Election Vocabulary

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

GOP  Stands for Grand Old Party  Nickname for the Republicans  Symbol is the elephant  Most closely aligned with conservative principles

Democrat  Name of one of the major parties in the United States  Symbol is the donkey  Most closely aligned with liberal principles

Incumbent  Person currently holding an office

Platform  The formal declaration of the principles and policies of a political party

Plank  The individual statements or positions within a party’s platform

Keynote Address  The opening speech at a political convention

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

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

Gerrymandering  Arranging a district to serve a political purpose

Proposition  A bill put on a ballot

Initiative  A bill put on a ballot by a group of citizens who have circulated a petition

Referendum  A bill put on a ballot after being referred to the voters by the legislature

Majority  A number more than one half the total

Plurality  More than any other

Electoral college  Group that actually elects the president

Reactionary  Group very far to the political right and whose methods may be violent

Radical  A person whose views are very far to the political left and whose methods may be violent

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