David Alvarez

Question 1

The Hill

Answer 1

A short name for Capitol Hill.

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 Democratic 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 coattail effect or down-ballot effect is the tendency for a popular political party leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election.

Question 6

Conservative

Answer 6

holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in relation to politics or religion.

Question 7

Constituent

Answer 7

being a voting member of a community or organization and having the power to appoint or elect.

Question 8

Demographics

Answer 8

statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within it.

Question 9

Earmark

Answer 9

a congressional directive that funds should be spent on a specific project.

Question 10

Entitlements

Answer 10

those benefits guaranteed by law paid to individuals by the fed gov, such as social security

Question 11

Flip-flopper

Answer 11

A U-turn, or backflip is a sudden real or apparent change of policy or opinion by a public official, sometimes while trying to claim that both positions are consistent with each other. Often it will occur during the period prior to or following an election in order to maximize the candidate’s popularity.

Question 12

Free-Rider Problem

Answer 12

A person who chooses to receive the benefits of a “public good” or a “positive externality” without contributing to paying the costs of producing those benefits.

Question 13

Gender Gap

Answer 13

a term that refers to the regular patterns by which women are more likely to support Democratic candidates. Women tend to be significantly less conservative than men and are more likely to support spending on social services and to oppose higher levels of military spending.

Question 14

Gerrymandering

Answer 14

term that describes the deliberate rearrangement of the boundaries of congressional districts to influence the outcome of elections.

Question 15

GOP

Answer 15

The Republican Party

Question 16

Grassroots

Answer 16

the common or ordinary people, especially as contrasted with the leadership or elite of a political party, social organization, etc

Question 17

Gridlock

Answer 17

another term for deadlock

Question 18

Independent Expenditure

Answer 18

Spending by political action committees, corporations, or labor unions that is done to help a party or candidate but is done independently of them. soft money.

Question 19

Inside the Beltway

Answer 19

this term refers to issues that are relevant to the federal government and its contractors

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

Lameduck

Answer 21

A politician who is still in office after having lost a reelection bid. legislative veto. The rejection of a presidential or administrative action by a vote of one or both houses of Congress without the consent of the president. representative democracy.

Question 22

Liberal

Answer 22

favoring maximum individual liberty in political and social reform.

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 to carry out a policy or course of action, regarded as given by the electorate to a candidate or party that is victorious in an election.

Question 28

Partisan

Answer 28

a strong supporter of a party, cause, or person.

Question 29

Party Platform

Answer 29

A party platform refers to a political party’s formal statement of its basic principles, objectives, and positions on major issues.

Question 30

Polarization

Answer 30

refers to the divergence of political attitudes to ideological extremes.

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 widely shared beliefs, values, and norms about how citizens relate to governments and to one another.

Question 33

Political Efficacy

Answer 33

the citizens’ faith and trust in government and their belief that they can understand and influence political affairs.

Question 34

Political Socialization

Answer 34

the process by which people form their ideas about politics.

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 unfavourable or that might threaten the status quo.

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

the President of the United States.

Question 38

Rank and File

Answer 38

the broad range of party members, more active than the average voter registered with a party

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

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

the act or practice of attempting to manipulate the way an event is interpreted by others

Question 45

Stump Speech

Answer 45

A political stump speech is 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

Superdelegate

Answer 47

in the Democratic Party, 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 state that does not have a set party they vote for

Question 49

Talking Points

Answer 49

something that someone tends to be repeated in a debate or speech.

Question 50

Whistle Blower

Answer 50

n employee who exposes unethical or illegal conduct within the federal government or one of its contractors.