AP®︎ U.S. Government & Politics: Topic 5.5 Flashcards

Master key terms and definitions for Topic 5.5 of AP U.S. Government & Politics – Third-Party Politics to help you prep for quizzes and the AP exam.

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Term

Third Party (Minor Party)

Definition

A political party other than the Democratic and Republican major parties

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Third Party (Minor Party)
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A political party other than the Democratic and Republican major parties

LO 5.5.A
Independent Candidate
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A candidate who runs without the nomination of any political party

LO 5.5.A
Single-Member District
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A geographic constituency that elects one officeholder

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Plurality Voting
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An electoral rule under which the candidate receiving more votes than any other candidate wins, even without a majority

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Winner-Take-All
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An electoral arrangement in which the top finisher receives the entire office or electoral prize and losing candidates receive none

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Single-Member Plurality Election (First-Past-the-Post)
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An election in which one officeholder is chosen and the candidate with the most votes wins

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Proportional Representation
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An electoral system that allocates legislative seats to parties roughly in proportion to their shares of the vote

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Mechanical Effect
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The direct effect of electoral rules on converting votes into offices, with only the top finisher winning under winner-take-all rules

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Strategic Effect
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The tendency of candidates, activists, donors, and voters to favor viable major parties in response to winner-take-all rules

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Strategic Voting
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Voting for an acceptable viable candidate rather than one’s first choice to help defeat a less-preferred candidate

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Spoiler Effect (Vote Splitting)
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When a minor candidate draws enough likely support from one major-party candidate to allow the other major-party candidate to win

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Party Platform
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A party’s formal statement of its principles, issue positions, and policy goals

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Third-Party Agenda Incorporation (Absorption or Co-optation)
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A major party’s adoption of popular third-party positions, reducing the third party’s distinctive appeal and voter base

LO 5.5.AEK 5.5.A.2