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Chapter Vocab Gov
Vocab...
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| power | the ability of one person to get another person to act in accordance with the first person's intentions. |
| authority | the right to use power |
| legitimacy | the political authority conferred by law or by a state or national constitution |
| democracy | the rule of the many |
| direct or participatory democracy | a government in which all or most citizens participate directly |
| representative democracy | a government in which leaders make decisions by winning a competitive struggle for the popular vote |
| elite | persons who possess a disproportionate share of some valued resource, like money or power |
| Marxist view | view that the government is dominated by capitalists |
| power elite view | view that the governmentis dominated by a few top leaders, most of whom are outside of the government |
| bureaucratic view | view that the government is dominated by appointed officials |
| pluralist view | the belief that competition among all affected interests shapes public policy |
| unalienable | a human right based on nature of God |
| Articles of Confederation | a weak constitution that governed America during the Revolutionary War |
| Constitutional Convention | Meeting in Philadeplphia in 1787 that produced a new constitution |
| Shay's Rebellion | A 1787 rebellion in with ex-Revolutionary War soldiers attempted to prevent foreclosures of farms as a result of high interest rates and taxes |
| Virginia Plan | Proposal to create a strong national government |
| New Jersey Plan | Proposal to create a weak national government |
| Great Compromise | Plan to have a popularly elected House based on state population and a state-elected Senate, with two members for each state |
| republic | a government in which elected representatives make the decisions |
| judicial review | the power of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional |
| federalism | governemtn authority shared by national and state governments |
| checks and balances | authority shared by three branches of government |
| enumerated powers | powers given to the national governemt alone |
| reserved powers | powers given to the state government alone |
| concurrent powers | powers shared by the national and state governments |
| separations of powers | constitutional authority is shared by three different branches of government |
| faction | a group with a distint political interest |
| Federlists | those who favor a strong national government |
| Antifederalists | those who favor a weaker national government |
| coalition | an alliance of factions |
| habeas corpus | an order to produce an arrested person before a judge |
| bill of attainder | a law that declares a person without a trial, to be guilty of a crime |
| ex post facto laws | a law that makes an act criminal althought the act was legal when it was commited |
| Bill of Rights | first ten ammendments to the Constitution |
| amendment | a new provision in the Constitution that has been ratified by the states |
| line-item veto | an executive's ability to block a particular provision in a bill passed by the legislature |
| devolution | the effort to transfer responsibility for many public programs and services from the federal government to the states |
| block grants | money from the national government that states can spend within broad guidlines determined by Washington |
| "neccessary and proper" clause | section fo the Constitution allowing Congress to pass all laws "neccessary and proper" to its duties, and which has permitted Congress to exercise powers not specifically given to it (enumerated) by the constitution |
| nullification | the doctrine that a state can declare null and voidd a federal law that, in the state's opinion, violates the Constitution |
| dual federalism | Doctrine holding that the national government is supreme in its sphere, the states are supreme in theirs, and the two sphere's should be kept separate |
| police power | stat epwoer to enact laws promoting health, safey, and morals |
| initiative | process that permits voters to put legislative measures directly on the ballot |
| referendum | procedure enabling voters to reject a measure passed ny the legislature |
| recall | procedure whereby voters can remove an elcted official from office |
| grants-in-aid | money given by the national government to the states |
| categorical grants | federal grants for specific purposes, such as building an airport |
| revenue sharing | federal sharing of a fixed percentage of its revenue with the states |
| conditiona of aid | terms set by the national government that states must meet if they are to receive certain federal funds |
| mandates | terms set by the national governmentthat states must meet whether or not they accept federal grants |
| politcal culture | a coherent way of thinking about how politics and government ought to be carried out |
| civic duty | a belief that one had an obligation to participate in civic and political affairs |
| civi competence | a belief that one can affect governmental policies |
| class consciousness | a belief that you are a member of an economic group whose interests are opposed to people in other such groups |
| orthodox | a belief that morality and religion ought to be of decisive importance |
| progressive | a belief that personal freedom and solving social problems are more important than religion |
