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Key Terms Flashcards

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1
Q

Bicameral legislature

A

two-house legislature

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2
Q

Block grant

A

money granted by the federal government to the states for a broad purpose ( e.g., transportation) rather than for a narrow purpose (e.g., school lunch program)

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3
Q

Categorical grant

A

money granted by the federal government to the states for a narrow purpose ( e.g., school lunch program) rather than for a broad purpose (e.g., transportation)

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4
Q

Centralists

A

those who favor greater national authority rather than state authority

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5
Q

Checks and balances

A

system in which each branch of government can limit the power of the other two branches, e.g., presidential veto of a congressional law

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6
Q

Commerce clause

A

gives Congress the power to regulate commerce among the states, with foreign nations, and among Indian tribes. Granted through Article 1, section 8 of the Constitution

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7
Q

Concurrent powers

A

those held by both Congress and the states, e.g., establishing law enforcement agencies

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8
Q

Confederation

A

system in which sovereign states are only loosely tied to a central government, e.g., the US under the Articles of Confederation

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9
Q

Decentralists

A

those who favor greater state authority rather than national authority

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10
Q

Direct democracy

A

system in which the people rule themselves

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11
Q

Elastic clause

A

states that Congress can exercise those powers that are “necessary and proper” for carrying out the enumerated powers, e.g., establishment of the first Bank of the United States

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12
Q

Enumerated powers

A

those that are specifically granted to Congress in Article 1, section 8 of the Constitution, e.g., the power to tax; also known as expressed powers

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13
Q

Expressed powers

A

those that are specifically granted to Congress in Article 1, section 8 of the Constitution, e.g., the power to tax; also known as enumerated powers

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14
Q

Federalism

A

constitutional sharing of power between a central government and state governments (types: dual, cooperative, new)

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15
Q

Dual federalism

A

system in which the national government and state governments are coequal, with each being dominant within its respective sphere

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16
Q

Cooperative federalism

A

system in which both federal government and state governments cooperate in solving problems

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17
Q

New Federalism

A

system in which the national government restores greater authority back to the states

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18
Q

Federalist Papers

A

group of 85 essays written by Madison, Hamilton, and Jay for the purpose of persuading the people of New York to adopt the Constitution

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19
Q

Formal amendment

A

a change in the actual wording of the Constitution. Proposed by Congress or national convention, and ratified by the states

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20
Q

Implied powers

A

those that are “necessary and proper” to carry out Congress’ enumerated powers, and are granted to Congress through the elastic clause

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21
Q

Indirect democracy

A

system in which the people are rule by their representatives; also known as representative democracy, or republic

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22
Q

Representative democracy

A

system in which the people are rule by their representatives; also known as indirect democracy, or republic

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23
Q

Republic

A

system in which the people are rule by their representatives; also known as indirect democracy, or representative democracy

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24
Q

Inherent powers

A

foreign policy powers (e.g., acquiring territory) held by the national government by virtue of its being a national government

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25
Q

Informal amendment

A

a change in the meaning, but not the wording, of the Constitution, e.g., through a court decisions such as Brown v. Board

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26
Q

Judicial review

A

power of the courts to rule on the constitutionality of laws and government actions; established by Marbury v. Madison, 1803

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27
Q

Mandates

A

requirements imposed by the national government upon the states; some are unfunded mandates, i.e., they are imposed by the national government, but lack funding

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28
Q

Unfunded mandates

A

requirements imposed by the national government upon the states, but lack funding

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29
Q

Marbury v. Madison, 1803

A

established the power of judicial review

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30
Q

McCulloch v. Maryland, 1819

A

established principle of national supremacy and validity of implied powers

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31
Q

Police powers

A

powers of the states to protect the public health, safety, morals, and welfare of the public

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32
Q

Popular sovereignty

A

principle in which ultimate political authority rests with the people

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33
Q

Reserved powers

A

powers held by the states through the 10th Amendment; any power not granted to the US government is “reserved” for the states

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34
Q

Separation of powers

A

principle in which the powers of government are separated among three branches: legislative, executive, judicial

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35
Q

Shays’ Rebellion

A

1786 revolt by Massachusetts farmers seeking relief from debt and foreclosure that was a factor in the calling of the Constitutional Convention

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36
Q

Supermajority

A

a majority greater than a simple majority of one over half, e.g., 3/5, 2/3

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37
Q

Unicameral legislature

A

one-house legislature

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38
Q

Attentive public

A

those who follow politics and public affairs carefully

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39
Q

Australian ballot

A

secret ballot printed at the expense of the state

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40
Q

Balancing the ticket

A

occurs when a presidential nominee chooses a vice presidential running mate who has different qualities in order to attract more votes for the ticket

