The science of vital and social statistics, as of the births, deaths, diseases, marriages, etc.,of populations. 

a conceptconcerning the “study of the developmental processes by which childrenand adolescents acquire political cognition,attitudes and behaviors”

All the activities used by citizens to influence the selection of political leaders or the policies they pursue. Example is Democracy, protest or civil disobedience 

A coherent set of beliefs about politics, public policy and public purpose. It helps give meaning to political events personalities and policies

Families, schools, television, peer groups, and other influences that contribute to political socialization by shaping formal and especially informal learning about politics.

a type of primary in which the voter is limited to choosing candidates of the party of which he or she is a member

a phrase used to describe the United States that refers to a mixture of cultures, ideas and people

The process of reallocating representation in the House of Representatives after a census; some states will gain seats, while other will lose them.

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.

a caucus based on regional grouping

a brief, memorable comment that can easily be fit into news broadcasts

A shot of a person’s face talking directly to the camera. Because this is visually unappealing, the major commercial networks rarely show a politician talking one-on-one for very long. See also sound bites.

An intentional news leak for the purpose of assessing the political reaction.

Journalism that focuses on shocking and sordid stories to sell newspapers.

As opposed to the traditional “broadcasting,” the appeal to a narrow, particular audience by channels such as ESPN, MTV, and C-SPAN, which focus on a narrow particular interest.

An electoral “earthquake” whereby new issues emerge, new coalitions replace old ones, and the majority party is often displaced by the minority party. Critical election periods are sometimes marked by a national crisis and may require more than one election to bring about a new party era. See also party realignment.

A coalition forged by Franklin Roosevelt and the Democrats, who dominated American politics from the 1930s to the 1960s. Its basic elements were the urban working class, ethnic groups, Catholics and Jews, the poor, Southerners, African Americans, and Democratic intellectuals.

is theobservation that people often do and believe things because many other people do and believe the same things. The effect is often pejoratively called herding instinct, particularly when applied to adolescents. People tend to follow the crowd without examining the merits of a particular thing. 

The displacement of the majority party by the minority party, usually during a critical election period. See also party eras.

The channels or access points through which issues and people’s policy preferences get on the government’s policy agenda. In the United States, elections, political parties, and interest groups are the three main linkage institutions.

Electoral contenders other than the two major parties. American third parties are not unusual, but they rarely win elections.

Weakening of partisan preferences that point to a rejection of both major parties and a rise in the number of Independents.

voting for candidates of 2 or more parties for different offices. For example, a voter is ________ if she votes for a Republican presidential candidate and a Democratic Congressional candidate

Ruled that government could limit the amount of contributions in political campaigns. However, it invalidated laws that restricted a candidate from spending however much of his own money that he wanted to spend on his own election.

A six-member bipartisan agency created by the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974. The FEC administers the campaign finance laws and enforces compliance with their requirements.

The supreme power within each of the parties. The convention meets every four years to nominate the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates and to write the party’s platform.

A committee set up by and representing a corporation, labor union, or special-interest group that raises and spends campaign contributions on behalf of one or more candidates or causes

Political contributions earmarked for party-building expenses at the grass-roots level (buttons, pamphlets, yard signs, etc.). Unlike money that goes to the campaign of a particular candidate, such party donations are not subject to contribution limits.

Voting that occurs when electoral choices are made on the basis of the voters’ policy preferences and on the basis of where the candidates stand on policy issues. For the voter, policy voting is hard work.

a group selected by the states to elect the president and the vice-president, in which each state's number of electors is equal to the number of its senators and representatives in Congress

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.

The belief that one’s political participation really matters—that one’s vote can actually make a difference.

The legal right to vote, extended to African Americans by the Fifteenth Amendment, to women by the Nineteenth Amendment, and to people over the age of 18 by the Twenty-sixth Amendment.

Literally, a "friend of the court" brief, filed by an individual or organization to present arguments in addition to those presented by the immediate parties to a case.

A state law forbidding requirements that workers must join a union to hold their jobs. State right-to-work laws were specifically permitted by the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947.

Groups that have a narrow interest, tend to dislike compromise, and often draw membership from people new to politics. These features distinguish them from traditional interest groups.

an organization or individual who attempts to influence legislation and the administrative decisions of government