| political efficacy | a belief that you can take part in politics (internal efficacy) or that the government will respond to the citizenry (external efficacy) |
| internal efficacy | the ability to understand and take part in politics |
| external efficacy | the willingness of the state to respond to the citizenry |
| due process of law | ddenies the government the right, without due process, to deprive people of life, liberty, and property |
| equal protection of the law | a standard of equal treatment that must be observed by the government |
| selective incorporation | court cases that apply Bill of Rights to states |
| freedom of expression | right of people to speak, publish, and assemble |
| freedom of religion | people shall be free to exercise their religion, and government may not establish a religion |
| prior restraint | censorship of a publication |
| clear-and-present-danger test | law should not punish speech unless there was a clear and present danger of producing harmful actions |
| libel | writing that falsely injures another person |
| symbolic speech | an act that conveys a political message |
| free-exercise clause | first amendment requirement that law cannot prevent free exercise of religion |
| establishment clause | first amendment ban on laws "respecting an establishment of religion" |
| wall of separation | court ruling that government cannot be involved with religion |
| exclusionary rule | improperly gathered evidence may not be introduced in a criminal trial |
| search warrant | a judge's order authorizing search |
| probable cause | reasinable cause for issuing a search warrant or making an arrest; more than mere suspicion |
| good-faith exception | an error in gathering evidence sufficiently minor that it may be used in a trial |
| civil rights | the rights of people to be treated without unreasonable or unconstitutional differences |
| suspect classification | classifications of people on the basis of their race of ethnicity |
| strict scrutiny | a Supreme Court test to see if a law denies equal protection because it does not serve a compelling state interest and is not narrowly tailored to achieve that goal |
| separate-but-equal doctrine | the doctrine established in Plessy vs. Fergusson (1896) that African Americans could constitutionally be kept in separate but equal |
| de jure segregation | racial segregation that is required by law |
| de facto segregation | racial segregation that occurs in schools, not as a result of the law, but as a result of patterns of residential settlement |
| civil disobediance | opposing a law one considers unjust by peachfully disobeying it and acceptin the resultant punishment |
| affirmative action | programs cesigned to increase minority participation in some institutional (businesses, schools, labor unions, or government agencies) by taking positive steps to appoint more minority-group members |
| equality of result | making certain that people achieve the same result |
| reverse discrimination | using race or sex to give preferential treatment to some people |
| equality of opportunity | giving people an equal chance to succeed |
| public opinion | how people think or feel about particular things |
| poll | a survey of public opinion |
| random samplemethod of selecting from a population in which each person has an equal probability of bein selected | the difference between the results of random samples taken at the same time |
| exit polls | polls based on interviews conducted on Election Day with randomly selected voters |
| political socialization | process by which background traits influence one's political views |
| gender gap | difference in political views between men and women |
| politcal ideology | a more or less consistent set of beliefs about what policies government ought to pursue |
| political elites | person with a disproportionate share of political power |
| norm | standard or right ot proper conduct |
| voting-age population | citizens who are eligible to vote after reaching the minimum age requirement |
| registered voters | people who are registered to vote |
| literacy test | a requirement that citizens pass a literacy test in order to register to vote |
| poll tax | a requirement that citizens pay a tax in order to register to vote |
| grandfather clause | a clause in registration laws allowing people who don't meet registration requirements to vote if they or their ancestors had voted before 1867 |
| white primary | the practice of keeping blacks from voting in the southern state's primaries through arbitrary use of registration requirements and intimidation |
| australian ballot | a government-printed ballot of uniform dimensions to be cast in secret that many states adopted around 1890 to reduce voting fraud associated with party printed ballots cast in public |
| activists | people who tend to participate in all forms of politics |
| political party | a group that seeks to elect candidates to public office |
| mugwumps or progressives | republican party faction of the 1890's to the 1910's, composed of reformers who opposed patronage |
| critical or realignment period | periods when a major, lasting shift occuts in the popular coalition supporting one or both parties |
| split ticket | boting for candidates of different parties for various offices in the same elections |
| straight ticket | voting for candidates who are all of the same party |
