chapter 9 Essay - Leadership

Question	Answer
political party	an association of voters with broad common interests who want to influence or control decision making in government by electing the party's candidates to public office.
two party-system	a system of government in which two parties compete for power.
third party	a party that challenges the two major parties.
platform	a series of statements expressing the party's principles, beliefs, and positions on election issues.
plank	each individual part of a political party's platform.
national committee	representatives from the 50 state party organizations who run a political party.
caucus	a meeting of political party members to conduct to alarming or offensive ideas.
precinct	a geographic area that contains a specific number of voters.
ward	several adjoining precincts making up a larger election unit.
political machine	a strong party organization that can control political appointments and deliver votes.
direct primary	an election in which voters choose candidates to represent each party in a general election.
closed primary	an election in which only the declared members of a party are allowed to vote for the party's nominees.
open primary	an election in which voters need not declare their party preference to vote for the party's nominees.
plurality	the most voters among all those running for a political office.
majority	a number that is more than 50 percent of the total.
petition	a formal request for government action; a process by which candidates who are not affiliated with one of the two major parties can get on the ballot for the general election in most states.

Related posts: