Glossary for Vocabulary Terms

Glossary for Vocabulary Terms
CE.5 - The Political Process

bias - a consistent tilt to favor one side of an issue.

campaign - the organized effort by a candidate to win support in an election. Also, if used as a verb, the act of seeking support in an election.

campaign finance reform laws - laws that try to limit how much money an individual, an organization, or a company can donate to a candidate. These laws attempt to make sure no one can "buy" an election.

conservative - political views that favor traditional ideas about individual responsibility, family life, and business freedom. Conservatives generally believe the role of the government, and especially federal government social programs, should be limited. Most conservatives today tend to be in the Republican Party.

editorial - in a newspaper, a short essay that gives the newspaper publisher’s or top editors' view of a public issue. An editorial can focus public attention on an important issue, and often gets public officials to act.

Electoral College - the group, as described in the Constitution, that actually casts the votes that select the President and Vice-President. The members from each state are chosen by the public according to how votes in that state are cast in the November election.

interest group - an organization of people with an interest in a particular public issue, such as gun control or the environment. Interest groups play a big role in politics because they can bring attention, money, and votes to public issues.

liberal - political views that favor a large role for the government in promoting greater equality of conditions in society. Liberals believe the government should create extensive social welfare programs to help meet the needs of citizens. Liberals today tend to be members of the Democratic Party.

media - the term for all forms of communication, including radio, TV, newspapers, books, magazines, the Internet, recordings and movies, etc.

moderate - in politics, people who fall in the middle range of the liberal - conservative split.

nominate - to officially put forth a candidate to run for political office.

nominating convention - a large meeting held by a political party to officially pick the party’s candidate for a public office. Often they are held in July or August before the November election.

Op-Ed pieces - commentary essays run in a newspaper, usually on the page facing the editorial page (opposite the editorial page). They may be submitted by anyone, including readers, political leaders, and experts.

PACs - Political Action Committees. These organizations raise money to donate to candidates based on whether they support the PAC’s particular views on issues.

platform (of a political party) - the official statement of a political party's view or position on various public issues.

political party - an organization of citizens that tries to get its members elected to public office and influence public policies and laws.

primary election - an election in which members of a political party vote to help select the party's candidate. The primary is typically held 6 to 12 months before the general election in November.

propaganda - information, usually false or misleading, that is deliberately repeated over and over in an attempt to influence votes or public opinion on an issue.

third party - in a two-party system, the smaller “extra” political parties. While third parties rarely win big national elections, they can influence politics by focusing attention on specific issues.

two-party system - a political system with two main political parties, as in the United States. Smaller "third parties" may exist, but have much less influence than the major parties.