| A | B |
|---|
| McGovern-Frasier Commission | brought significant representation changes to the party--more minority representation |
| National Committee | governing body of a political party; made up of state and national party leaders |
| National nominating conventions | governing authority of the political party; forums where presidential candidates are given "the nod" by their party |
| New Democrat | a more conservative-centrist Democrat (1992) |
| Party dealignment | a shift toward more neutral, independetn ideological view of party identification |
| Party eras | a time period characterized by national dominance of one political party; Republicans: post Civil War; Democrats: FDR; Republicans: Nixon |
| Party Machine | party organization that exists on the local level; uses patronage |
| Party platform | the ideological point of view of a political party |
| Party realignment | results from a national election or a major shift in the political spectrum, is characterised by the start of a party era |
| Political participation | the different ways an average citizen gets involved in the political process |
| Political Party | a group of people joined together by common philosophies and approaches, with the aim of winning elections in order to develop and implement public policy |
| Reagan Democrats | traditionally Democratic, middle class voters who turn to Reagan in the 1980s |
| Religious Right | evangelical conglomeration of ultraconservative political activists, mostly aligned with Republicans |
| Superdelegates | Democratic party leaders and elected party officials who automatically are selected as delegates to the National Convention |
| Third Political Parties | mostly ideological, single issue oriented; economically motivated; personality driven (Bull Moose; Independence; Free Soil) |
