| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Affirmative action | A policy designed to correct the effects of past discrimination; requirement by law that positive steps be taken to increase the number of minorities in business, schools, colleges, and labor |
| Agenda setting | The process of forming the list of matters that policymakers intend to address |
| Amendment | A revision/change to a bill, law, or constitution |
| Amicus curiae brief | Friend of the court; interested groups may be invited to file legal briefs supporting/rejection arguments of the case |
| Anti-Federalists | Opposed the adoption of the U.S. Constitution b/c it gave too much power to the national govt at the expense of the state govts and it lacked a bill of rights |
| Appellate jurisdiction | Gives the court authority to hear cases on appeal form the lower courts |
| Apportionment | Distribution of representatives among the states based on the population of each state |
| Appropriations | Money granted by Congress/a state legislature for a specific purpose |
| Articles of Confederation | The first national constitution of the U.S. that created a govt lassting from 1781-1780; replaced by the current Constitution |
| At-large | All the voters of a state/country elect their representative |
| Bicameral | A legislature divided into two chambers; Congress has the Senate and the House of Representatives |
| Bill | A law proposed by the legislature |
| Bills of attainder | Prohibits a person being found guilty of a crime w/o a trial |
| Bill of Rights | The first 10 amendments to teh Constitution guaranteeing certain rights and liberties to the people |
| Blanket primary | Voters may vote for candidates of either party |
| Block grant | Money given to states for general programs within a broad category |
| Brief | Legal document submitted to the court setting forth the facts of a case and supporting a particular position |
| Brief orders | The returning of a case to a lower court b/c a smiliar case was recently decided |
| Brown v. BOE of Topeka, KA | Supreme Court decision that overturned Plessy v. Ferguson: ended legal segregation, said school regulation is unconstitutional |
| Bureaucracy | A systematic way of organizing a complex &large adminstrative structure w/ responsibility for carrying out day-to-day tasks of the organization, departments, &agencies of the govt |
| Bureaucratic theory | The hierarchical structure and standarized procedures of govt allow bureaucrats to hold the real power over public policy; proposed by Max Weber |
| Cabinet | Govt depts headed by presidential appointees to help establish public policy &operate a specific policy are of govt activity |
| Casework | Assistance given to constituents by congressional members, answering questions/doing favors |
| Categorical grant | Federal grants for specific purposes define by law |
| Caucus | Locally held mtg in a state to select delegates who, in turn, will nominate candidates to pol. offices |
| Caucus (congressional) | An association of congressional members who advocate a pol. ideology/regional/ethnic/economic interest |
| Certificate | A lower court asks the Supreme Court abt a rule of law/procedure |
| Checks and balances | Each branch of govt is subject to restraints by the other two branches |
| Civil liberties | Constitutional freedoms guaranteed to all citizens |
| Civil rights | Positive acts of govt designed to prevent discrimination &provide equality before the law |
| Closed primary | Only registered party members may vote |
| Cloture rule | Prevents filibustering and ends debate in the Senate, by a 3/5s vote of the Senate |
| Coattail effect | Weaker/lesser-known candidates form the president's party profit from the president's popularity by winning votes |
| Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise | Resolved differences btwn northern and southern states; Congress could not tax exports nor ban the slave trade for 20 yrs. |
| Comparable worth | Women should be paid salaries equal to men for equivalent job responsibilities &skills |
| Concurrent jurisdiction | The authority to hear cases is shared by federal &state courts |
| Concurrent powers | Powers shared by the federal and state govts |
| Concurring opinion | Justice/justices who agree w/ the majority's opinion but not with the reason behind the decision |
| Conference committee | A temporary committee to work out a compromise version of a bill that has passed the HOuse of Representaives &Senate in diff. forms |
| Congressional districting | State legislatures draw congressional districts for states w/ more than one representaive |
| Connecticut Compromise | State disputes btwn the states of over the structure of the legislative branch |
| Conservative | A person whose pol. views favor more local, limited govt, less govt regulations, conformity to social norms &values; rough on criminals |
| Constituency service | Casework, assistance to constituents by congressional members |
| Constituent | All residents of the state for Senators, all residents of a district for House members |
| Constitution | The document setting forth the laws &principles of the govt; a plan of govt |
| Constitutional courts | Federal courts created by Congress under Article III of the Constitution, including the district courts, courts of appeals, &specialized courts such as the U.S. Court of International Trade |
| Constitutional law | Laws relating to the interpretation of the Constitution |
