Exam 2 Flashcards

1
Q

Bureaucracy

A
  • Administrative policy-making group

- Managed by departments staffed with non-elected officials

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2
Q

Government Corporation

A

State-owned company, is a legal entity that undertakes commercial activities on behalf of an owner government
-Ex: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

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3
Q

Independent Executive Agency

A

-Agencies that exist outside of the federal executive departments (those headed by a Cabinet secretary)
3 types: executive (managerially/budgetary–>carry out executive functions, government corporations, regulatory commissions (impose regulations but are free of political influence-Nuclear Regulatory Commission)

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4
Q

Independent Regulatory Agency

A

Federal agencies create by an act of Congress that are independent of the executive departments.
-Ex: CIA/EPA

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5
Q

Whistleblower

A

A person who informs on a person or organization engaged in an illicit activity

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6
Q

Cabinet Department

A

A government in which the executive power rests with a cabinet of ministers who are individually and collectively responsible to the legislature
-Ex: Commerce, VA, Homeland Security

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7
Q

Sunshine Acts/Legislation

A

U.S. Law passed in 1976 that affects the operations of the federal government, Congress, federal commissions, and other legally constituted federal bodies.
-# of Freedom of Information Acts intended to create greater transparency in government

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8
Q

Issue Network

A

Alliance of various interest groups and individuals who unite in order to promote a common cause or agenda in a way that influences government policy
-Collective goal

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9
Q

Privatization

A

Transfer of a business, industry, or service from public to private ownership and control
-Ex: Road/Bridge Construction/Operation

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10
Q

Enabling Legislation

A

Piece of legislation by which a legislative body grants an entity which depends on it for authorization or legitimacy of power to take certain actions.
-Often establishes government agencies to carry out specific government policies in a modern nation

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11
Q

Iron Triangle

A

Comprises the policy-making relationship among the congressional committees, the bureaucracy, and interest groups

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12
Q

Merit System

A

Process of promoting and hiring government employees based on their ability to perform a job, rather than on their political connections.

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13
Q

Spoils System

A
  • Patronage System
  • Practice in which a political party, after winning an election, gives government civil service jobs to its supporters, friends and relatives as a reward for working toward victory and as an incentive to keep working for the party
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14
Q

Agenda Setting

A

Ability to influence the importance placed on the topics of the public agenda
-Ex: news item is covered frequently an prominently, the audience will regard the issue as more important

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15
Q

Gender Gap

A

Discrepancy in opportunities, status, aptitudes between men and women

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16
Q

Opinion Leader

A

Well-known individual/organization that has the ability to influence public opinion on the subject matter for which the opinion leader is known
-Ex: politicians, educators

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17
Q

Political Socialization

A

Lifelong process by which people form their ideas about politics and acquire political values
-Family, education, peer, mass media

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18
Q

Sampling Error

A

Statistical error that occurs when an analyst does not select a sample that represents the entire population of data and the results found in the sample do not represent the results that would be obtained from the entire population

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19
Q

Bias Consensus

A

Where people tend to overestimate the extent to which their opinion, beliefs, preferences, values and habits are normal and typical of those of others
-Others also think the same way that they do

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20
Q

Generational Effect

A
  • Fiscal Policy
  • When the government makes fiscal decisions to government spending/tax when the full cost of the benefits is not paid by the current generation but the future ones
  • Medicare
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21
Q

Opinion Poll

A

Human research survey of public opinion from a particular sample

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22
Q

Political Trust

A

Characterized by trust within a political institution (Congress)
-Measurement of citizens’ belief in the institutions which govern them

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23
Q

Spin

A

Form of propaganda, achieved through providing a biased interpretation of an event or campaigning to persuade public opinion in favor or against some organization or public figure

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24
Q

Divided Opinion

A

Separated by different opinions

-lacking of consensus

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25
Q

Media

A

The main means of mass communication

  • Overseer of the political system
  • Honest: great force in building the nation
  • Great role in bringing common man close to their leaders
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26
Q

Peer Group

A

A group of people of approximately the same age, status, and interests

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27
Q

Public Opinion

A

Views prevalent among the general public

-Widespread belief of the majority of people in a society about a given subject or issue

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28
Q

Democratic Party

A

Which follows a liberal program, tending to promote a strong central government and expansive social programs

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29
Q

Free-rider Program

A

Those who benefit from resources, goods, or services do not pay for them (under-provision of those goods/services)

  • How to limit free riding and its negative effect these situations
  • Occur when property rights are not clearly defined and imposed
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30
Q

Indirect Technique

A

Strategies that use the general public or individuals to influence the government for the interest group