| office-bloc ballot | a ballot listing all candidates of a given office under the name of that office; all called a "Massachusetts" ballot |
| party-column ballot | a ballot listing all candidates of a given party together under the name of that party; also called an "indiana" ballot |
| national convention | a meeting of party delegates held every four years |
| national committee | delegates who run party affairs between national conventions |
| congressional campaign committee | a party committee in congress that provides funds to members and would be members |
| national chairmen | day-to-day party manager elected by the national committee |
| superdelegates | party leaders and elected officials who become delegates to the national convention without having to run in primaries or caucuses. |
| political machine | a party organization that that recruits by dispensing patronage |
| ideological party | a party that values principled standards on issues above all else |
| solidary incentives | the social rewards (sense of pleasure, status, or companionship) that lead people to join political organizations |
| sponsored party | a local or state political party that is largely supported by another organization in the community |
| personal following | the political support provided to a candidate on the basis of personal popularity and networks |
| two-party system | an electoral system with two dominant parties that compete in national elections |
| plurality system | an electoral system in which the winner is the person who gets the most votes, even if he or she does not recieve a majority used in almost all American elections |
| caucus 1 | a meeting of party members to select delegates backing one or another primaryt candidate |
| incumbent | the person already holding an elective office |
| coattails | the alleged tendency of candidates to win more votes in an elections because of the presence at the top of the ticket of a better known candidate, such as the president |
| political action committee (PAC) | a committee set up by a corporation, labor union, or interest group that raises and spends campaign money from voluntary donations |
| malapportionment | drawing the boundaries of legislative districts so that they are unequal in population |
| gerrymandering | drawing the boundaries of legislative districts in bizarre or unusual shapes to favor one party |
| sophomore surge | an increase in the votes congressional candidates usually get when they first run for reelection |
| position issues | an issue about which the public is divided and rival candidates or political parties adopt different policy positions |
| valence issue | an issue about which the public is united and rival candidates or political parties adopt similar positions in hopes that each will be thought to best represent those widely shared beliefs |
| general election | an election held to choose which candidate will hold office |
| primary election | an electionheld to choose candidates for office |
| closed primary | a primary election in which voting is limited to already registered party members |
| open primary | a primary election in which voters may choose in which party to vote as they enter the polling place |
| blanket primary | a primary elections in which each voter may vote for candidates from both parties |
| runoff primary | a second primary election held when no candidate wins a majority of the votes in the first primary |
| independant expenditures | spendingby politicala action commitees, corporations, or labor unions that is done to help a party or candidate but is done independently of them |
| soft money | funds obtained by political parties that are spent on party activities, such as get-out-and-vote drives, but not on behalf of a specific candidate |
| 527 organizations | organizations that, under section 527 of the Internal Revenue Cose, raise and spend money to advance political causes. |
| prospective voting | voting for a candidate because you favor his or hers ideas for handling issues |
| retrospective voting | voting for a candidate because you like his or her past actions in office |
| interest group | an organization of people sharing a common interest or goal that seeks to influence the making of public policy |
| incentive | something of value one cannot get without joining an organization |
| material incentives | money or things valued in monetary terms |
| purposive incentive | a benefit that comes from serving a cause or principle |
| ideological interest groups | political organizations that attract members by appealing to their political convictions or principles |
| public-interest lobby | a political organization whose goals will principally benefit nonmembers |
| social movement | a widely shared demand for change in some aspect of the social or political order |
| political cue | a signal telling a legislator what values are at stake in a vote, and how that issue fits into his or her own political views on party agenda |
| ratings | assesments of a representative's voting record on issues important to an interest group |
| blog | series, or log, of discussion items on a page of the world wide web |
| sound bite | a radio or video clip of someone speaking |
| equal time rule | an FCC rule that if a broadcaster sells time to one candidate, it must sell equal time to other candidates |
| trial balloon | information leaked to the media to test public reaction to a possible policy |
