AP Gov Ch.15 Viridian Leal Flashcards
Affordable Care Act
a 2010 law designed to ensure that nearly all Americans would have access to healthcare coverage, including those living in poverty.
public policy
an international course of action or inaction followed by government in dealing with some problem or matter of concern
distributive policies
public policies that provide benefits to individuals, groups, communities, or corporations
regulatory policies
Public policies that limit the activities of individuals or corporations or prohibit any types of unacceptable behavior
re distributive policies
public policies that transfer resources from one group to assist another group
systematic agenda
a set of issues to be discussed or given attention; it consists of all public issues viewed as requiring governmental attention
governmental (institutional) agenda
problems to which public officials feel obligated to devote active and serious attention
agenda setting
the process of forming the list of issues to be addressed by government
policy formulation
the crafting of proposed courses of action to resolve public problems
policy adoption
the approval of a policy proposal by people with the requisite authority, such as legislature
policy implementation
the process of carrying out public policy
policy evaluation
the process of determining whether a course of action is achieving its intended goals
fiscal policy
the deliberate use of the national government’s taxing and spending policies to maintain economic stability
national debt
the total amount owned by the federal government to its creditors, both domestic and international
laissez-faire
economic philosophy that endorses a very limited role of government in the economy
recession
a decline in the economy that occurs as investment sags, production falls off, and unemployment increases
depression
a severe and long lasting decline in the economy that occurs as investment sags, production falls off, and unemployment increases
Keynesian economics
an economic approach first championed by economist John Maynard Keynes in the 1930s, who maintained that spending by government can stimulate economic growth much faster than a free market could on its own
inflation
a rise in the general price levels of goods and services within economy
budget deficit
the economic condition that occurs when expenditures exceed revenues
gross domestic product
the total market value of all gods and services produced in a country during a year
monetary policy
a form of government regulation in which the nation’s money supply and interest rates are controlled
Federal Reserve System
The organization in the US tasked with such responsibilities such as managing the money supply, stabilizing prices, moderating interest rates and reducing unemployment
Board of Governs
In the FRS, a seven-member board that makes most economic decisions regarding interest rates and the supply of money; it is led by the Federal Reserve chair
open market operations
the buying and selling of government securities by the Federal Reserve Bank
discount rate
the rate of interest at which the Federal Reserve Board lends money to member banks
reserve requirements
government requirements that a portion of member banks’ deposits be retained as backing for their loans
Medicare
the federal program established during Lyndon B. Johnson’s administration that provides medical acre for the elderly Social Security recipients
Department of Health and Human Services
the cabinet-level department administering most federal social welfare and health-related policies and programs; it includes the National Institutes for Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Control Administration
medicaid
a government program that subsidizes medical care for the poor
No Child Left Behind Act
Bipartisan education reform bill that employed high standards and measurable goals as a method of improving American education across states; in 2016, it was largely replaced by the Every Student Succeeds Act
Common Core
a voluntarily adopted multi-state-approach to setting standards that all students should achieve up through the high-school level
vouchers
certificates issued by the government that may be applied toward the cost of attending private or other public schools
charter schools
semi-public schools that have open admission and receive some support from the government and may also receive private donations to increase the quality of education
Social Security Act
A 1935 law that established old age insurance; assistance for the needy, aged, blind, and families with dependent children; and unemployed insurance
entitlement programs
government benefits that all citizens meeting eligibility criteria-such as age, income level, or unemployment-are “legally” entitled to receive
non-means-tested programs
programs that provide cash assistance to qualified beneficiaries, regardless of income; social security and unemployment
means-tested program
programs requiring beneficiaries to have incomes below specified levels to be eligible for benefits; Social Security Insurance , Temporary Aid for Needy Families, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, “food stamps”