Political Jargon Flashcards
“The Hill”
a top US political website, read by the White House and more lawmakers than any other site– vital for policy, politics and election campaigns
Bipartisan
of or involving the agreement or cooperation of two political parties that usually oppose each other’s policies
Blue State
a US state that predominantly votes for or supports the Democratic Party
Bully Pulpit
a public office or position of authority that provides its occupant with an outstanding opportunity to speak out on any issue
Coattails Effect
the tendency fro a popular political party leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election
Conservative
holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in relation to politics or religion
Conatituent
being a voting member of a community or organization and having the power to appoint or elect
Demographics
statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within it
Earmark
a congressional directive that funds should be spent on a specific project
Entitlements
a Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets eligibility criteria established by law
Flip-Flopper
a person, especially a politician, who suddenly changes his or her opinion or policy
Free-Rider Problem
occurs when those who benefit from resources, public goods, or services do not pay fro them, which results in an underprovision of those goods and services
Gender Gap
the discrepancy in opportunities, status, attitudes, etc., between men and women
Gerrymandering
a practice intended to establish a political advantage fro a particular party or group by manipulating district boundaries
GOP
“Grand Old Party”, also referred to as the Republican Party, is one of the two major political parties in the US
Grassroots
movement that uses the people in a given district, region, or community as the basis for a political or economic movement
Gridlock
a situation when there is difficulty passing laws that satisfy the needs of the people
Independent Expenditure
a political campaign communication that expressly advocates for 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
Inside the Beltway
an idiom used to characterize matters that are, or seem to be, important primarily to officials of the US federal government, to its contractors and lobbyists, ans to the corporate media who cover them- as opposed to the interests and priorities of the general US population
K Street
major thoroughfare in the US capital of Washington, D.C. known as a center for numerous think tanks, lobbyists and advocacy groups
Lame Duck
an official (especially the president) in the final period of office, after the election of a successor
Liberal
open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional views
Libertarianism
a collection of political philosophies and movements that uphold liberty as a core principal
Litigation
the process of taking legal action
Lobbyist
a person who takes part in an organized attempt to influence legislators
Logrolling
the practice of exchanging favors, especially in politics by reciprocal voting for each other’s proposed legislation
Mandate
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
Partisan
a member of an armed group formed to fight secretly against an occupying force, in particular one operating in enemy-occupied Yugoslavia, Italy, and parts of eastern Europe in World War II
Party Platform
a formal set of principle goals 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
Polarization
division into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs
Political Action Committee (PAC)
A popular term for a political committee organized for the purpose of raising and spending money to elect and defeat candidates. Most PACs represent business, labor or ideological interests
Political Culture
he set of attitudes, beliefs, and sentiments which give order and meaning to a political process and which provide the underlying assumptions and rules that govern behavior in the political system
Political Efficacy
the citizens’ faith and trust in government and their belief that they can understand and influence political affairs
Political Socialization
lifelong process by which people form their ideas about politics and acquire political values.
Political Suicide
An unpopular action that is likely to cause a politician’s subsequent defeat at the polls or be cause for him or her to resign from public office
Pork Barrel Spending
a metaphor for the appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative’s district
POTUS
The President of the United States, officially known as the President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America
Rank and File
the ordinary members of an organization as opposed to its leaders.
Red State
a US state that predominantly votes for or supports the Republican Party.
Red Tape
excessive bureaucracy or adherence to rules and formalities, especially in public business
Safe Seat
a legislative seat that is likely to be retained with a large majority in an election
SCOTUS
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest federal court of the United States
sound bite
a short extract from a recorded interview, chosen for its pungency or appropriateness
Spin Control
the act or practice of attempting to manipulate the way an event is interpreted by others
stump speech
a standard speech used by a politician running for office
super PAC
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
superdelegate
(in the Democratic Party) an unelected delegate who is free to support any candidate for the presidential nomination at the party’s national convention
swing state
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
talking points
a topic that invites discussion or argument
whistleblower
a person who informs on a person or organization engaged in an illicit activity
