| Term | Definition |
|---|
| political efficacy | belief that one's political participation really matters- that one vote can actually make a difference |
| political party | team of men and women seeking ot control the governing apparatus by gaining office in a duly constituted election |
| political questions | a doctrine developed by the federal court and used as a means to avoid deciding some cases, principally those involving the president and congress |
| poll taxes | small taxes, levied on the right to vote, that often fell due at the time of year when poor African American sharecroppers had the least cash on hand. This method was used by most southern states to exclude African Americans from voting registers |
| pork barrel | the mighty list of federal projects, grants and contracts available to cities, businesses, colleges, and institutions available in a congressional district |
| potential group | all the people who might be an interest group member because they share some common interest |
| precedent | how similar cases have been decided in the past |
| presidential coattails | the situation occurring when voters cast their ballots for congressional candidates of the president's party because they support the president |
| prior restraint | a government's preventing material from being published. This is a common method of limiting press in some nations but it is usually unconstitutional in the US according to the 1st Amendment and the Supreme Court case Near v. MInnesota |
| probable cause | the situation occurring when the police have reason to believe that a person should be arrested. in making the arrest, police are allowed legally to search for and seize incriminating evidence |
| proportional representation | an electoral system used throughout most of Europe that awards legislative seats to political parties in proportion to the number of votes won in an election |
| public interest lobbies | organizations that seek a collective good, the achievement of which will not selectively and materially benefit the memebership or activities of the organization |
| public policy | a choice that government makes in response to a political issue |
| rational choice theory | a popular theory in poli sci to explain the actions of voters as well as politicians. It assumes that individuals act in their best interest, carefully weighing the the costs and benefits of possible alternatives |
| referendum | a state-level method of direct legislation that gives voters a chance to approve or disapprove legislation or a constitutional amendment proposed by the state legislature |
| responsible party model | view about how some parties should work; parties should offer clear choices to the voters, who can then use those choices as cues to their own preferences as candidates |
| retrospective voting | a method asking "what have you done for me lately?" |
| right to privacy | right to a private personal life free from the intrusion of government |
| right to work laws | state law forbidding requirements that workers must join a union to hold their jobs |
| search warrant | written authorization from a court specifying the area to be searched and what the police are searching for |
| select committees | congressional committees appointed for a specific purpose |
| selective benefits | goods (such as info publications, travel discounts, and group insurance rates) that a group can restrict to those who pay their yearly dues |
| senatorial courtesy | an unwritten tradition whereby nominations ofr state level federal judicial posts are not confirmed if they are opposed by the senator from the state in which the nominee will serve |
| seniority system | member who has served on the committee the longest and whose party controlled Congress becomes chair regardless of party loyalty, mental state, or competence |
| separation of powers | three branches of government must be relatively independent of the others to prevent one from controlling the others |
| single issue group | a group that has a narrow interest, tend to dislike compromise, and often draw membership from people new to politics |
Combine with other sets
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