31
Q

National Convention

A

Convention of a major political party, one that nominates a candidate for the presidency

32
Q

Party Platform

A

List of values/actions which are supported by a political party/candidate in order to appeal to the general public
-Garnering the general public’s support and votes about complicated topics/issues

33
Q

Social Movement

A

Type of group action

  • Focus on specific political/social issues
  • Carry out to change it
34
Q

Two-party System

A

Party system where 2 major political parties dominate politics within a government
-Majority/Minority

35
Q

Direct Technique

A

An interest group activity that involves interaction with government officials to further the group’s goals

36
Q

The GOP

A

Grand old party (republic party)

-After the Civil War, the upstart Republicans were perceived as the party that won the war

37
Q

Interest Group

A
  • Advocacy/Lobbying/Special Interest

- Determined to encourage or prevent changes in public policy without trying to be elected

38
Q

Party Identification

A

Party with which an individual identifies

-most commonly supports (through voting)

39
Q

Plurality

A

of votes cast for a candidate who receives more than any other but does not receive an absolute majority

40
Q

Realignment

A

Describing a dramatic change in the political system

41
Q

Splinter Party

A

A political party that has broken away from a lager one

42
Q

Whig Party

A
  • Political party active in the middle of the 19th century
  • Central to the 2nd party system
  • 1830s leading opponent of Jacksonians
  • Fell apart due to the election of 1856 (no position on slavery) very important topic at that time
43
Q

Divided Government

A

One party controls the executive the other control the legislative

44
Q

Independent

A

Individual not affiliated to any political party

-Hold a centrist view point between those of major political parties

45
Q

Lobbyist

A

Person who takes part in an organized attempt to influence legislators

46
Q

Party Organization

A

Group of leaders/activists/members who work to promote the party and its candidates
-Essential for the functioning/ability to connect the party’s candidates and the electorate

47
Q

Policy Demanders

A

New changes

48
Q

Republican Party

A

GOP

-Favoring a conservative stance–limited central government, strong national defense

49
Q

Third Party

A

Contending for votes that failed to outpoll either of its two strongest rivals

50
Q

Australian Ballot

A

Secret ballot
-System of voting in which voters mark their choices in privacy on uniform ballots printed and distributed by the government or designate their choices by some other secret means

51
Q

Federal Election Commission (FEC)

A
  • Independent regulatory agency

- Founded in 1975 to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the UNITED STATES

52
Q

Front-Loading

A

Practice of scheduling state party caucuses and primary elections earlier than the general election

53
Q

Hatch Act

A
  • 1939

- Prohibits employees in the executive branch (except president/vice) from engaging in some forms of political activity

54
Q

Issue Advocacy Advertising

A

Communications intended to bring a problem to light

-Social or political issues

55
Q

Office-block

Massachusetts Ballot

A

Names of those running appears in a single column under a heading which states the office for which they are running

56
Q

Political Action Committee (PAC)

A

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

  • Soft money (not accounted as going to a particular candidate; not regulated by law)
  • Hard Money (political donations regulated by law
57
Q

Socioeconomic Status

A

Relating to or concerned with the interaction of social and economic factors

58
Q

Vote-eligible population

A

Describe the population that is eligible to vote

59
Q

Voting-age Population

A

Describing the age to vote

60
Q

Coattail Effect

A

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

61
Q

Focus Group

A

Small but demographically diverse group of people whose reactions are studied especially in market research and political analysis

62
Q

Front-Runner

A

Leading position in a race or other competition (presidential nomination)

63
Q

Independent Expenditures

A

Political campaign communication that expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate that is not made in cooperation

64
Q

Midterm Elections

A

General Elections, held 2 years after the 4 year election of the president

65
Q

Party Column

Indiana Ballot

A

Vote a “straight ticket” for all of a party’s candidates by entering a single mark

66
Q

Political Consultant

A

Specific industry that has grown up around advising/assisting political campaigns

67
Q

Super PAC

A

Allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money from corporations to influence the outcome of state and federal elections
-Soft Money

68
Q

Voter Turnout

A

Percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election
-Decreasing trend

69
Q

Direct Primary

A

Preliminary election in which a party’s candidates for public office are nominated by direct vote of the people

70
Q

Franchise

A

Right granted by a government to an individual

71
Q

General Election

A

Regular election of candidates for office, as opposed to a primary election

72
Q

Invisible Primary

A

Money primary

  • Period between the first well known presidential candidates with strong political support networks showing interest in running for president
  • Demonstration of substantial public support by voters for them in primaries and caucuses
  • Raising money in an effort to show political strength
73
Q

Registration

A

Act of registering