Midterm 2 Key Terms Flashcards
Winner-take-all systerm
An election system in which the candidate with the most votes wins.
single-member district
an electoral district in which voters choose one representative or official
proportional representation
An election system in which each party running receives the proportion of legislative seats corresponding to its proportion of the vote.
Electoral College
the electoral system used in electing the president and vice president, in which voters vote for electors pledged to cast their ballots for a particular party’s candidates.
safe seat
An elected office that is predictably won by one party or the other, so the success of that party’s candidate is almost taken for granted.
Coattail effect
The boost that candidates may get in an election because of the popularity of the candidates above them on the ballot, especially the president.
Candidate appeal
The tendency in elections to focus on the personal attributes of the candidate
National Tide
The inclination to focus on national issues, rather than local issues, in an election campaign. Impact can be reduced by differentiating themselves from the party of leader if the tide is negative
Name Recognition
Incumbents have an advantage over challengers because voters are more familiar with them.
Caucus
A meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates for public office and to decide the platform.
National Party Convention
A national meeting of delegates elected in primaries, caucuses, or state conventions who assemble once every four years to nominate candidates for pres and vice pres, ratify party platform, elect officers, and adopt rules.
FEC
Federal Election Commission- Created in 1974, administers election reform laws. Consistds of 6 commissioners appointed by president and confirmed by Senate.
Duties of FEC? Oversee:
- Disclosure of campaign finance info
- Public funding of presidential elections
- Enforce contribution limits
BCRA
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act- Largely banned soft money, restored long standing prohibition on corporations and labor unions for using general treasury funds for electoral purposes, and narrowed definition of issue advocacy.
Soft Money
Money raised in unlimited amounts by political parties for party-building purposes. Largely illegal except for state/ local parties for voter registration and get-out-the voter efforts.
Hard Money
Political contributions given to a party, candidate, or interest group that are raised in limited amounts and fully disclosed. Harder to raise than soft money.
Issue Advocacy
Promoting a particular position or an issue paid for by interest groups or individuals but not candidates. Much issue advocacy is actually “for” a candidate, but avoids key words like “vote for/ against”. Regulated started in 2004.
Independent Expenditures
Money spent by individuals or groups not associated with candidates to elect or defeat people for office.
Super PACS
An independent expenditure-only committee first allowed in 2010 after court decisions allowing unlimited contributions to such PACS. Important in 2010 and 2012.
Mass Media
Means of communication that reach the public
New Media
Media that emphasize the news
24/7 News Cycle
News is now constantly updated and presented via Internet sites.
Political socialization
The process by which we develop our political attitudes, values, and beliefs.
Selective Exposure
Process by which individuals screen out the messages that do not conform to their own biases.
Selective Perception
The process by which individuals perceive what they want in media messages. (Watching to be informed vs. to be entertained)
Horse Race
A close contest; any contest in which the focus is on who is ahead and by how much instead of substantial differences between the candidates
Constituents
Residents of a congressional district or state
Reapportionment
The assigning by Congress every ten years with each census of deciding how many congressional seats each state gets
Redistricting
Redrawing of congressional district lines following the census to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population.
Gerrymandering
Drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit an party, group, or incumbent.
Two types of gerrymandering?
- Cracking: Majority party splits strong minority district into pieces to be merged with other districts.
- Packing: Merges pieces of majority party in its weak districts into a single, strong district.
Safe Seat
An elected office that is predictable won by one party, taken for granted.
Earmarks
Special spending projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of congress for their constituents.
Enumerated Powers
Powers given explicitly to Congress in the Constitution.
Speaker
The presiding officer in the House of Representative, formally elected by the house but selected by the majority party.
Party Caucus
A meeting of the members of a party in a legislative chamber to select party leaders and to develop party policy.
Majority Leader
Legislative leader selected by the majority party who helps plan party strategy, confers with other party leaders, and tries to keep members in line.
Minority Leader
Legislative leader selected by minority party as spokesperson for opposition.
