APGOV Political Jargon

Question 1

“The Hill”

Answer 1

In 1994 an American political newspaper and website called The Hill was published in Washington D.C.

Question 2

Bipartisan

Answer 2

of or involving the agreement or cooperation of two political parties that usually oppose each other’s policies

Question 3

Blue State

Answer 3

a US state that predominantly votes for or supports the Party

Question 4

Bully Pulpit

Answer 4

a public office or position of authority that provides its occupant with an outstanding opportunity to speak out on any issue

Question 5

Coattails Effect

Answer 5

the tendency for a popular political party leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in election

Question 6

Conservative

Answer 6

a person who is averse to change and holds to traditional values and attitudes, typically in relation to politics

Question 7

Constituent

Answer 7

people within a district or state-government official represents them

Question 8

Demographics

Answer 8

characteristics of a population, including age, sex, and race

Question 9

Earmark

Answer 9

a legislative provision that directs approved funds to be spent on specific projects, or that directs specific exemptions from taxes or mandated fees

Question 10

Entitlements

Answer 10

a government program that provides benefits to any individual meeting certain eligibility requirements

Question 11

Flip-flopper

Answer 11

a person who makes a complete change of policy or opinion

Question 12

Free-rider problem

Answer 12

when those who benefit from resources, public goods, or services do not pay for them, which results in an under provision of those goods or services

Question 13

Gender Gap

Answer 13

the discrepancy in opportunities, status, attitudes, etc. between men and women

Question 14

Gerrymandering

Answer 14

manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favor one party or class

Question 15

GOP

Answer 15

Republican Party, an abbreviation for Grand Old Party, which is the one of the major political parties in America

Question 16

Grassroots

Answer 16

A type of social movement organization that relies on high levels of membership participation to promote social change

Question 17

Gridlock

Answer 17

the inability of the government to act because rival parties control different parts of the government

Question 18

Independent Expenditure

Answer 18

is a political campaign communication that expressly advocates for the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate

Question 19

Inside the Beltway

Answer 19

an American idiom used to characterize matters that are, or seem to be, important primarily to officials of the U.S. federal government

Question 20

K Street

Answer 20

a major thoroughfare in the United States capital of Washington D.C. known as a center for numerous think tanks, lobbyists and advocacy groups

Question 21

Lame duck

Answer 21

an official in the final period office, after the election of a successor

Question 22

Liberal

Answer 22

open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values

Question 23

Libertarian

Answer 23

One who is conservative on economic issues, liberal on personal conduct issues

Question 24

Litigation

Answer 24

the process of taking legal action

Question 25

Lobbyist

Answer 25

a person who takes part in an organized attempt to influence legislators

Question 26

Logrolling

Answer 26

the practice of exchanging favors, especially in politics by reciprocal voting for each other's proposed legislation

Question 27

Mandate

Answer 27

the authority granted by a constituency to act as its representative

Question 28

Partisan

Answer 28

a strong supporter of a party, cause, or person

Question 29

Party Platform

Answer 29

a formal set of principal goals which are supported by a political party or individual candidate, in order to appeal to the general public, for the purpose of gaining their support for complicated issues and topics

Question 30

Polarization

Answer 30

division into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions and beliefs

Question 31

Political Action Committee (PAC)

Answer 31

an organization that raises money privately to influence elections or legislation, especially at the federal level

Question 32

Political Culture

Answer 32

the manifestation of the psychological and subjective dimensions of politics

Question 33

Political Efficacy

Answer 33

the citizens' faith and trust in government and their beliefs that they can understand and influence political affairs

Question 34

Political Socialization

Answer 34

the process by which individuals learn and frequently internalize a political lens framing their perceptions of how power is arranged and how the world around them is organized

Question 35

Political Suicide

Answer 35

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

Question 36

Pork Barrel Spending

Answer 36

a metaphor for the appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district

Question 37

POTUS

Answer 37

an abbreviation for The President of the United States

Question 38

Rank and File

Answer 38

the ordinary members of an organization as opposed to its leaders

Question 39

Red State

Answer 39

a US state that predominantly votes for or supports the Republican Party

Question 40

Red Tape

Answer 40

excessive bureaucracy or adherence to rules and formalities, especially in public business

Question 41

Safe Seat

Answer 41

a legislative seat that is likely to be retained with a large majority in an election

Question 42

SCOTUS

Answer 42

an abbreviation for the Supreme Court of the United States

Question 43

Sound Bite

Answer 43

a short extract from a recorded interview, chosen for its pungency or appropriateness

Question 44

Spin Control

Answer 44

an attempt to give a bias to news coverage, especially of a political candidate or event

Question 45

Stump Speech

Answer 45

a standard speech used by a politician running for office

Question 46

Super PAC

Answer 46

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 47

Super delegate

Answer 47

an unelected delegate who is free to support any candidate for the presidential nomination at the party's national convention

Question 48

Swing State

Answer 48

a US state where the two major political parties have similar levels of support among voters, viewed as important in determining the overall result of a presidential election

Question 49

Talking Points

Answer 49

a topic that invites discussion or argument

Question 50

Whistle Blower

Answer 50

a person who informs on a person organization engaged in illicit activity