| A | B |
|---|
| political party | a political organization that tries to put its ideas into law by nominating candidates and winning elections |
| liberal | political philosophy that supports the use of increased government power to provide for the common good |
| conservative | political philosophy that supports limited government |
| majority | having at least 50% of the vote in an election |
| nominate | the process of selecting candidates to run for office |
| campaign | an organized political effort |
| platform | a written statement of the beliefs that a political party officially stands for |
| straight-ticket voting | voting only for the candidates of one political party |
| split-ticket voting | voting for candidates of more than one political party |
| popular vote | the vote of the people |
| electoral vote | the vote cast by states for the purpose of electing a president |
| initiative | petition process by which voters can put a proposed constitutional amendment or statute on the ballot |
| referendum | an election that allows voters to approve or reject a bill or amendment that has been passed by their state legislature |
| interest group | a group of people that try to influence politicians and public policy |
| special interests | common name given to interest groups that are only interested in a particular issue |
| PAC | fundraising committee formed by an interest group to help them get candidates elected that support their cause |
| lobbyist | individual who works for an interest group by attempting to influence politicians |
| County Board of Elections | who is responsible for registering voters and conducting elections? |
| primary election | an election used to nominate a party's candidates to run for political office |
| absentee ballot | ballot that enables citizens to vote by mail when they cannot be present for an election |
| precinct | What is a voting district called? |
| must be an 18 year old resident who is registered to vote | What qualifications does a citizens need to have before they can vote? |
| polls | What do researchers use to survey public opinion? |
| media | What are news organizations that report on public issues and events called? |
| third party | an independent or minor political party |
| Republicans and Democrats | What are the two main political parties in the United States? |
| What does a candidate need to receive in order to win a presidential election? | a majority (270) in the electoral college |
