1. Edexcel Politics A-level
USA:
US democracy and participation
Key terms

2. Campaign finance
Campaign finance refers to all funds raised to promote candidates, political parties or policy initiatives and their agendas during an election.

3. Factions
The groups (factions) that make up political parties – ideological wings, particular age and occupation groups, citizens concerned about particular issues – are now a feature of modern politics.

4. Invisible primary
This is the period between when a candidate announces their bid for public office and when the actual primaries take place. It is also sometimes called the ‘money primary’ since candidates spend most of their time during this period raising money in an effort to show political strength.

5. Political Action Committee (PACs)
This raises and spends money in order to elect/defeat electoral candidates, with a donation limit of $5,000 per candidate per election.

6. Party system
The number of parties that have a realistic chance of forming government within a political system.

7. Policy group
A group that attempts to influence a whole party policy area, e.g. American Israeli PAC (AIPAC).

8. Professional group
A group that represents the economic interests of its members e.g. American Medical Association (AMA), American Bar Association (ABA).

9. Single interest group
A group that advocates policy surrounding a small specific issue, e.g. National Rifle Association (NRA).

10. Soft / hard money
When cash is contributed directly to a political candidate, it is ‘hard money’, which may come only from an individual or a political action committee. When cash is contributed to a political party with no limits attached to the amount that can be received, this is a ‘soft money’ contribution.

11. Super PACs
A Super-Political Action Committee raises and spends unlimited amounts of money to support or oppose political candidates but without directly donating or co-ordinating with these candidates
(a result of Citizens United vs FEC 2010).

12. Religious right
The movement, which generally gives support to the Republican Party, is an ultraconservative religious response to the sexual revolution and an attempt to translate this into public policy, promoting family values, opposing abortion and the 1973 Roe v Wade judgement, opposing same-sex marriage, civil partnerships and non-discrimination laws.

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