Political Jargon

Question 1

“The Hill”

Answer 1

a top US political website, read by the White House and more lawmakers than any other site– vital for policy, politics and election campaigns

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 fro a popular political party leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election

Question 6

Conservative

Answer 6

holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in relation to politics or religion

Question 7

Conatituent

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

a congressional directive that funds should be spent on a specific project

Question 10

Entitlements

Answer 10

a Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets eligibility criteria established by law

Question 11

Flip-Flopper

Answer 11

a person, especially a politician, who suddenly changes his or her opinion or policy

Question 12

Free-Rider Problem

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Gender Gap

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Gerrymandering

Answer 14

a practice intended to establish a political advantage fro a particular party or group by manipulating district boundaries

Question 15

GOP

Answer 15

“Grand Old Party”, also referred to as the Republican Party, is one of the two major political parties in the US

Question 16

Grassroots

Answer 16

movement that uses the people in a given district, region, or community as the basis for a political or economic movement

Question 17

Gridlock

Answer 17

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 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

Question 19

Inside the Beltway

Answer 19

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

Question 20

K Street

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Lame Duck

Answer 21

an official (especially the president) in the final period of office, after the election of a successor

Question 22

Liberal

Answer 22

open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional views

Question 23

Libertarianism

Answer 23

a collection of political philosophies and movements that uphold liberty as a core principal

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 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

Question 29

Party Platform

Answer 29

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

Question 30

Polarization

Answer 30

division into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs

Question 31

Political Action Committee (PAC)

Answer 31

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

Question 32

Political Culture

Answer 32

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

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

lifelong process by which people form their ideas about politics and acquire political values.

Question 35

Political Suicide

Answer 35

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

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

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

Question 38

Rank and File

Answer 38

the ordinary members of an organization as opposed to its leaders.

Question 39

Red State

Answer 39

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

Question 40

Red Tape

Answer 40

excessive bureaucracy or adherence to rules and formalities, especially in public business

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

The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest federal court of the United States

Question 43

sound bite

Answer 43

a short extract from a recorded interview, chosen for its pungency or appropriateness

Question 44

Spin Control

Answer 44

the act or practice of attempting to manipulate the way an event is interpreted by others

Question 45

stump speech

Answer 45

a standard speech used by a politician running for 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

whistleblower

Answer 50

a person who informs on a person or organization engaged in an illicit activity