Politcal Jargon

Question 1

“The Hill”

Answer 1

short for Capitol Hill

Question 2

bipartisan

Answer 2

of or involving the agreement or cooperation of two political parties that usually oppose each other’s policies

Question 3

Blue State

Answer 3

a US state that predominantly votes for or supports the Democratic Party

Question 4

Bully Pulpit

Answer 4

a public office or position of authority that provides its occupant with an outstanding opportunity to speak out on any issue.

Question 5

Coattails Effect

Answer 5

the tendency for a popular political party leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election. For example, in the United States, the party of a victorious presidential candidate will often win many seats in Congress as well; these Members of Congress are voted into office “on the coattails” of the president.

Question 6

Conservative

Answer 6

holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in relation to politics. The central tenets of conservatism include tradition, human imperfection, organic society, hierarchy and authority and property rights.

Question 7

Constituent

Answer 7

being a voting member of a community or organization and having the power to appoint or elect.

Question 8

Demographics

Answer 8

statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within it.

Question 9

Earmark

Answer 9

designate (something, typically funds or resources) for a particular purpose.

Question 10

Entitlements

Answer 10

a government program guaranteeing access to some benefit by members of a specific group and based on established rights or by legislation

Question 11

Flip-flopper

Answer 11

a sudden change of policy or opinion by a public official.

Question 12

Free-Rider Problem

Answer 12

occurs when those who benefit from resources, goods, or services do not pay for them, which results in an underprovision of those goods or services.

Question 13

Gender Gap

Answer 13

the discrepancy in opportunities, status, attitudes, etc., between men and women.

Question 14

Gerrymandering

Answer 14

manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favor one party or class

Question 15

GOP

Answer 15

Grand Old Party (Republican Party)

Question 16

Grassroots

Answer 16

A movement in which one uses the people in a given district, region, or community as the basis for a political or economic movement.

Question 17

Gridlock

Answer 17

“political stalemate” refers to a situation when there is difficulty passing laws that satisfy the needs of the people.

Question 18

Independent Expenditure

Answer 18

a political campaign communication that expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate that is not made in cooperation, consultation or concert with or at the request or suggestion of a candidate, candidate’s authorized committee or political party.

Question 19

Inside the Beltway

Answer 19

an American idiom used to characterize matters that are, or seem to be, important primarily to officials of the U.S. federal government

Question 20

K Street

Answer 20

a major thoroughfare in the United States capital of Washington, D.C. known as a center for numerous think tanks, lobbyists, and advocacy groups

Question 21

Lameduck

Answer 21

An elected official who is approaching the end of their tenure. The official is often seen as having less influence with other politicians due to their limited time left in office.

Question 22

Liberal

Answer 22

A political and moral philosophy based on liberty and equality. They generally support civil rights, democracy, secularism, gender and race equality, internationalism and the freedoms of speech, the press, religion and markets.

Question 23

Libertarian

Answer 23

A collection of political philosophies and movements that uphold liberty as a core principle. Libertarians seek to maximize political freedom and autonomy, emphasizing freedom of choice, voluntary association and individual judgment. Libertarians share a skepticism of authority and state power, but they diverge on the scope of their opposition to existing political and economic systems

Question 24

Litigation

Answer 24

the process of taking legal action.

Question 25

Lobbyist

Answer 25

a person who takes part in an organized attempt to influence legislators

Question 26

Logrolling

Answer 26

the practice of exchanging favors, especially in politics by reciprocal voting for each other’s proposed legislation.

Question 27

Mandate

Answer 27

the authority to carry out a policy or course of action, regarded as given by the electorate to a candidate or party that is victorious in an election.

Question 28

Partisan

Answer 28

a committed member of a political party or political coalitions

Question 29

Party Platform

Answer 29

a list of the values and actions which are supported by a political party or individual candidate, in order to appeal to the general public, for the ultimate purpose of garnering the general public’s support and votes about complicated topics or issues.

Question 30

Polarization

Answer 30

the divergence of political attitudes to ideological extremes.

Question 31

Political Action Committee (PAC)

Answer 31

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

Question 32

Political Culture

Answer 32

set of attitudes, beliefs and sentiments that give order and meaning to a political process and which provide the underlying assumptions and rules that govern behavior in the political system

Question 33

Political Efficacy

Answer 33

the citizens’ faith and trust in government and their belief that they can understand and influence political affairs.

Question 34

Political Socialization

Answer 34

a learning process by which norms and behavior acceptable to a well running political system are transmitted from one generation to another.

Question 35

Political Suicide

Answer 35

a concept by which a politician or political party loses widespread support and confidence from the voting public by proposing actions that are seen as unfavorable or that might threaten the status quo.

Question 36

Pork Barrel Spending

Answer 36

a metaphor for the appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative’s district.

Question 37

POTUS

Answer 37

President of the United States

Question 38

Rank and File

Answer 38

the ordinary members of an organization

Question 39

Red State

Answer 39

a US state that predominantly votes for or supports the Republican Party.

Question 40

Red Tape

Answer 40

an idiom that refers to excessive regulation or rigid conformity to formal rules that is considered redundant or bureaucratic and hinders or prevents action or decision-making.

Question 41

Safe Seat

Answer 41

a legislative seat that is likely to be retained with a large majority in an election.

Question 42

SCOTUS

Answer 42

Supreme Court of the United States.

Question 43

Sound Bite

Answer 43

a short clip of speech or music extracted from a longer piece of audio

Question 44

Spin Control

Answer 44

an attempt to give a bias to news coverage, especially of a political candidate or event.

Question 45

Stump Speech

Answer 45

a speech repeatedly delivered by a politician during their campaign for election or re-election to public office

Question 46

Super PAC

Answer 46

a type of independent political action committee which may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, and individuals but is not permitted to contribute to or coordinate directly with parties or candidates.

Question 47

Superdelegate

Answer 47

(in the Democratic Party) an unelected delegate who is free to support any candidate for the presidential nomination at the party’s national convention.

Question 48

Swing State

Answer 48

a US state where the two major political parties have similar levels of support among voters, viewed as important in determining the overall result of a presidential election.

Question 49

Talking Points

Answer 49

a topic that invites discussion or argument.

Question 50

Whistle Blower

Answer 50

a person who exposes any kind of information or activity that is deemed illegal, unethical, or not correct within an organization that is either private or public