Whip
The party leader who is the liaison between the leadership and the rank-and-file in the legislature.
Closed Rule
Procedural rule in the HoR that prohibits any amendments to bills or provides that only members of the committee reporting the bill may offer amendments.
Open Rule
Procedural rule in the HoR that permits floor amendments within the overall time allocated to the bill.
President Pro tempore
An officer of the Senate selected by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the vice president.
Filibuster
Practice in the senate where a senator refuses to relinquish the floor and delays proceedings and prevents a vote on a controversial issue.
Cloture
A procedure for terminating debate, especially filibusters, in the Senate.
Standing Committee
Permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area.
Special or Select Committee
Created for a specific purpose, sometimes to conduct an investigation (like 9/11)
Joint Committee
Composed of members from both parts of Congress, oversee Library of Congress and conduct investigations.
Seniority Rule
Legislative Practice that assigns the chair of a committee to the member of the majority party with the longest continuous service on the committee.
Conference committee
Fixes differences between bill passed by the two chambers, majority is given more seats to fill but both parties represented.
Discharge Petition
Used only by the House. If used, it takes bill from committee and brings it to the floor for consideration.
Rider
A provision attached to the bill in order to secure its passage or defeat.
Pocket Veto
Veto by President after Congress has adjourned. No action for 10 days, returned to Congress for possible override.
Override
Action by Congress to reverse a presidential veto, requires 2/3 majority in both chambers
Delegate
Interpretation that representative should represent the opinion of the people despite personal preference
Trustee
Interpretation that representative should vote independently based on his preferences, not people he represents.
Logrolling
Mutual aid and trading among legislators (vote for this, I’ll vote for that)
Attentive Public
Citizens that follow public affairs closely
Polarization
Extent to which people occupy the more extreme positions on ideological spectrum.
Parliamentary Government
Chief executive is the leader of majority party in legislature.
Presidential Ticket
Required by 12th amendment that pres and vice pres candidates be listed on the same ballot.
Vesting clause
President’s constitutional authority to control most executive functions.
Treaty must be approved by how much?
2/3 of Senate
Executive Agreement
formal agreement between US pres and other nations leaders that don’t require Senate approval
Congressional-executive agreement
formal agreement between US and other nations that do require approval by Congress
Recess Appointment
appointment made by pres without Senate approval during Senate recess
Take Care Clause
Article 2, Section 3: Presidents faithfully execute laws even if they disagree with them.
Inherent Powers
Powers that grow out of the very existence of governemt
State of the Union Address
Annual address of pres to Congress and nation
Signing Statements
Document that says why a pres is signing a bill. Contains disagreements and promises not to implement key sections.
War Power Resolution
Passed in 1973, requires pres to give advance notice of military attack or ask Congress for declaration of war
Executive Memorandum
Less powerful order to an agency to undertake particular action, not force of law
Impoundment
Decision of pres not to spend money appropriated by Congress, now prohibited
line item vetoo
Presidential power to remove specific items from a spending bill without vetoing entire package, now unconstitutional
EOP
Executive Office of the President: Help president carry out their responsibilities
OMB
Office of Management and Budget: Part of EOP, clearinghouse for budgetary requests and management improvements for government agencies.
Presidential Support Score
Number of times a president wins on key votes in Congress
Mandate
Presidents claim of broad public support to govern
Political Capital
Amount of overall public approval that a pres can use to win support for major decisions
Rally Point
Rise in public approval that follows a crisis (ex- 9/11 around Bush)
Social Capital
Value of Social Contracts, associations, and networks people form that can foster cooperation.
Intensity
How strongly someone holds an opinion
latency
Political opinions that are held but not expressed
manifest opinion
widely held opinion, such as abortion or homeland security
salience
belief of an individual that an issue is important to them
Prospective Issue Voting
voting based on what someone says they will do about an issue if elected
Retrospective Issue Voting
Holding incumbents responsible for their records on issues