| loaded language | words that imply a value judgement, used to persuade a reader without having made a serious argument |
| routine stories | media stories about events that are regularly covered by reporters |
| feature stories | media stories about events that, though public, are nto regularly covered by reporters |
| insider stories | media stories about events that are not usually public |
| selective attention | paying attention only to those news stories with which one already agrees |
| adversarial press | the tendency of the mational media to be suspicious of officials and eager to reveal unflattering stories about them |
| background | a public official's statement to a reporter that is given on confition that the official not be named |
| bicameral legislature | a lawmaking body made up of two chambers or parts |
| filibuster | an attempt to defeat a bill in the Senate by talking indefinitely, thus preventing the Senate from taking action to the Bill |
| marginial districts | political districts in which candidates elected to the House of Representatives win in close elections, typically by less than 55 percent of the vote |
| safe districts | districts in which incumbents win by margins of 55 percent or more |
| concervative coalition | an alliance between Republican and conservative Democrats |
| majority leader | the legislative leader elected by party members holding the majority of seats in the House of the Senate |
| minority leader | the legislative leader is elected by party members holding a minority of seats in the house or the Senate |
| whip | a senator or representative who helps the party leader stay informed about what party members are thinking |
| party polarization | a vote in which a majority of Democratic legislators oppose a majority of republican legislators |
| caucus 2 | an association of Congress members created to advance a political ideology or a regional, ethnic, or economic interest |
| standing committees | permanently established legislative committees that consider and are responsible for legislation within a certain subject area |
| select committees | congressional committees appointed for a limited time and purpose |
| joint committees | committees on which both senators and representatives serve |
| conference committees | a joint committee appointed to resolve differences in the Senate and House versions of the same bill |
| public bill | a legislative bill that deals with matters of general concern |
| private bill | a legislative bill that deals only with specific, private, personal, or local matters |
| simple resolution | an expression of opinion either in the the House or Senate to settle procedural matters in either body |
| concurrent resolution | an expression of opinion without the force of law that requires the approval of both the House and the Senate , but not the president |
| joint resolution | a formal expression of congressional opinion that must be approved by both houses of Congress and by the president; constitutional amendments need not be signed by the president |
| multiple referral | a congressional process whereby a bill may be referred to several committees |
| sequential referral | a congressional process by which a speaker may send a bill to a second committee after the first is finished acting |
| discharge petition | a device by which any member of the House, after a committee has had the bill for thirty days, may petition to have it brought to the floor |
| closed rule | an order from the House Rules Committee, that sets a time limit on debate' forbids a bill from being amended on the floor |
| open rule | an order from the House Rules Committee that permits a bill to be amended on the floor |
| restrictive rule | an order from the House Rules Committee that permits certain kinds of amendments but not others to be made on the the floor |
| quorum | the minimum number of members who must be present for business to be conducted in Congress |
| quorum call | a roll call in either house ir Congress to see whether the minimum number of representatives required to conduct business is present |
| cloture rule | a rule used by the senate to end or limit debate |
| double-tracking | a procedure to keep the Senate going during a filibuster in which the disputed bill is shelved temporarily so that the Senate can get on with other business |
| voice vote | a congressional voting procedure in which members shout "yea" in approval or "nay" in disapproval, permitting members ti vite quickly or anonymously on bills |
| division vote | a congressional voting procedure in which members stand and are counted |
| teller vote | a congressional voting procedure in which members pass between tow tellers, the "yeas" first, the "nays" second |
| roll-call vote | a congressional voting procedure the consists of all members answering "yea" or "nay" to their names |
| pork-barrel legislation | legislation that gives tangible benefits to constituents in several districts or states in the hope of winning their votes in return |
| franking privilege | the ability of members to mail letters to their constituents free of charge by substituting their facsmile signature for postage |
| divided government | one party controls the White House and another oarty controls one of both Houses of congress |
| unified congress | the same party controlls the White House and both houses |
