Political party functions, campaign finance rules, and the mechanics of primaries and general elections for AP US Government.
35 cards · basic cards · AI-written, checked twice. Edit anything.
- What is the primary function of a political party?
- To mobilize voters and aggregate interests into a broad coalition supporting shared policy positions.
- What role do political parties play in candidate selection?
- Political parties nominate candidates to run for office at federal, state, and local levels.
- Define a primary election.
- An election held before the general election in which voters select their party's candidate for a specific office.
- What is the difference between a closed and an open primary?
- A closed primary restricts voting to registered party members only; an open primary allows any registered voter to participate.
- What is a caucus?
- A local meeting where party members discuss candidates and vote on delegates to send to the state or national convention.
- Define Super Tuesday.
- The Tuesday when the most U.S. states hold primary elections and caucuses, typically in March during presidential election years.
- What is the Electoral College?
- The system by which U.S. presidents are elected; voters in each state elect electors who then cast the official votes for president.
- How are Electoral College votes allocated among the states?
- Each state receives electoral votes equal to its total number of U.S. senators (2) plus its number of representatives (based on population).
- Define a swing state.
- A state where either major party has a reasonable chance of winning, making it strategically important for both candidates.
- What is the Federal Election Commission?
- An independent federal agency that enforces federal campaign finance laws and regulates campaign spending.
- What is the federal contribution limit for individuals donating to a candidate per election?
- Individual contributions to a candidate are capped at an amount set by the Federal Election Commission, enforced per election cycle.
- Define a Political Action Committee (PAC).
- A private group that raises and spends money to promote or oppose candidates, ballot measures, or policy issues in federal elections.
- What is a Super PAC?
- A type of PAC created after Citizens United that can accept unlimited contributions but cannot coordinate directly with campaigns.
- What did the Citizens United decision rule?
- A 2010 Supreme Court ruling that struck down restrictions on independent political spending, treating campaign expenditures as protected free speech.
- Distinguish hard money from soft money in campaigns.
- Hard money is campaign finance strictly regulated by federal law; soft money is less-regulated funding given to parties for voter drives, now mostly prohibited.