vocabulary Flashcards
Power
The ability to cause someone to do something they would not otherwise do
Constitution
A set of basic laws that structure a government
Liberty
The most important American value:
- Declaration of independence
- Constitution
- Pledge of Allegiance
- National Anthem
Incitement
Speech that advocates and is likely to provoke imminent lawless action
Fighting words
Speech directed at a target in order to provoke a violent response
Obscenity
Offensive depictions of sexual conduct with no redeeming social value
Suffrage
The right to vote
Aspects that influence Public Opinion
Salience
Priming
Framing
Salience
The quality of being readily called to mind
Priming
The process by which a particular consideration is made more salient
Framing
Priming based on how a question or issue is presented
Bicameral
Consisting of two chambers
Whip
A member of Congress whose job is to get fellow party members to vote together
Gridlock
The absence of congressional action due to internal disagreement
Pork
National funding for projects an individual states or congressional districts
Gerrymander
A district drawn to influence election outcomes by including certain voters and excluding others
Filibuster
A tactic for delaying Senate proceedings by extending debate indefinitely
Impeachment
The charging of a federal officer with treason, bribery, or “high crimes and misdemeanors
Interest Group
An organised group seeking to influence public policy which does not nominate its own candidates to run elections
Lobbying
Attempting to persuade government officials to act in a certain way
Grassroots Lobbying
A form of lobbying -> encourages the public to contact and attempt to persuade government officials through letters, phone calls, or emails
Amicus Curiae
A brief filed by an individual or group not directly involved in a court case in order to influence the court’s ruling
PAC (Political Action Committee)
An interest group whose sole purpose is to raise money and spend it on political campaigns; maximum $5000 per year on candidadates
Super PAC
Same as PAC, but without fundraising limits and cannot coordinate directly with candidates or parties
Selective Initiative
A benefit available only to those who contribute to a group effort
Iron Triangle
Mutually beneficial relationship between a congressional committee or subcommittee, a bureaucratic agency and an interest group
Single-member District
A type of electoral system in which each individual election produces a single winner assigned to a particular area
General Election
An election to determine who will hold an elected office
Primary Election
An election to determine the nominee of a party for an elected office
Judicial Activism
Ruling based on something other than the strict meaning of a legal text
Writ of Certiorari
A statement issued by a court agreeing to consider a case. At least four justices must support hearing the case
Majority Opinion
The official statement of the Supreme Court’s decision in a case
Concurrence
An opinion written by a justice agreeing with the majority opinion but for additional or different reasons
Dissent
An opinion written by a justice disagreeing with the majority opinion
Precedent
A past decision by a judge in a court case which carries the force of law unless and until it is overturned
Stare Decisis
The doctrine that judges should rely on precedent when deciding cases
Establishment Clause
Prevents the government from establishing an official religion or passing laws that favour or disfavour particular religions
Free Exercise Clause
Prevents the government from interfering with citizens’ religious practices
Affirmative Action
Preferential treatment of members of underrepresented groups in employment, college admissions, etc as compensation for past discrimination
Civil Service
A system in which bureaucrats are employed based on merit
Progressivism
A political philosophy which emerged in the US in the late 1800s and advocated increasing the size and scope of the government to improve its capacity to solve problems
Statute
A specific law passed by a legislature
Block Grant
An amount of money issued to a state by Congress with fewer restrictions than a categorical grant
Categorical Grant
An amount of money issued to a state by Congress to spend for a specific purpose and according to specific guidelines
Incorporation
The process by which the Supreme Court rules that a right mentioned in the Bill of Rights must be respected by the states
Double Jeopardy
Being tried more than once for the same crime
Segregation
The division of groups into separate accommodations on the basis of race or some other criterion
Attitude
An orientation or predisposition toward an object
Opinion
A measurable manifestation of an attitude
Identity
A stable, defining characteristic of a person
Poll
A process by which people are asked to give their opinions on a topic
Sample
The subset of a population which is polled
Population
The set about which a pollster wants to make inferences
Representativeness
The degree to which a sample resembles the population from which it is drawn
Margin of error
The range around a polling result within which the true value of public opinion is likely to be found
Faction
A group of people with shared interests that are distinct from the interests of society as a whole
Pluralism
A theory of democracy as a competition among interest groups
Ideology
A system of beliefs about how to improve society
Party
An organized group that seeks to influence public policy by nominating candidates in elections
Liberalism
An ideology which generally prioritises equality over freedom and favours government intervention, redistributive programs, and non- maintenance of traditional social norms
Conservatism
An ideology which generally prioritises freedom over equality and favours limited government, free markets, and maintenance of traditional social norms.
Polarisation
Increasing ideological distance between parties
Party-in-government
The members of a party who hold official government positions
Party-as-organisation
The formal administrative structure of a party
Party-in-the-electorate
The average citizens who support or consider themselves members of a party
Partisanship
Stable personal attachment to a party
Turnout
The percentage of people who vote in an election
Mobilisation
The act of encouraging citizens to turn out to vote
Hierarchy
An organisational structure in which each member is superior or inferior to at least one other member
Principal
Someone who asks someone else to do something
Agent
Someone who is asked by someone else to do something
Spoils system
A system in which bureaucrats are employed based on political favouritism
Due Process
Fair treatment in legal proceedings
