ap gov terms Flashcards

1
Q

bipartisan

A

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

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2
Q

blue state

A

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

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3
Q

Bully Pulpit

A

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

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4
Q

Coattails Effect

A

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

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5
Q

Conservative

A

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

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6
Q

Constituent

A

people with a district or state government official representing them

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7
Q

Gender Gap

A

which women are more likely to support democratic candidates

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8
Q

Gerrymandering

A

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

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9
Q

Grassroots

A

Avg voter at the local event

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10
Q

Gridlock

A

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

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11
Q

Liberal

A

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

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12
Q

Demographics

A

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

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13
Q

Earmark

A

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

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14
Q

Entitlements

A

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

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15
Q

Flip-flopper

A

reversal of position, a sudden shift in opinion

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16
Q

Free-Rider Problem

A

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

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17
Q

GOP

A

another way of identifying the Republican party

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18
Q

Independent Expenditure

A

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

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19
Q

Inside the Beltway

A

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

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20
Q

K Street

A

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

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21
Q

Lameduck

A

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

22
Q

Libertarian

A

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

23
Q

Litigation

A

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.

24
Q

Logrolling

A

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

25
Mandate
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
26
Partisan
policy or member affiliated with a party
27
Party Platform
voted on by the delegates attending the National convention, they represent the ideological point of view of a political party
28
Polarization
when two opposing sides feel intensely about an issue that is difficult to compromise on
29
Political Action Committee (PAC)
raise money from the special interest constituents and make contributions to political campaigns on behalf of the special interest group
30
Political Culture
the fundamental values that people have about their government and how these values translate into voting powers
31
Political Efficacy
a belief that u can take part in politics (internal) or that the government will respond in citizenry (external)
32
Political Socialization
factors that determine voting behavior such as family, religion, and ethnic background
33
Political Suicide
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
34
Pork Barrel Spending
the appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured primarily to bring money to a representatives district
35
POTUS
acronym for president of the united states
36
Rank and File
party members who are more active than the average voter but not a party leader
37
Red State
republican candidate carries electoral vote
38
Red Tape
used to describe the difficulty it takes to get answers from a bureaucratic agency
39
Safe Seat
the elected official who, as an incumbent has an easy reelection as a result of his incumbency on the political makeup of the district
40
SCOTUS
the highest court in the federal government; part of the judicial branch; final interpreter of the US constitution
41
Sound Bite
a short extract from a recorded interview; a brief memorable comment that can be easily fixed into a broadcast
42
Spin Control
placing a certain slant on a story to deflect negative public attention against a candidate or officeholder
43
Stump Speech
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
44
Super PAC
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
45
Superdelegate
democratic party leaders and elected party officials who automatically are selected as delegates to the national party convention
46
Swing State
a state that does not consistently vote republican or democratic in presidential elections; such states receive a large share of attention during campaigns
47
Talking Points
a statement designed to support persuasively one side taken on an issue
48
Whistle Blower
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
49
“The Hill”
the hill that the capitol building sits on
50
Lobbyist
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