political jargon Flashcards
Bipartisan
involving the agreement or cooperation of two political parties that usually oppose each other’s policies
Blue state
US state that predominantly votes for or supports the Democratic Party
Bully Pulpit
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
a voting member of a community or organization and having the power to appoint or elect
Demographic
particular sector of a population
Earmark
congressional directive that funds should be spent on a specific project
Entitlement
he amount to which a person has a right.
Flip-Flopper
a person, especially a politician, who suddenly changes his or her opinion or policy He described his opponent as a flip-flopper.
Free-rider Problem
The problem faced by unions and other groups when people do not join because they can benefit from the groups’ activities without officially joinin
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
The Republican Party, on its official web site, points out that Grand Old Party - while certainly the accepted meaning for GOP, for many years - is not the original meaning, or even the only one
Grassroots
the most basic level of an activity or organization.
Gridlock
another term for deadlock
Independent Expenditure
in elections in the United States, is a political campaign communication that expressly advocates for the election or defeat
Inside the Beltway
is an American idiom used to characterize matters that are, or seem to be, important primarily to officials of the U.S. federal government,
K Street
s 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
one that is weak or that falls behind in ability or achievement; especially, chiefly British an ailing company. or, an elected official or group continuing to hold political office during the period between the election and the inauguration of a successor.
Liberal
open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values
Libertarian
a person who believes in the doctrine of free will
Litigation
he process of taking legal action
Lobbyist
persuasion, or interest representation is the act of attempting 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 order or commission to do something
Partisan
a strong supporter of a party, cause, or person
Party Platform
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
division into two sharply contrasting groups or sets of opinions or beliefs
Political Action Committee (PAC)
is an organization that pools campaign contributions from members and donates those funds to campaign for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation
Political Culture
is 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
is the citizens’ faith and trust in government and their belief that they can understand and influence political affairs
Political Socialization
is a lifelong process by which people form their ideas about politics and acquire political values
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
s a metaphor for the appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative’s district
POTUS
President of the United states
Rank and File
he ordinary members of an organization as opposed to its leaders
Red State
refers to states where the Republican candidate carried the electoral vote
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
supreme court of the united states
Sound Bite
a short extract from a recorded interview, chosen for its pungency or appropriateness
Spin Control
he act or practice of attempting to manipulate the way an event is interpreted by others political spin control
Stump Speech
is a standard campaign speech used by someone running for public 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 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
Whistle Blower
a person who informs on a person or organization engaged in an illicit activity
’’ the hill “
A nickname for capitol hill