| Cooperative federalism | Cooperation among federal, state, &local govts; "marble cake" federalism |
| Courts of appeals | Federal courts that review decisions of federal district courts, regulatory commissions, &other fed. courts |
| Critical election | Sharp changes int eh existing patterns of party loyalty due to changing social and economic conditions |
| Dealigning election | Party loyality becomes less important to voters, &they vote for the other party candidate/independent |
| Dealignment | When a significant # of voters choose to no longer support a particular pol. party |
| Declaration of Independence | Drafted in 1776 by T. Jefferson declaring America's separation from Great Britain |
| Deficit | Govt spending exceeds revenue |
| Delegated powers | Powers specifically granted to the national govt by the Constitution |
| Democracy | A system whereby the people rule either directly/by elected representation |
| Deviating election | Minority party is able to win teh support of majority party members, independents, &new voters |
| Devolution | An effort to shirft responsibility of domestic programs to the states in order to decrease the size &activites of the fed. govt; some states have attempted to shift responsibilities further to local govts |
| Direct democracy | Citizens meet and make decisions abt public policy issues |
| Direct primary | Party members vote to nominate their candidate for the general election |
| Discretionary spending | Spending set by the govt through appropriations bills, including operation expenses &salaries of govt employees |
| Discrimination | Unfair treatment of a person based on race/group membership |
| Dissenting opinion | Justice/justices who disagree with the majority opinion |
| District courts | Lowest level of fed. courts, where fed. cases begin &trials are held |
| Divided govt | One party controls the executive, &the other party controls on /both houses of Congress |
| Double jeopardy | Being tried twice for the same offense |
| Dual federalism | Fed. &state govts each ahve defined responsibilities w/n their own sphere of influence; "layer cake" federalism |
| Elastic clause | The necessary &proper clause, Art. I, Sec. 8, Clause 18 that allwos Congress to pass laws to carry out its powers |
| Electoral college | Representatives from each state hwo formally cast ballots for the president &vice president |
| Electorate | People qualified to vote |
| Elite theory | A small group of people identified by wealth/ pol. power, who rule in their self-interest |
| Eminent domain | Allows the govt to take property for public use but also requires the govt to provide just compensation for that property |
| Entitlement program | Payments mad eto people meetin geligibility requirements, such as Social Security |
| Environmental impact statement | Required studies &reports of likely environmental impacts, filed w. the Environmental Protection Agency prior to the beginning of a project |
| Equal Protection Clause | Constitutional guarantee that everyone be treated equally |
| Establishment Clause | Prohibits the establishment of a national religion |
| Exclusionary rule | Rule that evidence acquired as a result of an illegal act by police cannot be used agains the person form whom it was seized |
| Executive agreement | Agreement w/ another head of state not requiring approval form teh Senate |
| Executive order | The president directs an agency to carry out policies/existing laws |
| Executive privilege | The right of the president to withhold info from COngress/ refuse to testify; limited by the Supreme Court in U.S. v. Nixon |
| Ex post facto law | Laws applied to acts committed before passage of the laws are unconstitutional |
| Extradition | States may return fugitives to a state from which they fled to avoid criminal prosecution at the request of the state's gov |
| Federal budget | AMount of monety the federal govt expects to receive &authorizes govt to spend for a fiscal (12 mo.) year |
| Federalism | A division of govtal powers btwn the national govt &states |
| Federalist Papers | Written by Hamilton, Jay, &Madision to support ratification of the U.S. Constituiton |
| Federalists | Supported a strong central govt &expanded legislative powers |
| Federal system | Power is divided btwn the states &the fed. govt |
| Filibuster | A lengthy speech designed to delay the vote on a bill; used only in teh Senate |
| Fiscal federalism | Nitonal govt's use of fiscal policy to influence states through the granting/withholding of appropirations |
| Fiscal policy | The policies of taxation &spending that comprise the nation's economic policy |
| Fiscal year | A 12-month pd, October through Septmeber, for planning the federal budget |
| Floor leaders | Direct party strategy &decisions in teh HOuse of Representatives &Senate |
| Franking privilege | Privilege that allows member sof COngress to mail letters &other materials to constituents postage-free |
| Free Exercise Clause | Congress may not make laws restricting/ prohibiting a person's relgious practices |
| Freedom of expression | Freedom of speech/right to petition the govt for redress as Amend I right |
| Front-loading | Choosing an early date to hold the primary election |
| Full Faith &Credit Clause | States are required to recognize the laws &legal documents of other states |
| Gatekeepers | Media executives, news editors, &prominent reporters who deicde whoat news to present &how it will be presented |
