Chapter 10 Vocabulary
1. political party – a group of citizens who have similar views on issues and work together to put their ideas into
effect through government action
2. nominate – to select candidates to run for political office
3. candidate – a person who runs for government office
4. political spectrum – the range of differences in political views between political parties
5. two-party system – system in which there are two main political parties (Republicans & Democrats in the U.S.)
6. multi-party system – a political system in which there are more than two strong political parties that play a role
in government
7. coalition – agreement between two or more political parties to work together to run a government
8. one-party system – a political system in which a single political party controls the government, and all other
parties are banned
9. third parties – minor political parties in a two-party system
10. precincts – local voting districts in a county, city, or town
11. polling place – a place where citizens go to vote
12. independent voters – voters who are not members of a political party
13. primary election – an election in which the voters of various parties choose candidates to run for office in a
general election
14. general election – an election in which the voters elect their leaders
15. closed primary – a primary election in which only voters who are members of the party can vote for the party’s
candidates
16. open primary – a primary election in which voters may vote for the candidates of any party
17. secret ballot – method of voting in which a voter marks a ballot in secret
18. popular vote – the votes cast by citizens in a presidential election
19. elector – a person elected by the voters in a presidential election to be a member of the electoral college
20. Electoral College – the group of electors that casts the official votes that elect the president and vice president
21. electoral votes – the votes cast by the electoral college for president and vice president
22. platform – a written statement outlining a political party’s views on issues and describing the programs it
proposes
23. plank – a political party’s specific proposal for legislation or a statement of a short-term goal regarding a single
issue (part of a platform)