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41
Q

Blanket primary

A

election to choose candidates that is open to independents, and that allows voters to choose candidates from all the parties

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42
Q

Caucus

A

local party meeting

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43
Q

Closed primary

A

party election to choose candidates that is closed to independents; voters may not cross party lines

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44
Q

Coattail effect

A

the influence of a popular presidential candidate on the election of congressional candidates of the same party

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45
Q

Demographics

A

characteristics of populations, e.g., race, sex, income

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46
Q

Direct election

A

election of an official directly by the people rather than by an intermediary group such as the Electoral College

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47
Q

Direct primary

A

election in which the people choose candidates for office

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48
Q

Fixed terms

A

terms of office that have a definite length of time, e.g., two years for a member of the House

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49
Q

Front loading

A

scheduling presidential primary elections early (e.g., February or March) in an election year

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50
Q

Gender gap

A

difference in voting patterns for men and women, particularly in the greater tendency of the latter to vote for Democratic presidential candidates

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51
Q

General election

A

election in which the officeholders are chosen; contrast with a primary election, in which only the candidates are chosen

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52
Q

Hard money

A

campaign contributions donated directly to candidates

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53
Q

Ideology

A

set of beliefs about political values and the role of government

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54
Q

Incumbent

A

an officeholder who is seeking reelection

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55
Q

Independent

A

one is not registered with a political party; independent leaners tend to vote for candidates of one particular party, whereas pure independents have no consistent pattern of party voting

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56
Q

Independent leaners

A

tend to vote for candidates of one particular party

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57
Q

Pure leaners

A

have no consistent pattern of party voting

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58
Q

Issue advocacy ads

A

ads that focus on issues and do not explicitly encourage citizens to vote for a certain candidate

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59
Q

Open primary

A

election to choose candidates that is open to independents, and in which voters may choose candidates from any one party

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60
Q

Party identification

A

a sense of affiliation that a person has with a particular political party

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61
Q

Party platform

A

a list of positions and programs that the party adopts at the national convention; each position is called a plank

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62
Q

Plank

A

each position in a party platform

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63
Q

Political culture

A

the widely shared beliefs, values, and norms that citizens share about their government

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64
Q

Plurality

A

more votes than anyone else, but less than half, e.g., Clinton won a plurality (43%) of popular votes in 1992, but not a majority; plurality elections such as those for Congress are won by the person with the most votes, regardless if he/she has a majority

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65
Q

Plurality elections

A

elections won by the person with the most votes, regardless if he/she has a majority

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66
Q

Political efficacy

A

capacity to understand and influence political events

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67
Q

Political socialization

A

process in which one acquires his/her political beliefs

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68
Q

Realigning (“critical”) election

A

an election in which there is a long term change in party alignment, e.g., 1932

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69
Q

Realigning election

A

an election in which there is a long term change in party alignment, e.g., 1932

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70
Q

Critical election

A

an election in which there is a long term change in party alignment, e.g., 1932

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71
Q

Safe seat

A

an office that is extremely likely to be won by a particular candidate or political party

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72
Q

Single member district system

A

system in which the people elect one representative per district; with a winner-take-all rule, this system strengthens the two major parties and weakens minor parties

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73
Q

Winner-take-all rule

A

system in which the people elect one representative per district; with a single member district system, this strengthens the two major parties and weakens minor parties

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74
Q

Soft money

A

campaign contributions that are not donated directly to candidates, but are instead donated to parties

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75
Q

Solid South

A

historically, the South voted solidly Democratic; however, the South is now strongly Republican: Bush carried every Southern state in 2000

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76
Q

Split ticket voting

A

casting votes for candidates of one’s own party and for candidates of opposing parties, e.g., voting for a Republican presidential candidate and a Democratic congressional candidate

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77
Q

Straight ticket voting

A

casting votes only for candidates of one’s party

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78
Q

Suffrage

A

the right to vote

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79
Q

Superdelegate

A

a delegate to the Democratic national convention who is there by virtue of holding an office

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80
Q

Super Tuesday

A

a Tuesday in early March in which many presidential primaries, particularly in the South, are held

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81
Q

Swing state

A

a state that does not consistently vote either Democratic or Republican in presidential elections

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82
Q

Amicus curiae brief

A

“friend of the court” brief filed by an interest group to influence a Supreme Court decision

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83
Q

Dealignment argument

A

contention that parties are less meaningful to voters, who have abandoned the parties in greater numbers to become independents