| General election | Voters choose officeholder form among all the candidates nominated by pol. parties/running as independents |
| Gerrymandering | Drawing of congressional districts to favor one pol. party/group over another |
| Get-out-the-vote | A compaign near the end of an election to get voters out to the polls |
| Government | The formal &informal institutions, people, &processes used to create &conduct pulbic policy |
| Grants-in-aid | Programs, money, &resources provided by the fed. govt to state &local govts to be used for specific projects &programs |
| Grassroots | Avg voter at the local level |
| Gridlock | When opposing parites &interests often block each other's proposals, creating a pol. stalemate/inaction btwn the esecutive &legislative branches of govt |
| Hatch Act | Prohibits govt employees from engaging in pol. activities whle on duty/running for office/seeking poli. funding while off duty; if in sensitive positions, may not be involved w/ pol. activities on/off duty |
| Hyperpluarlism | Democracy seen as a system of many groups pulling govt in many directinos at the same time, causing gridlock ineffectiveness |
| Ideology | A consistent set of beliefs by groups/individuals |
| Impeachment | Bringing charges of wrongdoing against a govt official by the House of Representatives |
| Implied powers | Not expressed, but may be considerered through the use of the Necessary and Proper (elastic) Clause |
| Impoundment | Refusal of the president to spend money Congress has appropriated |
| Incorporation | Application of portions of the Bill of Rights to the states under Amend. XIV |
| Incorporation doctrine | The Supreme Court ruling that most guarantees in teh Bill of Rights are applicatable to the states through Amend. XIV |
| Incrementalism | Small changes in policy over long periods of time; usually in reference to budget-making--that th ebest indicator of this year's budget is last year's budget plus a small increase |
| Incumbency effect | Tendency of those alrady holding office to win reelection due to advgs b/c they already hold the office |
| Incumbent | The person currently holding office |
| Inherent powers | Powers that exist for the national govt b/c the govt is sovereign |
| Initiative | Allows voters to petition to propose legislation &then submit it for a vote by qualified voters |
| Interest group | A group of private citizens whose goal is to influence &shape public policy |
| Interstate compacts | Agreements btwn states to work together on common issues |
| Iron triangle | Alliances tha tdevelop btwn bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, &congressional committees/subcommittees |
| Issue network | Individuals in WA--located w/n interest groups, congressional staff, think tanks, universities, &the media--who regulary discuss &advocate public policies |
| Joint committee | Committee made up of members of both hosue of Congress |
| Judicial activism | The Court should play an active role in determining national policies |
| Judicial restraint | Holds that the Court should avoid taking the initiative on social &pol. questions, operation strictly w/n the limits of the Constitution |
| Judicial review | Authority given the courts to review constitutionality of acts by the executive/state/legislature; est. in Marbury v. Madison |
| Jurisdiciton | The authroity of the courts to hear &decide issues in certain cases |
| Legislative courts | Courts created by COngress for a specialized purpose w/ a narrow range of authority |
| Legislative veto | To reject the actions of the president/executive agency by a vote of one/both house of Congress w/o the consent of th epresident; ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in Immigration &Naturalization Service v. Chadha |
| Lemon test | Standard set by the Supreme Court in Lemon v. Kurtzman to measure the constituionality of state laws in regard to freedom of religion |
| Liberal | A person whose views favor more govt involvemnt in business, social welfare, minority rights, &increased govt spending |
| Limited govt | Basic prinicple of U.S. govt that each person has rights that govt cannot take away |
| Line item veto | The president can reject a par tof a bill while approving the rest; declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court |
| Lobbying | Attempting to influence policymakers though a variety of methods |
| Lobbyist | Uses pol. persuasion to influence legislation &benefit his/her org. |
| Logrolling | The exchange of pol. favors for support of a bill |
| Loose constructionist | The belief that judges should have freedom in interpreting th eConstitution |
| Maintaining elections | Traditional majorty power maintains power based on voters' party loyalty |
| Majority leader | The elected leader of the party with the most seat in the House of Representatives/Senate |
| Majority-minority districts | Drawing district boundaries to give a minority group a majority |
| Majority opinion | The majority of justices agree on the decision &the reasons for th edecision |
| Mandates | Requirements imposed by the national govt on state &local govts to comply w/ fed. rules ®ulation |
| Mandatory spending | Required govt spending by permanent laws |
| Marbury v. Madison | Est. the principle of judicial review |
| Markup | Rewrite of a bill after hearings have been held on it |
