2C Vocab Flashcards
Bottom-up implementation
A strategy in which the federal government allows local areas some flexibility to meet their challenges and needs in implementing policy
Congressional Budget Office
The congressional office that scores the spending or revenue impact of all proposed legislation to assess its net effect on the budget
Debt
The total amount the government owes across all years
Deficit
The annual amount by which expenditures are greater than revenues
Discretionary spending
Government spending that Congress must pass legislation to authorize each year
Distributive policy
A policy that collects payments or resources broadly but concentrates direct benefits on relatively few
Entitlement
A program that guarantees benefits to members of a specific group or segment of the population
Laissez-faire
An economic policy that assumes the key to economic growth and development is for the government to allow private markets to operate efficiently without interference
Libertarians
People who believe that government almost always operates less efficiently than the private sector and that its actions should be kept to a minimium
Mandatory spending
Government spending earmarked for entitlement programs guaranteeing support to those who meet certain qualifications
Medicaid
A health insurance program for low-income citizens
Medicare
An entitlement health insurance program for older people and retirees who no longer get health insurance through their work
Policy advocates
People who actively work to propose or maintain public policy
Progressive tax
A tax that tends to increase the effective tax rate as the wealth or income of the taxpayer increases
Public policy
The broad strategy government uses to do its job; the relatively stable set of purposive governmental behaviors that address matters of concern to some part of society
