Election VocabularyElection Vocabulary

Political PartyPolitical Party

A group organized A group organized for gaining the for gaining the support of voters support of voters who have a similar who have a similar philosophy or set philosophy or set of beliefsof beliefs

GOPGOP

Stands for Grand Stands for Grand Old PartyOld Party

Nickname for the Nickname for the RepublicansRepublicans

Symbol is the Symbol is the elephantelephant

Most closely Most closely aligned with aligned with conservative conservative principlesprinciples

DemocratDemocrat

Name of one of the Name of one of the major parties in the major parties in the United StatesUnited States

Symbol is the Symbol is the donkeydonkey

Most closely Most closely aligned with liberal aligned with liberal principlesprinciples

IncumbentIncumbent

Person currently Person currently holding an officeholding an office

PlatformPlatform

The formal The formal declaration of the declaration of the principles and principles and policies of a policies of a political partypolitical party

PlankPlank

The individual The individual statements or statements or positions within a positions within a party’s platformparty’s platform

Keynote AddressKeynote Address

The opening The opening speech at a speech at a political conventionpolitical convention

DemographicsDemographics

The study of The study of characteristics of a characteristics of a human population human population including such including such things as age, things as age, ethnicity, ethnicity, education, size, education, size, density, etc.density, etc.

Ethnicity Ethnicity

The racial, The racial, national, religious national, religious or cultural or cultural characteristics of a characteristics of a group of peoplegroup of people

GerrymanderingGerrymandering

Arranging a district Arranging a district to serve a political to serve a political purposepurpose

PropositionProposition

A bill put on a A bill put on a ballotballot

InitiativeInitiative

A bill put on a A bill put on a ballot by a group of ballot by a group of citizens who have citizens who have circulated a circulated a petitionpetition

Referendum Referendum

A bill put on a A bill put on a ballot after being ballot after being referred referred to the to the voters byvoters by the the legislaturelegislature

MajorityMajority

A number more A number more than one half the than one half the totaltotal

Plurality Plurality

More than any More than any otherother

Electoral collegeElectoral college

Group that actually Group that actually elects the elects the presidentpresident

ReactionaryReactionary

Group very far to Group very far to the political right the political right and whose and whose methods may be methods may be violentviolent

Radical Radical

A person whose A person whose views are very far views are very far to the political left to the political left and whose and whose methods may be methods may be violentviolent

Moderate Moderate

Person whose Person whose views are views are considered “middle considered “middle of the road”of the road”