| Mass media | All forms of communication that reach a large portion |
| McCulloch v. Maryland | Supreme Court decision upholding the supremacy of the national government over the states |
| Media event | A speech or photo opporutnity staged to give a politician's view on an issue |
| Miranda v. Arizona | Requires that anyone arrested for a crime be advised of teh right to counsel and the right to remain silent |
| Moderate | Person whose views are between conservative and liberal and may include some of both ideologies |
| Monetary policy | Economic policy in which money is controlled through the Federal Reserve |
| Motor voter law | Allows citizens to register to vote at welfare and motor vehicle offices |
| National chairman | Appointed by a committee as head of the party |
| National debt | Amount of money owed by the government |
| Natural rights | Basic rights that are guaranteed to all persons; basic rights that a government cannot deny |
| Necessary and Proper Clause | Gives Congress the powers to pass all laws necessary to carry out their constitutional duties; "elastic" clause (Art. I, Sec. VIII, Clause XVIII) |
| New Deal coalition | Alliance of southern conservatives, religious, and ethnic minorities who supported the Democratic Party for 40 years |
| North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) | Created to allow the free movement of goods between Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. by lessening and eliminating tariffs |
| Off-year election | An election taking place in a year when no presidential elections are occurring; midterm election |
| Open primary | Voters may choose the candidates of either party, whether they belong to the party or not |
| Opinion leaders | Those individuals held in great respect becasue of their position, expertise, or peronsality, who may informally and unintentionally influence others |
| Orignial jurisdiction | Court hears and decides a case for the first time |
| Oversight | Congress monitors policies of the executive branch |
| Pardon | A convicted person is exempt form the penalities of a crime |
| Plessy v. Ferguson | The Supreme Court case that upheld separate-but-equal segregation in 1896 |
| Pluralist theory | INterest gorups compete in the political arena with each promoting its own policy preferences through organized efforts |
| Policy adoption | The approval of a policy by legislation |
| Policy evalution | Determines if a policy is achieving its goals |
| Policy formulation | The crafting of a policy to resolve public problems |
| Policy implementation | Carrying out a policy through government agencies and courts |
| Political action committee | Extention of an interest group that contributes money to political campaigns |
| Political agenda | Issues that merit action, as determined by the public or those in power |
| Political culture | A set of basic values and beliefs about one's country or government that is shared by most citizens and that influences political opinions and behaviors |
| Political efficacy | Belief that a person can influence politics and public policymaking |
| Politcal ideology | A consistent set of beliefs about politics and public policy taht sets the framework for evaluation government and public policy |
| Political party | Voluntary association of people who seek to control the government through common principles, based on peaceful and legal actions such as the winning of elections |
| Political socialization | Complex process by which people get their sense of political identity, belifs, and values |
| Politics | Method of maintaining, managing, and gaining control of government |
| Popular sovereignty | Basic principle of U.S. government which holds that the people are the source of all govermental power |
| Pork barrel legislation | Legislation giving benefits to constituents through sometimes unnecessary of unwise projects within a state or district, to enhance a memeber's chance of reelection |
| Precedents | Standars or guides based on prior decisions that serve as a fule for settling similar disputes |
| Presidential preference primaries | Voters select delegates to teh presidential nominating convention |
| President pro tempore | Serves as president of the Senate in teh aabsence of the VP; chosen by the majority party |
| Primary election | Nominating election held to choose party candidates who will run in the general election |
| Prior restraint | Censorship of information before it is published or broadcast |
| Privileges and immunities | States are prohibited from unreasonably discriminating against residents of other states |
| Procedual due process | Method of government action, or how th elaw is carried out according to the established rules and procedures |
| Public opinion | A colleciton of shared attitudes of citizens about government, politics, and the making of public policy |
| Public policy | The exercise of government power in doing those htings necessary to maintain legitmate authority and ocntrol over society |
| Pure speech | Verbal communication of ideas and opinions |
| Radical | Ideological view that favors rapid funamental change in teh existing social, economic, or political order |
| Ratification | Method of enacting a constitution or amendment into law |
| Reactionary | Ideological view that favors a return to a previous state of affairs |
| Realignment | A shift of voting patterns to form new coaltions of party support |
