| A | B |
|---|
| power base | a candidate's circle of political friends, financial resources, and voter strength |
| image | the impression a candidate gives based on his or her background, experience, and personality |
| nominate | name as a candidate for office |
| delegate | a person sent to a convention to represent the people from one place; persons with the power to act for others |
| caucus | a meeting at which the delegates from a state or interest group discuss what course of action to take; a meeting of members or leaders of a political party to make plans, choose candidates, or decide how to vote |
| primary election | an election in which members of a political party choose a candidate |
| open primary | a primary in which voters do not have to declare party allegiance |
| closed primary | a primary in which only persons registered as members in the party may participate |
| incumbent | a person who already holds office and is seeking reelection |
| front-runner | the leading contender in a contest at any given moment |
| record | the known facts about what a government official has accomplished and failed to do while serving the public |
| elector | a member of the electoral college who elects the President and the Vice President |
| electoral college | a group of people chosen by the voters to elect the President and Vice-President |
| electoral vote | a vote cast by an elector |
| winner-take-all system | a system in which the candidate who receives a majority of a state's popular votes receives all of its electoral votes |
| popular vote | a vote cast by a person other than an elector |
| socio-economic factors | having to do with factors that are both social and economic |
| political polarization | a situation characterized by the presence of two extreme opposing factors or beliefs |
