Political Jargon Flashcards
Knowing these words will help you digest and understand many of the current event articles you will come across this summer and throughout the school year.
“The Hill”
An American political newspaper and website published in Washington, D.C. since 1994. It is 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 for 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.
Constituent
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 the eligibility criteria established by law.
Flip-flopper
A person, especially a politician, who suddenly changes his or her opinion or policy.
Free-Rider Problem
A market failure that occurs when people take advantage of being able to use a common resource, or collective good, without paying for it, as is the case when citizens of a country utilize public goods without paying their fair share in taxes.
Gender Gap
The discrepancy in opportunities, status, attitudes, etc., between men and women.
Gerrymandering
A practice intended to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating district boundaries.
GOP
“Grand Old Party”; the Republican Party.
Grassroots
A movement which uses the people in a given district, region, or community as the basis for a political or economic movement.
Gridlock
A situation in which nothing can move or proceed in any direction.
Independent Expediture
The Supreme Court has ruled that individuals, groups, and parties can spend unlimited amounts in campaigns for or against candidates as long as they operate independently from the candidates. When an individual, group, or party does so, they are making an ________________.
Inside the Beltway
When a concern only matters to the people who work in the federal government and is of little interest to the nation at large.
K Street
A shorthand term for Washington lobbyists; location of the offices of nearly seven thousand organizations that are represented in Washington.
Lameduck
A politician whose power has been diminished because he or she is about to leave office as a result of electoral defeat or statutory limitation.
Liberal
A political and moral philosophy based on liberty and equality.
Libertarian
A collection of political philosophies and movements that uphold liberty as a core principle.
Litigation
A legal proceeding in a court; a judicial contest to determine and enforce legal rights.
Lobbyist
An individual who attempts to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of officials in their daily life, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies.
Logrolling
The practice of exchanging favors, especially in politics by reciprocal voting for each other’s proposed legislation.
Mandate
An official or authoritative instruction or command. politics the support or commission given to a government and its policies or an elected representative and his policies through an electoral victory.
Partisan
A committed member of a political party or political coalitions.
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
When two opposing sides feel intensely about an issue that is difficult to compromise on.
Political Action Committee (PAC)
A private group that raises and distributes funds for use in election campaigns.
Political Culture
The 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
The process through which an individuals learn a set of political attitudes and form opinions about social issues.
Political Suicide
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.
Pork Barrel Spending
The appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured primarily to bring money to a representative’s district; term is used in derogatory fashion to attack opponents.
POTUS
President of the United States.
Rank and File
Party members who are more active than the average voter but not a party leader.
Red State
A US state that predominantly votes for or supports the Republican Party.
Red Tape
Collection or sequence of forms and procedures required to gain bureaucratic approval for something, especially when oppressively complex and time-consuming; hinders or prevents action or decision making.
Safe Seat
A legislative seat that is likely to be retained with a large majority in an election.
SCOTUS
Supreme Court of the United States
Sound Bite
A short extract from a recorded interview; a brief memorable comment that can easily be fit into news broadcasts.
Spin Control
Placing a certain slant on a story to deflect negative public attention against a candidate or office holder.
Stump Speech
A standard speech used by a politician running for office while on campaign trail.
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
Democratic: a delegate to the DNC who is seated automatically and can vote for whomever they want (includes distinguished party leaders, and elected officials (democratic congressmen and governors); their votes are not based on the vote of the American people
Republican: delegates to the RNC who are seated automatically. However, they are limited to 3 per state consisting of the state chairperson and two district-level committee members; they are obliged to vote for their state’s popular vote.
Swing State
A state that does not consistently vote republican or democratic in presidential elections; such states receive a large share of attention during campaigns; non-swing states are often called safe states.
Talking Points
A statement designed to support persuasively one side taken on an issue.
Whistle Blower
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
