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| The official endorsement of a candidate for office by a political party. Generally, success in the nomination game requires momentum, money, and media attention. |
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| The master game plan candidates lay out to guide their electoral campaign |
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| a meeting of all state party leaders for selecting delegates to the national party convention. These are usually organized as a pyramid |
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| national party convention |
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| The supreme power within each of the parties. This meets every four years to nominate that party's presidential and vice-presidential candidates and to write the party's platform |
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| elections in which voters in a state vote for a candidate (or delegates pledged to him or her). Most delegates to the national party conventions are chosen this way. |
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| McGovern-Fraser Commission |
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| a commission formed at the 1968 Democratic convention in response to demands for reform by minority groups and others who sought better representation |
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| national party leaders who automatically get a delegate slot at the Democratic national party convention |
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| the recent tendency of states to hold primaries early in the calendar in order to capitalize on media attention |
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| a proposal by critics of the caucuses and presidential primaries systems would replace these electoral methods with a nationwide primary held early in the election year |
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| a proposal by critics of the caucuses and presidential primaries to replace these electoral methods with a series of primaries held in each geographic region |
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| Federal Election Campaign Act |
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| a law passed in 1974 for reforming campaign finances. The act created the Federal Election Commission, provided public financing for presidential primaries and general elections, limited presidential campaign spending, required disclosure, and attempted to limit contributions |
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| Federal Election Commission |
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| a six-member bipartisan agency created by the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974. The Federal Election Commission administers and enforces campaign finance laws |
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| Presidential Election Campaign Fund |
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| Funded by the $3 check-off on IRS tax forms, this fund provides a source of money for matching funds in the primaries and complete financing of Democratic and Republican presidential nominee in the general election |
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| contributions of up to $250 from individuals are matched for qualified presidential candidates in the primaries |
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| Political contributions earmarked for party-building expenses at the grass-roots level or for generic party advertising. For a time, such contributions were unlimited, until they were banned by the McCain-Feingold Act |
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| Independent groups that seek to influence the political process but are not subject to contribution restrictions because they do not directly seek the election of particular candidates. Their name comes from the federal tax code, under which they are governed |
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| political action committees |
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| funding vehicles created by the 1974 campaign finance reforms. A corporation, union, or some other interest group can create a political action committee (PAC) and register it with the Federal Election Commission, which will meticulously monitor the PAC's expenditures |
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| The phenomenon that people often pay the most attention to things they already agree with and interpret them according to their own predisposistions |
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| the belief that one's political participation really matter-- that one's vote can actually make a difference |
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| the belief that in order to support democratic government, a citizen should always vote |
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| a system adopted by the states that requires voters to register well in advance of Election Day.Although a few states permit Election Day registration for presidential elections, advance registration dampens voter turnout |
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| 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 a driver's license |
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| mandate theory of elections |
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| 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 |
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| electoral choices that are made on the basis of the voters' policy preferences and on the basis of where the candidates stand on the policy issues |
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| a unique American institution created by the Constitution, providing for the selection of the president by electors chosen by the state parties. Although this usually reflects a popular majority, the winner-take-all rule gives clout to big states |
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