Political Jargon Flashcards
“The Hill”
a phrase referring to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., where Congress meets.
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
or down-ballot effect is the tendency for a popular political party leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election.
Conservative
believe in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional American values and a strong national defense. Believe the role of government should be to provide people the freedom necessary to pursue their own goals.
Constituent
a legislator who is an agent of the voters who elected him or her and who votes according to the view of constituents regardless of personal beliefs.
Demographics
characteristics of a population, including age, sex, and race. Demographics are often used to determine changes in the make-up of a population.
Earmark
pet projects added to appropriation bills by congressmen, called “wasteful spending” and “pork barrel legislation” by critics.
Entitlements
those benefits guaranteed by law paid to individuals by the fed gov, such as social security.
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
manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favor one party or class.
GOP
Grand Old Party, another way of identifying the Republican Party.
Grassroots
political participation at the local level.
Gridlock
or deadlock or political stalemate refers to a situation when there is difficulty passing laws that satisfy the needs of the people. A government is gridlocked when the ratio between bills passed and the agenda of the legislature decreases.
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, candidate’s authorized committee or political party.
Inside the Beltway
an American idiom used to characterize matters that are, or seem to be, important primarily to officials of the U.S. federal government, to its contractors and lobbyists, and to the corporate media who cover them—as opposed to the interests and priorities of the general U.S. population.
K Street
a major thoroughfare in the United States capital of Washington, D.C. known as a center for numerous think tanks, lobbyists, and advocacy groups.
Lameduck
is an elected official whose successor has already been elected.
Liberal
person who believes in greater government intervention, higher taxes, and a smaller military.
Libertarian
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.
Litigation
an action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation.
Lobbyist
any attempt by individuals or private interest groups to influence the decisions of government; in its original meaning it referred to efforts to influence the votes of legislators, generally in the lobby outside the legislative chamber.
Logrolling
the practice of exchanging favors, especially in politics by reciprocal voting for each other’s proposed legislation.
Mandate
a commission by which a party is entrusted to perform a service, especially without payment and with indemnity against loss by that party.
Partisan
a committed member of a political party or political coalitions. In multi-party systems, the term is used for politicians who strongly support their party’s policies and are reluctant to compromise with their political opponents.
Party Platform
or program is 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
refers to the cases in which an individual’s stance on a given issue, policy, or person is more likely to be strictly defined by their identification with a particular political party or ideology.
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.
Political Culture
the fundamental values that people have about their government and how these values translate into voting patterns.
Political Efficacy
is the citizens’ faith and trust in government and their belief that they can understand and influence political affairs. It is commonly measured by surveys and is used as an indicator for the broader health of civil society.
Political Socialization
factors that determine voting behavior such as family, religion, and ethnic background.
Political Suicide
is 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
practice of legislators obtaining funds through legislation that favors their home districts.
POTUS
the President of the United States.
Rank and File
the broad range of party members, more active than the average voter registered with a party.
Red State
a US state that predominantly votes for or supports the Republican Party.
Red Tape
used to describe the difficulty it takes to get answers from a bureaucratic agency.
Safe Seat
an electoral district in a legislative body, which is regarded as fully secure, for either a certain political party, or the incumbent representative personally or a combination of both.
SCOTUS
the Supreme Court of the United States.
Sound Bite
a very short part of a speech or statement, especially one made by a politician, that is broadcast on a radio or television news program.
Spin Control
the act or practice of attempting to manipulate the way an event is interpreted by others.
Stump Speech
is 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
an unpledged delegate to the Democratic National Convention who is seated automatically and chooses for themselves for whom they vote.
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
in discourse is a succinct statement designed to support persuasively one side taken on an issue.
Whistle Blower
is an employee that reports an employer’s misconduct.
