Vocabulary 

 
Conservative-​A person that is averse to change and holds traditional values and 
attitudes. Believes government should not be active in the lives of people or business. 
Typically associated with the Republican party in U.S. politics. 
 
Liberal-​ A person who believes that government should be active in supporting social 
and political change. Typically associated with the Democratic party in U.S. politics.  
 
Bipartisan​- relating to, or supported by two groups, especially by two political 
parties.  
 
Platform-​ A list of the policies and priorities supported by a political party or 
individual candidate; also known as a manifesto. 
 
Two party system-​a system where two major political parties dominate voting in 
nearly all elections at every level of government and, as a result, nearly all elected 
officials are members of one of the two major parties.   
 
Third party-​ A political party in opposition to the main parties in a two-party system.  
 
Interest groups-​ a group or organization that tries to influence the government but 
does not hold power in government. Also known as lobby groups or advocacy groups.  
 
Election- ​a process of of choosing a leader, members of government, or 
representatives by popular vote. 
 
Primary election- ​a preliminary election to select a political candidate of a political 
party. 
 
Electoral College- ​a temporary body that is created every four years for the sole 
purpose of electing the President of the United States. Every state has a predetermined 
number of electors based upon their number of the sum of representatives in the House 
and their two Senators. 
 
General election- ​an election, usually held at regular intervals, in which candidates 
are elected in all or most electoral districts of a nation. This is different than a special 
election, which is held for a specific reason, such as to fill an unexpected vacancy.  
 
Majority rule-​ a doctrine by which a numerical majority of an organized group holds 
the power to make decisions binding on all in the group. Majority rule is the foremost 
principle of democracy, but is not always practiced in societies that value consensus.  
 
Political campaign- ​an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision 
making process within a specific group. 
 
Suffrage-​ the right to vote. 
 
Grassroots campaign- ​a movement or campaign that attempts to mobilize 
individuals to take action to influence an outcome, often of a political nature.  
 
Democrat-​ a member of the Democratic party, typically holds liberal views. 
 
Republican- ​a member of the Republican party, typically holds conservative views.