Political Jargon Summer 2018 Flashcards
To learn
“The Hill”
An American political newspaper and website.
Bipartisan
Involving cooperation, agreement, and compromise between two major political parties.
Blue State
A US state that supports the Democratic Party.
Bully Pulpit
The opportunity to speak out on any issue.
Coattails Effect
Attracting votes for other candidates of the same party in an election.
Conservative
Retaining to traditional values and attitudes of politics.
Constituent
A voter or an elector.
Demographics
Statistical data regarding population and groups within it.
Earmark
A congressional directive that funds should be spent on a specific project.
Entitlements
A government program that provides benefits to any individual meeting certain eligibility requirements.
Flip-flopper
Someone who suddenly changes his or her opinion or policy.
Free-Rider Problem
Occurs when those who benefit from resources, public goods, or services do not pay for them, which results in an under provision of those goods or services.
Gender Gap
Difference in opportunities, status, attitudes, between men and women.
Gerrymandering
A practice intended to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating district boundaries.
GOP
Also known as the Republican Party.
Grassroots
Uses the people in a given district, region, or community as the basis for a political or economic movement.
Gridlock
A traffic jam affecting a whole network of intersecting streets.
Independent Expenditure
Spending by political action committees, corporations, or labor unions that is done to help a party or candidate but is done independently of them.
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
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
An elected official whose successor has already been elected.
Liberal
Favoring maximum individual liberty in political and social reform.
Libertarian
A person who believes in the doctrine of free will.
Litigation
The process of taking legal action.
Lobbyist
A person who takes part in an organized attempt to influence legislators.