| gridlock | the inability of the government to act because rival parties control different parts of the government |
| electoral college | the people chosen to cast each state's vote in presidential election. Each state can cast one electoral vote for each senator and representative it has. The District of Columbia has three electoral votes, even though it cannot elect a representative or se |
| pyramid structure | a presidentssubordinates report to him through a clear chain of command headed by a chief of staff |
| circular structure | several of the presidents assistants report directly to him |
| ad hoc structure | several subordinates, cabinet officers, and committees report directly to the president on different matters |
| cabinet | the heads of the 15 executive branch departments of the federal government |
| bully pulpit | the presidents use of his prestige and visibility to guide or enthuse the American Public |
| veto message | a message fromt he rpesident to Congress stating the he will not sign a bill that has passed. Must be produced within ten days of the bills passage |
| pocket veto | a bill fails to become a law because the president did not sign it within ten days before congress adjourns |
| lesgislative veto | the authority of Congress to block a presidential action after it has taken place. the supreme court has held that congress does not have this power |
| impeachment | charges against a president approved by a majority of the House of Representatives |
| lame duck | a person still in office after he or shee has lost a bid for reelection |
| bureaucracy | a large, complex organization composed of appointed officials |
| laissez-faire | an economic theory that government should not regulate or interfere with commerce |
| discretionary authority | the extent to which appointed bureaucrats can choose courses of action and make policies that are not spelled out in advance by laws |
| competitive service | the government offices to which people are appointed on the basus of merit, as ascertained by a written exam or by applying certain selection criteria |
| name-request jobs | a job that is filled by a person whom an agency has already identified |
| iron triangle | a close relationship between an agency, a congressional committee, and an interest group |
| issue network | a network of people in Washington DC-based interest groups, on congressional staffs, in universities and think tanks, and in the mass media, who regularly discuss and advocate public policies |
| authorization legislation | legislative permission to begin or continue a government program or agency |
| appropriation | a legislative grant of money or finance a government program or agency |
| trust funds | funds for government programs that are collected and spent outside the regular government budget |
| committee clearance | the ability of a congressional committee to review and approve certain agency decisions in advance and without passing a law |
| red tape | complex bureaucratic rules and procedures that must be followed to get something done |
| judicial review | the power of courts to declare laws unconstitutional |
| strict-constructionist approach | the view that judges should decide cases strictly on the basis of the language of the laws and the Constitution |
| activist approach | the view that judges should discern the general principles underlying laws or the constitution and apply them to modern circumstances |
| constitutional court | federal court authorized by Article III of the constitution that keeps judjes in office during good behavior and prevents their salaries from being reduced. They are the Supreme court and appelate and district courts created by congress |
| district courts | the lowest federal courts; federal trials can be held only here |
| court of appeals | federal courts that hear appeals from district courts; no trials |
| legislative courts | courts created by congress for specialized purposes whose judges do not enjoy the protections of Article III of the constitution |
| litmus test | an examination of the political ideology of a nominated judge |
| federal-question cases | cases concerning the Constitution, federal laws, or treaties |
| diversity cases | cases involving citizens of different states who can bring suit in federal courts |
| writ of certiorari | an order by a higher court directing lower court to send up a case for review |
| in forma pauperus | a method whereby a poor person cna have his or her case heard in federal court without charge |
| fee shifting | a rule that allows a plaintiff to recover costs from the defendent if the plaintiff wins |
| plaintiff | the party initiates a lawsuit |
| standing | a legal rule stating who is authorized to start a lawsuit |
| soverign community | the rule that a citizen cannot sue the government without the governments consent |
| class-action suit | a case brought by someone to help him or her and all others who are similarly situated |
| brief | a written statement by an attorney that summarzies a case and the laws and rulings that support it |
| amicus curiaea | a brief, submitted by a "friend of the court" |
| per curiam opinion | a brief, unsigned court opinion |
| opinion of the court | a signed opinion of a majority of the supreme court |
| concurring opinion | a signed opinion in which one or more members agree with the majority view but for different reasons |
| dissenting opinion | a signed opinion in which one or more justices disagree witht he majority view |
