Flashcards
“The Hill”
location of the U.S. federal branch of government
Bipartisan
cooperation of two political parties
Blue State
a state that supports the Democratic Party
Bully Pulpit
position of authority which allows you to speak out on any isssue
Coattails Effect
tendency to attract votes for other candidates of the same party
Conservative
political stance favoring a more local gov, less gov regulations, and conformity to social norms and values
Constituent
people represented by an elected official
Demographics
characteristics of a population
Earmark
a legislative provision directing approved funds to be spent on projects
Entitlements
programs providing benefits to those meeting qualification
Flip-flopper
change of policy/opinion by a public official
Free-Rider Problem
problem face by groups when people don’t join because they can benefit without joining
Gender Gap
refers to patterns by which women are more likely to support Democrats.
Gerrymandering
manipulating the boundaries of an electoral constituency
GOP
abbreviation for Grand Old Party
Grassroots
a group within a larger group, party, or government
Gridlock
the inability of the gov. to act because rival parties control different parts of the gov
Independent Expenditure
individuals and groups can spend unlimited amounts in campaigns for candidates as long as it’s independent
Inside the Beltway
issues relevant to the federal gov and its contractors
K Street
major thoroughfare in the U.S. capital known as a center to numerous think tanks, lobbyists, and advocacy groups
Lameduck
politician who’s still in office after having lost a reelection bid.
Liberal
person favoring a more gov involvement in business, social welfare, etc.
Libertarian
people wanting to maximize the personal liberty on economic and social issues.
Litigation
when people go to court to get a positive ruling for their cause
Lobbyist
person who takes part in an organized attempt to influence legislators
Logrolling
the practice of exchanging favors by voting for each other’s proposed legislations
Mandate
an official order/commission to do something
Partisan
a strong supporter of a party, cause,or person
Party Platform
political party’s statement of its goals and policies for the next 4 years
Polarization
cases in which an individual’s stance on a given issue is more likely to be defined identification with a political party
Political Action Committee
committee organized to raise and spend money to elect and defeat candidates
Political Culture
shared beliefs,values, and norms defining relationships between citizens and gov.
Political Efficacy
citizens’ faith and trust in gov and their belief that they can understand and influence political affairs
Political Socialization
lifelong process where people form their ideas about politics and acquire political values
Political Suicide
concept where a politician/political party loses support and confidence from the public by proposing actions that are seen as unfavorable
Pork Barrel Spending
government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money
POTUS
stands for “President of the United States”
Rank and File
the enlisted personnel of an armed force
Red State
U.S. state in which a majority of the electorate votes for the Republican candidate in a statewide election
Red Tape
excessive regulation to formal rules that is considered redundant and hinders decision-making
Safe Seat
electoral district in a legislative body which is regarded as fully secure for a certain political party or representative.
SCOTUS
stands for “Supreme Court of the United States”
Sound Bite
short part of a speech that broadcast on a radio or television news programme
Spin Control
the act of attempting to manipulate the way an event is interpreted by others
Stump Speech
speech used by a political running for office
Super PAC
modern breed of a political- action committee that’s allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money from corporations to influence the outcome of elections
Superdelegate
an unpledged delegate to the Democratic National Convention who’s seated automatically and chooses for whom they vote
Swing State
any state that could reasonably be won by either the Democratic or Republican candidate
Talking Points
a succinct statement designed to support persuasively one side taken on an issue
Whistle Blower
an employee that reports an employer’s misconduct