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84
Q

Divided government

A

government in which one party controls the presidency while another party controls the Congress

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85
Q

Elite theory

A

theory that upper class elites exercise great influence over public policy

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86
Q

Factions

A

term used by Madison to denote what we now call interest groups

87
Q

Fairness Doctrine

A

FCC rule (no longer in effect) that required broadcasters to air a variety of viewpoints on their programs

88
Q

FCC Rule

A

Fairness Doctrine (no longer in effect) that required broadcasters to air a variety of viewpoints on their programs

89
Q

Feeding frenzy

A

just as sharks engage in a feeding frenzy when they sense blood in the water, the media “attack” when they sense wrongdoing or scandal in government, and devote great amounts of coverage to such stories

90
Q

Free rider problem

A

the problem faced by interest groups when citizens can reap the benefits of interest group action without actually joining, participating in, or contributing money to such groups

91
Q

Horse race coverage

A

the tendency of the media to report on an election campaign as if it were a horse race, i.e., who is ahead, who is behind, who is gaining ground

92
Q

Iron triangle

A

an informal association of federal agency, congressional committee, and interest group that is said to have heavy influence over policy making

93
Q

Litigation

A

the act or process of carrying out a lawsuit

94
Q

Lobbying

A

attempting to influence policy makers

95
Q

Nonpartisan elections

A

elections in which candidates are not identified by party membership on the ballot

96
Q

Office column ballot

A

ballot in which candidates are arranged by office rather than party; encourages split ticket voting

97
Q

Party column ballot

A

ballot in which candidates are arranged by party rather than office; encourages straight ticket voting

98
Q

Photo opportunity

A

a staged campaign event that attracts favorable visual media coverage, e.g., a candidate reading to a group of school children

99
Q

Pluralism

A

theory that policy making is the result of interest group competition

100
Q

Political Action Committee (PAC)

A

an interest group that raises funds and donates to election campaigns

101
Q

Patronage

A

appointing loyal party members to government positions

102
Q

Revolving door

A

the cycle in which a person alternately works for the public sector and private sector, thus blurring the individual’s sense of loyalty

103
Q

Selective exposure

A

the practice of selectively choosing media sources which are in harmony with one’s own beliefs

104
Q

Selective perception

A

the practice of perceiving media messages the way one wants to

105
Q

Sound bite

A

a short, pithy comment that is likely to attract media attention, e.g., Ronald Reagan saying, “A recession is when your neighbor loses his job, a depression is when you lose your job, and recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his job”

106
Q

Spin control

A

placing a certain slant on a story to deflect negative public attention against a candidate or office holder

107
Q

Unit rule

A

an abandoned rule of the Democratic Party national convention in which the candidate with the most delegates from a state won all of that state’s convention votes

108
Q

Appropriation

A

money that Congress has allocated to be spent

109
Q

Appropriations Committee

A

congressional committee that deals with federal spending

110
Q

Appellate jurisdiction

A

authority of a court to hear an appeal from a lower court

111
Q

Bureaucracy

A

departments, agencies, bureaus, and commissions in the executive branch of government

112
Q

Casework

A

personal work done by a member of Congress for his constituents

113
Q

Civil law

A

concerns noncriminal disputes between private parties

114
Q

Class action lawsuit

A

lawsuit brought on behalf of a class of people against a defendant, e.g., lawsuits brought by those who have suffered from smoking against tobacco companies

115
Q

Closed rule

A

Rules Committee rule that bans amendments to a bill

116
Q

Cloture

A

Senate motion to end a filibuster that requires a 3/5 vote

117
Q

Concurring opinion

A

written by a Supreme Court Justice who voted with the majority, but for different reasons

118
Q

Conference committee

A

works out a compromise between differing House-Senate versions of a bill

119
Q

Constituents

A

the people who are represented by elected officials

120
Q

Discharge petition

A

a motion to force a bill to the House floor that has been bottled up in committee

121
Q

Dissenting opinion

A

written by a Supreme Court Justice (or Justices) who express a minority viewpoint in a case

122
Q

Executive agreement

A

an agreement between the President and another head of state that, unlike a treaty, does not require Senate consent

123
Q

Executive order

A

presidential rule or regulation that has the force of law

124
Q

Executive privilege

A

the privilege of a President and his staff to withhold their “privileged” conversations from Congress or the courts

125
Q

Filibuster

A

nonstop Senate debate that prevents a bill from coming to a vote

126
Q

Finance Committee

A

Senate committee that handles tax bills

127
Q

Franking privilege

A

allows members of Congress to send mail postage free

128
Q

Gerrymandering

A

redrawing district lines to favor one party at the expense of the other

129
Q

Hold

A

Senate maneuver that allows a Senator to stop or delay consideration of a bill or presidential appointment