| stare decisis | "let the decision stand" or allowing prior rulings to control the current case |
| political question | an issue the supreme court will allow the executive and legislative branched decide |
| remedy | a judicial order enforcing a right or reddressing a wrong |
| political agenda | issues that people believe require governmental action |
| cost | a burden tha tpeople believe they must bear if a policy is enacted |
| benefit | a satisfaction that people believe they will enjoy if a policy is adopted |
| majoritarian politics | a policy in which almost everybody benefits and almost everybody pays |
| interest group politics | a policy in which one small group benefits and another small group pays |
| client politics | a policy in which one small group benefits and almost everybody pays |
| logrolling | a legislator supports a proposal favored by another in return for support of his or hers. |
| entrepreneurial politics | a policy in which almost everybody benefits and a small group pays the cost |
| policy entrepreneurs | activists in or out of government who pull together a political majority on behalf of unorganized interests |
| process regulation | rules governing commercial activities designed to improve consumer, worker, or environmental conditions. Also called social regulation |
| deficit | what occurs when the government in one year spends more money than it takes in from taxes |
| national debt | the total deficit from the first presidency down to the present |
| gross domestic product | the total of all goods and services produced in the economy during a given year |
| monetarism | the belief that inflation occurs when too much money is chasing too few goods |
| Keynesianism | the belief the government must manage the economy by spending more money when in a recession and cutting spending when there is inflation |
| economic planning | the beleif that government plans, such as wage and price controls or the direction of investment, can improve the economy |
| supply-side theory | the belief that lower taxes and fewer regulations will stimulate the economy |
| Reaganomics | the belief that a combination of monetarism, lower federal spending, and supply-side economics will stimulate the economy |
| monetary policy | managing the economy by altering the supply of money and interest rates |
| fiscal policy | managing the economy by the use of tax and spending laws |
| budget | a document that states tax collections,spending levels,and the allocation of spending among purposes |
| fiscal year | for the federal government, October 1 through the following September 30 |
| budget resolution | a congressional decision that states the maximum amount of money the government should spend |
| entitlements | a claim for government funds that cannot be changed without violating the rights of the claimant |
| sequester | automatic spending cuts |
| charitable choice | Name given to four federal laws passed in the late 1990's specifying the conditions under which nonprofit religious organizations could compete to administer certain social service delivery and welfare programs |
| insurance program | a self-financing government program based on contributions that provide benefits to unemployed or retired persons |
| assistance program | a government program financed by general income taxes that provides benevits to poor citizens without requiring contribution from them |
| means test | an income qualification program that determines whether one is eligible for benefits under government programs reserved for lower income groups |
| Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) | a provision of 1975 law that entitles working families with children to recieve money from the governmentif their total income is below a certain level. The program was expanded in the early 1990's |
| service strategy | a policy providing poor people with education and job training to help lift them out of poverty |
| income strategy | a policy giving poor people money to help lift them out of poverty |
| worldviews | a comprehensive opinion of how the United States should respond to world problems |
| isolationism | the opinion that the United States should withdraw from world affairs |
| containment | the belief that the United States should resist the exspansion of aggressive nations, especially the former Soviet Union |
| disengagement | the belief that the United States was harmed by its war in Vietnam and so should avoid supposedly similar events |
| human rights | the view that we should try to improve the lives of people in other countries |
| military-industrial complex | an alleged alliance between millitary and corporate leaders |
| cost overruns | when the money actually paid to millitary suppliers exceeds the estimated costs |
| gold plating | the tendency of the Pentagon officals to ask weapons contractors to meet excesivly high requirements |
| bipolar world | a political landscape with two superpowers |
| unipopular world | a political landscape with one superpower |
| enrionmental impact statement | a report required by federal law that assesses the possible effect of a project on the environment if the project is subsidized in whole or part by federal funds |
| command-and-control strategy | a strategy to improve air and water quality, involving the setting of detailed pollution standwards and rules |
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