Political Action Committee

An organization that raises money to elect and defeat candidates and may donate money directly to a candidate’s campaign subject to limits.

Soft Money Loophole

The unregulated flow of large unlimited donations to political parties for party-building like voter registration/GOTV.

Buckley v. Valeo

Ruled that the government can limit campaign contributions to prevent corruption but cannot limit campaign spending because it's protected under the first amendment.

Linkage Institution

Channels that connect individuals with government, including elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media.

Suffrage

The right to vote.

26 th Amendment

Allows those eighteen years old and older to vote.

15 th Amendment

The right to vote cannot be denied because of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

19 th Amendment

The right to vote cannot be denied on the basis of sex/gender.

17 th Amendment

The direct election of the U.S. senators by the people, instead of the senators being chosen by the state legislature.

24 th Amendment

Prohibits congress and the states from imposing poll taxes as a condition for voting in federal elections.

Voter Turnout

The number of eligible voters who participate in an election as a percentage of the total number of eligible voters.

Demographics

Measurable characteristics of a population, such as economic status, education age, race or ethnicity, and gender.

Political Efficacy

A person’s belief that he or she can make effective political changes.

Political Mobilization

Efforts by political parties to encourage their members to vote.

Registration Requirements

A set of rules that govern who can vote and how, when, and where they vote.

Motor Voter Laws

Allows people to register to vote when getting or renewing a driver’s license or using certain government services.

Absentee Ballot

Voting completed and submitted by a voter before the day of an election without going to the polls.

Rational Choice Voting

Voting based on what a citizen believes is in his or her best interest.

Retrospective Voting

Voting based on an assessment of an incumbent’s past performance.

Prospective Voting

Casting a ballot for a candidate who promises to enact policies favored by the voter.

Party-Line Voting

Voting for candidates who belong only to one political party for all of the offices on the ballot.

Electoral College

A constitutionally required process for selecting the president through slates of electors chosen in each state, who are pledged to vote for a nominee in the presidential election.

Winner-Take-All-System

A system of election in which the candidate who wins the plurality of votes within a state receives all of that state’s votes in the electoral college.

Swing States

A state where levels of support for the parties are similar and elections swing back and forth between Democratic and Republican.

Get Out The Vote

Efforts to mobilize supporters.

Federal Election Campaign Act

Regulating campaign finance, aiming to make elections fairer by limiting contributions.

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act

A law designed to limit soft money (unregulated funds) in federal elections, stopping national parties and federal candidates from raising large unlimited contributions.

Citizens United v. FEC

Ruled that corporations and unions can spend unlimited money on independent political advertisement.

Super PACs

An organization that may spend an unlimited amount of money on a political campaign, as long as the spending is not coordinated with a campaign.