130
Q

Impeachment

A

House action that formally charges an official with wrongdoing. Conviction requires 2/3 vote from the Senate

131
Q

Impoundment

A

refusal of a President to spend money that has been appropriated by Congress

132
Q

Injunction

A

court order that forbids a party from performing a certain action

133
Q

Judicial activism

A

philosophy that the courts should take an active role in solving problems

134
Q

Judicial restraint

A

philosophy that the courts should defer to elected lawmakers in setting policy, and should instead focus on interpreting law rather than making law

135
Q

Judicial review

A

power of the courts to review the constitutionality of laws or government actions

136
Q

Legislative oversight

A

ongoing process of congressional monitoring of the executive branch to ensure that the latter complies with the law

137
Q

Legislative veto

A

process in which Congress overturned rules and regulations proposed by executive branch agencies; struck down in 1983

138
Q

Line item veto

A

power of most governors (and President Clinton for only a few years) to delete or reduce funding in a bill on a line by line basis

139
Q

Logrolling

A

when two members of Congress agree to vote for each other’s bill

140
Q

Majority opinion

A

written to express the majority viewpoint in a Supreme Court case

141
Q

Mark up

A

committee action to amend a proposed bill

142
Q

Merit system

A

system of hiring federal workers based upon competitive exams

143
Q

Open rule

A

House Rules Committee rule that allows amendments to a bill

144
Q

Original jurisdiction

A

authority of a court to first hear a case

145
Q

Patronage

A

power to appoint loyal party members to federal positions; also known as spoils system

146
Q

Pocket veto

A

presidential killing of a bill by inaction after Congress adjourns

147
Q

Political appointees

A

those who have received presidential appointments to office; contrast with Civil Service employees, who receive federal jobs by competitive exams

148
Q

Pork barrel

A

wasteful congressional spending, e.g. funding for a Lawrence Welk museum in North Dakota

149
Q

Quorum

A

minimum number of members needed for the House or Senate to meet

150
Q

Reapportionment

A

reallocation of House seats to the states on the basis of changes in state populations, as determined by the census

151
Q

Redistricting

A

redrawing of congressional district boundaries by the party in power of the state legislature

152
Q

Red tape

A

complex rules and procedures required by bureaucratic agencies

153
Q

Remand

A

the Supreme Court’s sending of a case back to the original court in which it was heard

154
Q

Rider

A

amendment to a bill that has little to do with that bill; also known as a nongermane amendment

155
Q

Nongermane amendment

A

amendment to a bill that has little to do with that bill; also known as a rider

156
Q

Rule of four

A

the Supreme Court will hear a case if four Justices agree to do so

157
Q

Rules Committee

A

the “traffic cop” of the House that sets the legislative calendar and issues rules for debate on a bill

158
Q

Senatorial courtesy

A

tradition in which the President consults with the senators within a state in which an appointment is to be made

159
Q

Seniority system

A

tradition in which the Senator from the majority party with the most years of service on a committee becomes the chairman of that committee

160
Q

Spoils system

A

power to appoint loyal party members to federal positions; also known as a patronage

161
Q

Standing committees

A

the permanent congressional committees that handle legislation

162
Q

Stare decisis

A

Latin for “let the decision stand,” Supreme Court policy of following precedent in deciding cases

163
Q

Sunset laws

A

laws that automatically expire after a given time

164
Q

Ways and Means Committee

A

House committee that handles tax bills

165
Q

Whistleblower

A

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

166
Q

Writ of certiorari

A

issued by the Supreme Court to a lower court to send up the records of a case so that it can be reviewed by the high court

167
Q

Writ of habeas corpus

A

court order that the authorities show cause for why they are holding a prisoner in custody; deters unlawful imprisonment

168
Q

Writ of mandamus

A

court order directing a party to perform a certain action

169
Q

Bipartisanship

A

support from both parties for policy, e.g., a bipartisan foreign policy

170
Q

Budget deficit

A

results when federal expenditures exceed federal revenues for a one year period

171
Q

Deficit spending

A

the federal government’s practice of spending more money than it takes in as revenues

172
Q

Deregulation

A

elimination of federal regulations on private companies

173
Q

Entitlements

A

federal benefit payments to which recipients have a legal right, e.g., Social Security; also known as uncontrollables

174
Q

Uncontrollables

A

federal benefit payments to which recipients have a legal right, e.g., Social Security; also known as entitlements

