GVPT 423
Congressional Elections
E. Uslaner Spring, 2000
Mid-term Review Sheet
The following is an example of the type of essay question that might appear on the midterm examination. This question will NOT appear on the exam.
What are the key determinants of vote choice in Congressional elections? How do House elections differ from Presidential contests? In which contests is party identification more important? Why?
Now, here are some key terms that you should know (listed in no particular order). Note that knowing the terms is insufficient to do well. You need to be able to relate concepts to each other and to make a coherent argument.
protectionist stage
expansionist stage
home style
heterogenous constituency
geographic constituency
reelection constituency
primary constituency
personal constituency
pork barrel
casework
quality challenger
political action committee
independent expenditures
incumbent expenditures versus challenger expenditures
labor PAC
nonconnected PAC
role of issues in elections
money in House and Senate elections
party identification
sophomore surge
retirement slump
soft money
string of votes
candidate-centered elections