Political Jargon

Question 1

“The Hill”

Answer 1

a phrase referring to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., where Congress meets.

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

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.

Question 6

Conservative

Answer 6

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.

Question 7

Constituent

Answer 7

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.

Question 8

Demographics

Answer 8

characteristics of a population, including age, sex, and race. Demographics are often used to determine changes in the make-up of a population.

Question 9

Earmark

Answer 9

pet projects added to appropriation bills by congressmen, called “wasteful spending” and “pork barrel legislation” by critics.

Question 10

Entitlements

Answer 10

those benefits guaranteed by law paid to individuals by the fed gov, such as social security.

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

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.

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, another way of identifying the Republican Party.

Question 16

Grassroots

Answer 16

political participation at the local level.

Question 17

Gridlock

Answer 17

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.

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, 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, 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.

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

is an elected official whose successor has already been elected.

Question 22

Liberal

Answer 22

person who believes in greater government intervention, higher taxes, and a smaller military.

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.

Question 24

Litigation

Answer 24

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.

Question 25

Lobbyist

Answer 25

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.

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

a commission by which a party is entrusted to perform a service, especially without payment and with indemnity against loss by that party.

Question 28

Partisan

Answer 28

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.

Question 29

Party Platform

Answer 29

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.

Question 30

Polarization

Answer 30

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.

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.

Question 32

Political Culture

Answer 32

the fundamental values that people have about their government and how these values translate into voting patterns.

Question 33

Political Efficacy

Answer 33

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.

Question 34

Political Socialization

Answer 34

factors that determine voting behavior such as family, religion, and ethnic background.

Question 35

Political Suicide

Answer 35

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.

Question 36

Pork Barrel Spending

Answer 36

practice of legislators obtaining funds through legislation that favors their home districts.

Question 37

POTUS

Answer 37

the President of the United States.

Question 38

Rank and File

Answer 38

the broad range of party members, more active than the average voter registered with a party.

Question 39

Red State

Answer 39

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

Question 40

Red Tape

Answer 40

used to describe the difficulty it takes to get answers from a bureaucratic agency.

Question 41

Safe Seat

Answer 41

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.

Question 42

SCOTUS

Answer 42

the Supreme Court of the United States.

Question 43

Sound Bite

Answer 43

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.

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

is 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

an unpledged delegate to the Democratic National Convention who is seated automatically and chooses for themselves for whom they vote.

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

in discourse is a succinct statement designed to support persuasively one side taken on an issue.

Question 50

Whistle Blower

Answer 50

is an employee that reports an employer’s misconduct.