ap gov terms

Question 1

bipartisan

Answer 1

of or involving the agreement or cooperation of two political parties that usually oppose each others policies

Question 2

blue state

Answer 2

refers to the state where the democratic party took the electoral vote

Question 3

Bully Pulpit

Answer 3

the presidents use of his prestige and visibility to guide or enthuse the American public

Question 4

Coattails Effect

Answer 4

weaker/lesser-known candidates from the presidents party profit from the presidents popularity people vote straight ticket because they like the top of the ticket

Question 5

Conservative

Answer 5

a person whos political views favor more local, limited government, less government regulations, conformity to social norms and values; rough on criminals

Question 6

Constituent

Answer 6

people with a district or state government official representing them

Question 7

Gender Gap

Answer 7

which women are more likely to support democratic candidates

Question 8

Gerrymandering

Answer 8

drawing of congressional districts to favor one political party or group over another

Question 9

Grassroots

Answer 9

Avg voter at the local event

Question 10

Gridlock

Answer 10

a situation in which government is incapable of acting on important issues, usually because of divided government

Question 11

Liberal

Answer 11

a person whose views favor more government involvement in business, social welfare, minority rights, and increased government spending

Question 12

Demographics

Answer 12

characteristics of a population, including age, sex, and race. demographics are often used to determine changes in the make-up of a population

Question 13

Earmark

Answer 13

pet projects added to appropriation bills by congressmen called “wasteful spending” and “pork barrel legislation” by critics

Question 14

Entitlements

Answer 14

those benefits guaranteed by law paid to individuals by the federal government such as social security

Question 15

Flip-flopper

Answer 15

reversal of position, a sudden shift in opinion

Question 16

Free-Rider Problem

Answer 16

collective goods problem where people where people benefit from a collective good without paying a share of the cost to produce that good

Question 17

GOP

Answer 17

another way of identifying the Republican party

Question 18

Independent Expenditure

Answer 18

non federally regulated campaign contribs made by special interest groups, labor unions, and corporations to political action committees and political parties also called soft money

Question 19

Inside the Beltway

Answer 19

the idiom used to characterize matters that are important primarily to officials of us government as opposed to the interest if the general population

Question 20

K Street

Answer 20

location of the offices of nearly seven thousand organizations that are represented in Washington

Question 21

Lameduck

Answer 21

office hlder who is either defeated or retiring from office, but is still in office until his sucessor is sworn in ; percieved to have little power or influence

Question 22

Libertarian

Answer 22

people who wish to maximize the personal liberty on both economic and social issues.

Question 23

Litigation

Answer 23

when people go to court in order to get a positive ruling for their cause. civil rights groups use limitation to force lawmakers to bring forth fair regulations as guaranteed in the constitution.

Question 24

Logrolling

Answer 24

a tactic used in Congress “ill vote for your legislation if you vote for mine”

Question 25

Mandate

Answer 25

requirements that direct states and local governments to provide additional services under the threat of penalties or as a condition of the receipt of federal grant money

Question 26

Partisan

Answer 26

policy or member affiliated with a party

Question 27

Party Platform

Answer 27

voted on by the delegates attending the National convention, they represent the ideological point of view of a political party

Question 28

Polarization

Answer 28

when two opposing sides feel intensely about an issue that is difficult to compromise on

Question 29

Political Action Committee (PAC)

Answer 29

raise money from the special interest constituents and make contributions to political campaigns on behalf of the special interest group

Question 30

Political Culture

Answer 30

the fundamental values that people have about their government and how these values translate into voting powers

Question 31

Political Efficacy

Answer 31

a belief that u can take part in politics (internal) or that the government will respond in citizenry (external)

Question 32

Political Socialization

Answer 32

factors that determine voting behavior such as family, religion, and ethnic background

Question 33

Political Suicide

Answer 33

a concept by which a politician or political party loses widespread support and confidence from the voting public by proposing actions that are seen as unfavorable or that might threaten the status quo

Question 34

Pork Barrel Spending

Answer 34

the appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured primarily to bring money to a representatives district

Question 35

POTUS

Answer 35

acronym for president of the united states

Question 36

Rank and File

Answer 36

party members who are more active than the average voter but not a party leader

Question 37

Red State

Answer 37

republican candidate carries electoral vote

Question 38

Red Tape

Answer 38

used to describe the difficulty it takes to get answers from a bureaucratic agency

Question 39

Safe Seat

Answer 39

the elected official who, as an incumbent has an easy reelection as a result of his incumbency on the political makeup of the district

Question 40

SCOTUS

Answer 40

the highest court in the federal government; part of the judicial branch; final interpreter of the US constitution

Question 41

Sound Bite

Answer 41

a short extract from a recorded interview; a brief memorable comment that can be easily fixed into a broadcast

Question 42

Spin Control

Answer 42

placing a certain slant on a story to deflect negative public attention against a candidate or officeholder

Question 43

Stump Speech

Answer 43

a speech was given by a candidate on the campaign trail containing the candidates key talking points and given to many different audiences with the purpose of driving home the candidate’s message

Question 44

Super PAC

Answer 44

a type of independent political action committee which may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, and individuals but is not permitted to contribute to or coordinate directly with parties or candidates

Question 45

Superdelegate

Answer 45

democratic party leaders and elected party officials who automatically are selected as delegates to the national party convention

Question 46

Swing State

Answer 46

a state that does not consistently vote republican or democratic in presidential elections; such states receive a large share of attention during campaigns

Question 47

Talking Points

Answer 47

a statement designed to support persuasively one side taken on an issue

Question 48

Whistle Blower

Answer 48

a person who exposes any kind of information or activity that is deemed illegal, unethical, or viewed as incorrect within an organization that is either public or private

Question 49

“The Hill”

Answer 49

the hill that the capitol building sits on

Question 50

Lobbyist

Answer 50

primary instruments of fostering a SIG’s goals to the policymakers. the term comes from people who literally wait in the lobbies of legislative bodies for senators and reps to go to and from the legislature