22 Flashcards
public assistance
Another term for welfare.
public education
Informing the public about key issues and about what Congress is doing about those issues.
public good
A good that benefits everyone, not just some; also called collective good.
public opinion
The basic attitudes and opinions of the general public.
public policy
Any rule, plan, or action pertaining to issues of domestic national importance.
public representative role
The role of the media to act as a representative of the public, holding government officials accountable to the people.
purposive incentive
The lure of a desire to promote a cause.
rally ’round the flag effect
A significant boost in presidential popularity when a foreign crisis arises.
random selection
A sampling technique to ensure that each person in the population has an equal chance of being selected for the sample.
ranking member
The senior committee member from the minority party.
ratings game
The practice of organizations rating members of Congress based on votes that matter to the organizations and their members.
rational choice theory
An approach that assumes people act rationally in their self-interest, seeking to maximize value.
rationalism
The belief that human reason can find solutions to many of our problems.
realignment
A dramatic shift in the balance of the two parties that changes the key issues dividing the parties.
realism
A theory of international relations that stresses the importance of power (particularly military power) and claims that states act in their national interest.