| Reapportionament | Redistribution of the congressional seats among the states after the census determines changes in population distribution |
| Recall | Special election initiated by petition to allow citizens to remove an official from office before his or her term expires |
| Referendum | Procedure whereby the state submits legislation to its voters for approval, allowing citizens to vote directly on issues |
| Representative democracy | Citizens choose officals (representatives) who make decisions about public policy |
| Reserved powers | Powers belonging specifically to the states and the people because they were not delegated to teh national government nor denied to the states |
| Revenue sharing | Giving money back to the state and local government with no strings attached |
| Rider | An addition of amendment added to a bill that often has no realtion to the bill but that may not pass onits own merits |
| Rule of four | Requirement that a case can only be heard by the Supreme Court if four justices vote to hear the case |
| Rules committee | Determines the rules of debate for bills in teh HOuse of Representaties |
| Runoff primary | When no candidate receives a majority of votes, an election held betweent eh two candidates who received the most votes in the primary |
| Sampling | Using a represenative cross-seciton of the general population chosen at random in the polling process |
| Sampling errors | Percentage of possible erros in teh polling process |
| Select committee | Comittee selected for a specific purpose |
| Self-incrimination | Accusing oneself or giving evidence that may prove oneself guilty |
| Senatorial courtesy | The practice of allowing senators form teh president's party who represent the state where a judicial district is located, to apporve or diapprove potential nominees for the lower federal courts |
| Seniortiy system | System in which the chairmanship of a committee is given tot eh member with the longest continuous service |
| Separation of powers | Practice by which power is separated among three branches of government; each branch has its own powers and duties and is independent of and equal to the other branches |
| Single-member districts | Only one representative is chosen form each district |
| Social contract theory | A voluntary agreement between teh government and the governed |
| Social insurance programs | Programs to help the elderly, ill, and unemployed if the claimant has paid into them |
| Social welfare policy | Government program to enhance quality of life |
| Soft money | Money distributed form a national political party organization that wasn ot regulated by law; restricted by the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002 |
| Sound bite | A brief statement on TV or radio |
| Speaker of the House | Leading officer in the HOuse of Representatives, chosen by the majority party |
| Speech plus | Verbal and symbolic speech used together |
| Split-ticket voting | Voting for candidates form more than one party in teh same election |
| Standing committee | Permanent committee |
| Stare decisis | Let the decision stand; decisions are based on precedents from previous cases |
| Straight-ticket voting | Voting for candidates all of the same party |
| Straw poll | Early form of polling that asks the same question of a large number of people |
| Strict constuctionist | The view that justices should base decisions on a narrow interpretation of teh COnstitution |
| Substantive due process | The policies of government of the particular subject matte rof the laws determining what the law is about and whether the law is fair or if it violates constitutional protections |
| Suffrage | The right to vote |
| Superdelegates | Party officials in the Democratic Party who attend the national convention without having to run in primaries or caucuses |
| Super Tuesday | Day when most southern states hold presidential primaries |
| Supremacy CLause | Ntional law supersedes all other laws passed by states (Art VI) |
| Symbolic speech | Using actions and symbols rather than words to convey an idea |
| Three-Fifths Compromise | Agreement that each slave counted as three-fifths of a person in determining representation in the hOuse of Representatives and for taxation |
| Traditional democratic theory | Government depends upon the consent of the governed |
| Trial balloon | Tests the public reaction to policy or appointments by releasing information to the media and gaugin public reaction |
| Trustee | After listening to constiutents, elected representatives vote based on their own opinions |
| Two-party system | Several political parties exist, but only two major political parties compete for power and dominate elections |
| Unfunded mandates | Requires states to enforce legislation without the funding necessary |
| Virginia Plan | Madison's plan for a bicameral legislature, whith the executive and judiciary chosen by the legislature |
| War Powers Act | Limits teh ability of the president to commit troops to combat |
| Watergate | Break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate building in 1972 that resulted in a cover-up and the subsequent resignation of Nixon |
| Writ of certiorari | Order by the court directing a lower court to send up the records of a case for review |
| Writ of habeas corpus | Requires a judge to evaluate whther there is sufficient cause to keep a person in jail |
Combine with other sets
Share on Facebook
Share on MySpace