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Unit Three Vocab
Civics
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Political party | An organization with similar political aims and opinions. (seeking to influence the public) |
| Two-Party System | two major political parties dominate politics within a government. |
| Third Party | of or relating to a person or group besides the two primarily involved in a situation |
| Platform | the declared policy of a political party or group. |
| Caucus | a group of people with shared concerns within a political party or larger organization. |
| Political Machine | political organization in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters and businesses (usually campaign workers), who receive rewards for their efforts. |
| Direct Primary | An election in which voters choose candidates to run on a party's ticket in a subsequent election for public office. |
| Closed Primary | limited to registered party members, who must declare their party affiliation in order to vote. |
| Open Primary | a primary election in which voters are not required to declare party affiliation. |
| Plurality | the number of votes cast for a candidate who receives more than any other but does not receive an absolute majority. |
| Majority | the greater number. OR the age when a person is legally considered a full adult, in most contexts either 18 or 21. |
| Petition | a formal written request, typically one signed by many people, appealing to authority with respect to a particular cause. |
| Polling Place | location where voting is carried out |
| Ballot | list of candidates on which you cast your vote. |
| Absentee Ballot | Citizens who cannot get to the polls on Election Day can vote by Absentee Ballots. |
| Returns | The results from counting the votes |
| Exit Poll | When news media ask you how you voted while leaving the polling place. |
| Electorate | All the people who are eligible to vote |
| Proposition | A proposed law. |
| Referendum | a way for citizens to approve or reject a state or local law |
| Recall | another type of special elec- tion. In a recall, citizens in some states can vote to remove a public official from office |
| Propaganda | an attempt to promote a particular person or idea. |
| Political Action Committee (PAC) | organizations set up by interest groups especially to collect money to support favored candidates. |
| Soft Money | unlimited amounts of money for general purposes, not designated to particular candidates. |
| Public opinion | the ideas and attitudes that most people hold about a particular issue or person. Public opinion plays a key role in a democracy. |
| Mass Media | (Television, radio, newspapers, magazines, recordings,movies, Internet Web sites, and books)They communicate broadly to masses of people. |
| Interest Group | individuals who share a point of view about an issue sometimes unite to promote their beliefs. |
| Public opinion poll | A more accurate measure is to request individuals answer questions in a survey. |
| Pollster | measures the president’s popularity or public attitudes toward possible White House proposals, such as a tax increase or change in immigration policy. |
| Survey | a general view, examination, or description of someone or something. - political opinion poll |
| Print Media | Newspapers, magazines, newsletters, and books |
| Electronic Media | radio, television, and the Internet. In the United States, most media outlets are private businesses, run to make a profit. |
| Public Agenda | the ones that receive the most time, money, and effort from government leaders make up what is often |
| Prior restraint | government censorship of material before it is published |
| Malice | evil intent—meaning that the publisher either knew that the material was false or showed a reckless disregard for the truth. |
| Regulatory | managing, commission of the federal bureaucracy. |
| Nonpartisan | impartial, group that educates voters about candidates and issues |
| Lobbyist | representatives of interest groups who con- tact lawmakers or other government officials directly. |