Vocabulary Words Flashcards
“The Hill”
A nickname for capitol hill.
Bipartisan
Support from both parties for policy.
Blue State
Refers to the states where the democratic candidate carried the electoral vote.
Bully Pulpit
A method of organizing a president’s staff in which several task forces, committes, and informal groups of friends and advisers deal directly with the president.
Coattails Effect
The tendency for a popular political party leader to attract votes for other candidates of the same party in an election.
Conservative
The idea that governments and laws derive their legitimacy from the consent of the governed.
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
“hidden” congressional provision that directs federal government to fund specific project or exempts specific people or groups from paying specific federal taxes or fees.
Entitlements
Benefits guaranteed by law paid to individuals by the fed gov, such as social security.
Flip-flopper
A person who makes a complete change of policy, opinion, etc.
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 joining. The bigger the group, the more serious the problem.
Gender Gap
Differences in political views between men and women.
Gerrymandering
A public authority/government agency that is responsible for carrying out authority over some area of human activity..
GOP
Grand Old Party, an republican party that is one of the two major political parties in the United States.
Grassroots
A type of social movement organization that relies on high levels of membership participation to promote social change.
Gridlock
The inability of the government to act because rival parties control different parts of the government.
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 idiom that refers to issues that are relevant to the federal government and its contractors rather than to areas outside Washington D.C.
K Street
A center for numerous think tanks, lobbyists, and advocacy groups in the capital of Washington, D.C.
Lameduck
A politician who is still in office after losing a reelection bid.
Liberal
People who prefer more government involvement in business, social welfare, and minority rights.
Libertarian
People who prefer small, weak government that has limited control over economy or personal lives.
Litigation
Pursuing a case or claim through the judicial process with legal action.
Lobbyist
A person attempting to influence government decisions on behalf of the group.
Logrolling
An arrangement in which two or more members of Congress agree in advance to support each other’s bills.
Mandate
Requirement or an order from the central government that all state and local government must comply with.
Partisan
Governance divided between the parties, especially when one holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of congress.
Party Platform
Drafted prior to the party convention by a committee whose members are chosen in rough proportion to each candidate’s strength.
Polarization
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.
Political Action Commmitee (PAC)
A private group that raises and distributes funds for use in election campaigns.
Political Culture
The widely shared beliefs, values, and norms about how citizens relate to governments and to one another.
Political Efficacy
The citizens’ faith and trust in government and their belief that they can understand and influence political affairs.
Political Socialization
The process through which an individuals learn a set of political attitudes and form opinions about social issues.
Political Suicide
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 unfavourable.
Pork Barrel Spending
The mighty list of federal projects, grants and contracts available to cities, businesses, colleges and institutions available in a congressional district.
POTUS
A special veto exercised by the chief executive after a legislative body has adjourned.
Rank and File
The broad range of party members, more active than the average voter registered with a party.
Red State
Refers to states where the Republican candidate carried the electoral vote.
Red Tape
Idiom that refers to the complex government rules and procedure that must be followed to get something done.
Safe Seat
An elected office that is predictably won by one party or the other, so the success of that party’s candidate is almost taken for granted.
SCOTUS
The Supreme Court of the United States.
Sound Bite
A piece of a person speaking during a video or speech
Spin Control
The act or practice of attempting to manipulate the way an event is interpreted by others
Stump Speech
Delivers the same essential message again and again throughout a campaign but they do vary that message somewhat from audience to audience.
Super PAC
PAC that is allowed to give an unlimited amount of money to a candidate or political party.
Superdelegate
Free to support any candidate for the presidential nomination.
Swing State
A state in which no candidate has overwhelming support, meaning that any of the major candidates have a reasonable chance of winning the state’s electoral college votes.
Talking Points
Something that someone tends to repeat in a debate or speech.
Whistle Blower
A person who exposes misconduct, or illegal activity occurring in an organization.
