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AP US Government > Monster Vocab > Flashcards

Monster Vocab Flashcards

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1
Q

An argument filed with a court by an individual or group who is not a party to a lawsuit.

A

Amicus curiae

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2
Q

Federal money given to the states with few restrictions about how it should be spent.

A

Block grants

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3
Q

When congressional staff help a constituent solve a problem.

A

Casework

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4
Q

Money given by the federal government to the states to be used for a narrowly defined purpose.

A

Categorical grants

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5
Q

Face-to-face meetings of party members at the local or state level to determine their party’s candidate for office.

A

Caucus

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6
Q

A vote by party members to determine their party’s candidate for office, which is restricted to those who are registered to the party.

A

Closed primary

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7
Q

A system where the federal government and the states work together in funding and administering programs.

A

Cooperative federalism

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8
Q

An election where new coalitions of voters have formed, beginning a new party era.

A

Critical elections

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9
Q

When voters no longer identify with one of the two major parties and become independent voters.

A

Dealignment

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10
Q

The statistical characteristics of a population.

A

Demographics

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11
Q

A process by which the national government gives more power and authority to the states.

A

Devolution

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12
Q

When the president is from one political party and one or both houses of Congress are controlled by the opposing political party.

A

Divided government

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13
Q

Promises made by the government to an identifiable group of people who are guaranteed benefits.

A

Entitlements

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14
Q

A presidential directive.

A

Executive order

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15
Q

Powers that are given to an institution of government directly in the Constitution, such as Congress’s power to tax.

A

Expressed powers

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16
Q

A system of government where power is shared between the national government and the states in which the states have some protected powers.

A

Federalism

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17
Q

A procedure used in the Senate to talk a bill to death.

A

Filibuster

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18
Q

The use of spending by the national government through the grant process to influence state policies.

A

Fiscal federalism

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19
Q

Impacting the economy through taxing and spending in the budget.

A

Fiscal policy

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20
Q

The free mail and electronic signature system used by members of Congress.

A

Franking privilege

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21
Q

The tendency of men to support candidates from the Republican Party at greater rates than women.

A

Gender gap

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22
Q

An election to select the person who will hold office.

A

General election

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23
Q

Drawing congressional district boundaries to benefit a group, usually a political party.

A

Gerrymandering

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24
Q

Ordinary citizens raising awareness for a cause and pushing the government to adopt a particular policy.

A

Grassroots lobbying

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25
Q

The tendency of the media to focus on which candidate is ahead in the polls rather than focusing on the issues.

A

Horse race journalism

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26
Q

Powers that are necessary to carry out an expressed power in the Constitution, like the power of Congress to establish a bank.

A

Implied powers

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27
Q

An officeholder who is running for reelection.

A

Incumbent

28
Q

Money spent on ads that are not sponsored by a candidate or
party.

A

Independent expenditures

29
Q

Powers that are naturally derived from the duties of a specific government position, such as Thomas Jefferson’s power as president to purchase the Louisiana Territory.

A

Inherent powers

30
Q

An organization that advocates for policies through lobbying, electioneering, grassroots mobilization and protesting.

A

Interest group

31
Q

A relationship between interest groups, agencies, and congressional committees in a certain policy area.

A

Issue network (iron triangle)

32
Q

A philosophy that the Supreme Court should make bold new policy.

A

Judicial activism

33
Q

The power of the Supreme Court to overturn a law or executive action as unconstitutional.

A

Judicial review

34
Q

The time during which a president who has lost an election or has ended a second term is still in office before the new president serves.

A

Lame duck period

35
Q

A lawsuit.

A

Litigation

36
Q

Efforts by an interest group or individual to contact a member of Congress and advocate for a particular policy.

A

Lobbying

37
Q

When members of Congress trade votes for favors in order to get the bills they support passed.

A

Logrolling

38
Q

Expenditures that the federal government is obligated to make, like entitlements and interest on the national debt.

A

Mandatory spending

39
Q

An election in which voters select members of Congress but not the president.

A

Midterm election

40
Q

Influencing the economy though federal interest rates, reserve rates, and the amount of money in circulation.

A

Monetary policy

41
Q

A vote by 60 senators to end a filibuster.

A

Motion for cloture

42
Q

An election to determine a party’s candidate for office in which that party’s members and unaffiliated voters may vote.

A

Open primary

43
Q

Making judicial decisions by considering what the founding fathers meant in the Constitution.

A

Original intent

44
Q

Congressional committee hearings held to determine how well an agency is doing its job.

A

Oversight

45
Q

An organization that is registered with the Federal Election Committee and donates money to a candidate or campaign.

A

PAC (Political Action Committee)

46
Q

When political parties move farther away from each other ideologically and also move away from the center.

A

Party polarization

47
Q

A theory of government in which many groups compete for policy.

A

Pluralism

48
Q

When a president does not sign a bill within 10 days when Congress is not in session.

A

Pocket veto

49
Q

Problems that have the attention of the government and the public.

A

Policy agenda

50
Q

The shared political values of a society.

A

Political culture

51
Q

An individual’s belief that his or her political participation can make a difference.

A

Political efficacy

52
Q

A group of individuals who organize to run candidates for office.

A

Political party

53
Q

The process by which an individual develops his or her political beliefs.

A

Political socialization

54
Q

A provision in a bill that benefits a specific congressional constituency.

A

Pork barrel spending

55
Q

The process through which voters leave one of the major party coalition and join the other major party’s coalition.

A

Realignment

56
Q

Changing congressional district boundaries based on a new census.

A

Redistricting

57
Q

The process by which the Bill of Rights has been applied to the
states on a case-by-case basis through the Fourteenth Amendment.

A

Selective incorporation

58
Q

The electoral system used to select members of the House of Representatives.

A

Single-member districts

59
Q

When a court follows precedent by letting a previous decision stand.

A

Stare decisis

60
Q

The right to vote.

A

Suffrage

61
Q

An organization, which need not disclose its members that can spend a vast and unlimited amount of money on a political campaign.

A

Super PAC

62
Q

Expenditures that the federal government cannot realistically reduce because they are required by law.

A

Uncontrollable spending

63
Q

A federal requirement that forces the states to spend their own money.

A

Unfunded mandate

64
Q

The president’s personal assistants and advisors.

A

White House staff

65
Q

A document issued by the Supreme Court if it has agreed to hear a case.

A

Writ of certiorari

AP US Government (2 decks)

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