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AP GOV VOCAB

Terms in this set (58)

bureaucratic rule-making
regulations to keep laws applicable to changing circumstances; power granted by Congress
spoils system
a system of public employment based on rewarding party loyalists and friends
selective incorporation
the process by which provisions of the Bill of Rights are brought within the scope of the Fourteenth Amendment and so applied to state and local governments
congressional oversight
power used by Congress to gather information useful for the formation of legislation, review the operations and budgets of executive departments and independent regulatory agencies, conduct investigations through committee hearings, and bring to the public's attention the need for public policy
department of homeland security
US federal agency created in 2002 to coordinate national efforts against terrorism
name recognition
an advantage possessed by a well-known political figure, a political celebrity
constituents
the people who are represented by elected officials
winner-take-all system
an electoral system in which legislative seats are awarded only to the candidates who come in first in their constituencies
majority whip
a go-between with the majority leadership and party members in the house of representatives
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
voter mobilization
a party's efforts to inform potential voters about issues and candidates and to persuade them to vote
social movements
a large group of people who are organized to promote or resist some social change
tariff
a tax on imported goods
reapportionment
the process of reassigning representation based on population, after every census
gender gap
difference in political views between men and women
political socialization
process by which background traits influence one's political views
public opinion
how people think or feel about particular things
interest group
an organization of people sharing a common interest or goal that seeks to influence the making of public policy
redistricting
the redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the census, to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population
third parties
parties that organize to compete against the two major American political parties
trustee
a representative who votes based on what he or she thinks is best for his or her constituency
selective exposure
the process through which people consciously choose to get the news from information sources that have viewpoints compatible with their own
incumbent
the current officeholder
midterm election
an election that takes place in the middle of a presidential term
lobbyist
persuader of legislators
caucuses
meetings where political parties chose their candidates
term limits
legally prescribed limits on the number of terms an elected official can serve
iron triangles
a mutually dependent relationship between bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees or subcommittees
party-line voting
process in which voters select candidates by their party affiliation
divided government
one party controls the White House and another party controls one or both houses of Congress
speaker of the house
the leader of the majority party who serves as the presiding officer of the House of Representatives
letter from Birmingham jail
a letter written by Martin Luther King Jr. after he had been arrested when he took part in a nonviolent march against segregation
amicus curiae brief ("friend of the court" brief)
a legal brief, filed by an individual or a group that is not a party in the case, written to influence the Court's decision
civil disobedience
a form of political participation that reflects a conscious decision to break a law believed to be immoral and to suffer the consequences
pork barrel legislation
legislation that gives tangible benefits to constituents in several districts or states in the hope of winning their votes in return
writ of certiorari
a formal writ used to bring a case before the Supreme Court
federal mandate
a requirement the national government imposes as a condition for receiving federal funds
log rolling
a legislator supports a proposal favored by another in return for support of his or hers
coattail effect
the added votes received by congressional candidates of a winning presidential party
John Marshall
American jurist and politician who served as the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1801-1835) and helped establish the practice of judicial review
strict constructionist
a person who interprets the Constitution in a way that allows the federal government to take only those actions the Constitution specifically says it can take
party convention
a meeting of party delegates to vote on matters of policy and in some cases to select party candidates for public office
recess appointment
Presidential appointment made without Senate confirmation during Senate recess
senatorial courtesy
a custom whereby presidential appointments are confirmed only if there is no objection to them by the senators from the appointee's state, especially from the senior senator of the president's party from that state
congressional committee hearings
give Congress a way of reducing the number of bills introduced each session to a manageable number
state of the union address
a yearly report by the president to Congress describing the nation's condition and recommending programs and policies
signing statements
announcements made by the president when signing bills into law, often presenting the president's interpretation of the law
presidential chief of staff
the assistant of the president
closed primary
a primary election in which voting is limited to already registered party members
title IX of the education Amendments Act
prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity
dissenting opinion
a statement written by a justice who disagrees with the majority opinion, presenting his or her opinion
conference committee
committee appointed by the presiding officers of each chamber to adjust differences on a particular bill passed by each in different form
Voting Rights Act of 1965
a law designed to help end formal and informal barriers to African-American suffrage
voter ID laws
laws requiring that voters show government made ID at polls, done by Republicans to decrease voter fraud but also deters lots of Democrats from voting because elderly and poor are less likely to get a good enough ID
entitlement spending
spending that Congress has authorized by prior law, primarily providing support for individuals
GDP
the total market value of all final goods and services produced annually in an economy
random sample
a sample that fairly represents a population because each member has an equal chance of inclusion
open primary
a primary election in which voters are not required to declare party affiliation
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