175
Q

Fiscal policy

A

taxing and spending policies

176
Q

Means testing

A

requiring that those who receive federal benefits show a need for them

177
Q

Monetary policy

A

Federal Reserve Board’s regulation of the supply of money in circulation

178
Q

National debt

A

total debt owed by the federal government due to past borrowing; also known as the public debt

179
Q

Public debt

A

total debt owed by the federal government due to past borrowing; also known as the national debt

180
Q

Subsidy

A

federal financial aid to individuals, e.g., welfare, food stamps, agricultural subsidies

181
Q

Civil liberties

A

personal freedoms, e.g., speech, assembly, religion

182
Q

Civil rights

A

protections against discrimination

183
Q

Clear and present danger doctrine

A

judicial interpretation of Amendment 1 that government may not ban speech unless such speech poses an imminent threat to society

184
Q

De facto segregation

A

segregation “by fact,” i.e., segregation that results from such factors as housing patterns rather than law

185
Q

De jure segregation

A

segregation by law, i.e., segregation that is required by government

186
Q

Double jeopardy

A

being prosecuted twice for the same offense; banned by Amendment 5

187
Q

Due process clause

A

prohibits the national government (5th Amendment) and states (14th Amendment) from denying life, liberty, or property without due process of law

188
Q

Equal protection clause

A

14th Amendment clause that prohibits states from denying equal protection under the law, and has been used to combat discrimination

189
Q

Eminent domain

A

the right of government to take private property for the public good; fair compensation must be paid to the owner of such property

190
Q

Establishment clause

A

provision of Amendment 1 that prohibits Congress from establishing an official state religion; this is the basis for separation of church and state

191
Q

Exclusionary rule

A

Supreme Court guideline that excludes the use of illegally obtained evidence in a criminal trial

192
Q

Free exercise clause

A

provision of Amendment 1 stating that Congress may not prohibit the free exercise of religion

193
Q

Grandfather clause

A

Southern laws that excluded blacks from exercising suffrage by restricting the right to vote only to those whose grandfathers had voted before 1865

194
Q

Grand jury

A

determines whether or not to bring criminal charges against a suspect

195
Q

Incorporation

A

applying the Bill of Rights to the states. A “total incorporation” view is that the states must obey all provisions of the Bill of Rights because of the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. (types: total and selective)

196
Q

Total incorporation

A

a view that the states must obey all provisions of the Bill of Rights because of the due process clause of the 14th Amendment

197
Q

Selective incorporation

A

a view that the Bill of Rights is to be applied to the states in a more gradual manner on a case by case basis, also via the due process clause of the 14th Amendment

198
Q

Indictment

A

grand jury order that a suspect must stand trial for a criminal offense

199
Q

Jim Crow laws

A

Southern laws that required racial segregation in places of public accommodation

200
Q

Libel

A

written untruths that damage a reputation

201
Q

Literacy test

A

Southern method of excluding blacks from exercising suffrage by requiring that voters prove their ability to read and write

202
Q

Miranda warnings

A

warnings that must be read to suspects prior to questioning. Suspects must be advised that they have the rights of silence and counsel

203
Q

Plea bargain

A

arrangement in which a suspect pleads guilty to a lesser offense in order to avoid a trial; the manner in which most cases are disposed of

204
Q

Police powers

A

powers that allow states to pass laws protecting the health, welfare, safety, and morals of their residents

205
Q

Poll tax

A

Southern method of excluding blacks from exercising suffrage by requiring payment of a tax prior to voting

206
Q

Prior restraint

A

when a court stops expression before it is made, e.g., prohibiting a demonstration by a radical group because the assembly is likely to become violent; presumed to be unconstitutional

207
Q

Racial gerrymandering

A

drawing of legislative boundaries to give electoral advantages to a particular racial group; “majority-minority” districts include large numbers of racial minorities in order to ensure minority representation in legislatures

208
Q

Sedition

A

advocacy of the overthrow of the government

209
Q

Separate but equal

A

Supreme Court doctrine established in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson; allowed state-required racial segregation in places of public accommodation as long as the facilities were equal

210
Q

Shield laws

A

state laws that protect journalists from having to reveal their sources

211
Q

Slander

A

spoken untruths that damage a reputation

212
Q

Strict scrutiny

A

Supreme Court guideline for determining if government can make racial distinctions; according to this guideline, such distinctions are highly suspect and are allowed only if they are narrowly tailored to serve a compelling government interest

213
Q

White primary

A

primary election in which Southern states allowed only whites to vote

AP Government (19 decks)

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