bads or carry-on luggage. Nixon financed his operation by doing favors in return for cash. This act was made to prevent or reveal such practices

the federal regulatory body in charge of regulating and enforcing the Federal Elections Campaign Act of 1974 and its sucessor, the Bipartisn Campaign Reform Act of 2002. The Commission is composed of an equal membership of Democrats and Republicans

s: 

a voluntary organization, registered with the FEC, that funnels monies from individuals in corporations, trade associations, labor unions, and other groups into political campaigns.

s: allowed by the formation of the FECA

a 1976 U.S. supreme court ruling that struck down federal limits on overal campaign expenditures. the decision also allowed interested citizens to spend unlimited amounts of money to support candidates independently of a campaign organization

s: 

in federal elections, the contributions by individuals and PACs to specific candidates whose campaigns are regulated by the FECA

s: 

campaign funds raised legally by national political parties and used to influence federal elections, while often circumventing federal restrictions on campaign spending

s: in the 1990s, the supreme court ruled that national parties could raise and spend unlimited amounts of soft money for "party building" activities, or on campaigns as long as they were "indepedent expenditures," seperate from the candidate's campaign, and did not expressly advocate voting for a candidate. 

a practice, most often emploted by business and trade associations groups, to gather together legal individual contributions to candidates. the idea is to magnify the influence of a particular interest by demonstrating its fundraising prowess and power.

s: leaders and executives in many fields have PACs and urge their executives and employees to participate in bundling for candidates, allowing these sectors to speak with a united voice

a poll conducted by professional campaign consultants that investigates a potential candidate's name recoginition and reputation among voters; one of the preliminary steps for all potential candidates in large electoral districts and states

s: 

polls conducted on a frequent, sometimes daily basis that guage voter changes in opinion and mood. tracking surveys are most used by campaigns to measure the influence of campaign themes and propaganda on voters

s: 

a selected sample of voters intensively interviewed by campaign consultants to gain knowledge about reactions to particular candidates and their campaign messages and themes

s: Allowed candidates to test-market specific appeals and statements before announcing them before the public. Allowed each word in a candidate's speech to be tested for megaitve and positive reactions