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AP Gov Vocab
vocab
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| affirmative action | programs intended to give a boost or preference of minority applicants in contracting, employment, housing, and college/professional school admissions over white applicants |
| agenda setting | identification of the problems and/or issues that require the attention of the government to resovle |
| amicus curiae brief | amicus curiae literally meants "friend of the court"; it is a brief submitted to the court by an interested third party that outlines issues it thinks are important in the case |
| Antifederalist | those opposed to the ratification of the Constitution beacuse it gave too much power to the central government at the expense of the states and because of the lack of a bill of rights. (Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson) |
| appellate jurisdiction | the power that a court has to review the decision of a lower court; the Supreme Court exercises appellate jurisdiction in the overwhelming majority of the cases it hears |
| Articles of Confederation | the first written constitution of the U.S. that went into effect in 1781. It created a unicameral legislature (Confederation Congress) where each state had one vote, but no executive or judicial authority. |
| bicameral legislature | a two house legislature; Congress and all of the state legislatures with the exception of Nebraska are bicameral |
| bill | a proposed law |
| bill of attainder | a law that makes a person guilty of a crime without a trial; neither Congress nor the states can enact such a law under the Constitution |
| blanket primary | a primary election in which candidates from all parties are on the ballot, and a registered voter can vote for the Democratic candidate for one office and the Republican for another |
| block grants | Federal funds to the states for programs in broad policy areas such as law enforcement with few, if any, restrictions on how the money is used |
| brief | a written document submitted to a court that presents the facts and legal reasoning of a party to the lawsuit |
| capital-gains tax | a tax on the sale of stock or real property |
| casework | services performed by an elected official for constituents. A memeber of the Congress gets tickets to tour the White House for a family or contacts the Department of Veterans Affairs for a person in his/her district |
| categorical grant | Federal funds to states and local governments for specific programs that usually require the recipient to match the money provided and have other strings attached |
| caucus | made up of members of Congress that may or may not be from the same party but share common policy concerns. The term also refers to a meeting of all the memebers of a party in Congress |
| checks and balances | related to the separation of powers; each branch of the government has the power to limit the other branches so that one is not dominant |
| clear and present danger test | limitations on freedom of speech established in Schenck v. U.S. (1919). ie can't yell fire in a crowded theather |
| closed convention | a party national convention at which the nominee has already been determined through the primaries; one candidate won a majority of the delegates before the convention |
| closed primary | a primary election taht is limited to registered voters of a particular political party |
| closed rule | issued by the House Rules Committee; strict time limit for debate in the House and no amendments can be offered |
| cloture | method to cut off a filibuster in teh Senate. The Senate needs 16 votes to call for cloture and 60 votes to end a filibuster |
| coattail effect | the ability of a strong or popular candidate to get other candidates on the ticket elected; most often used in connection with a presidential candidate helping other members of the party to win an election |
| cofederal system | a political system in which the states are sovereign and determine what authority the central government has |
| committee report | issued by the standing committee taht examined the bill, it includes the text of the bill as reported by the committee, a summary of its provisions, and reasons for committee approval |
| comparable worth | determining what compensation an employee should receive based on a calculation of the worth of that job; intended to eliminate the discrepancies in salaries paid to women and men; also known as pay equity |
| concurrent powers | powers that are shared by both the federal government and the states; taxation and the creation of courts are examples |
| concurring opinion | an opinion written by one or more judges in an appellate case that agrees with the decision but presents a different legal argument |
| conference committee | a committee made up of memebers of the House and the Senate that is responsible for reconciling the differences when two versions of thes ame bill pass both houses of Congress |
| congressional review | Congress can nullify a federal regulation within 60 days after it was issued through a joint resolution |
| congressional-executive agreement | trade agreement that only requires approval of a majority of both houses of Congress and not a two thirds vote of the Senate |
| constitutional courts | courted created by Congress under Article III where the judges serve for life; the US Courts of Appeals are an example |
| containment policy | policy adopted by the US toward the Soviet Union after WWII; any attempt by the Soviet Union of Communism to expand would be met by American counterforce |
| cooperative federalism | a model of the relationship between the federal government and the states that developed during the 1930s; sometimes referred to as marble cake federalism because the power of the federal government expands into areas that the states are responsible for |
| cost-benefit analysis | a method of evaluating a public policy by determining if the benefits of the policy outweigh its costs |
| creative federalism | identified with President Lyndon Johnson's Great Society; the federal government determines the needs of the states |
| cross-ownership | in the mass meida, a corporation owns a broadcast outlet, for example, a television or radio station, and a newspaper in the same market |
| de facto segregation | segregation that results from living patterns rather than law |
| de jure segregation | segregation that results from law, for example, the Jim Crow lays in the South required racial segregation in pulic schools, public accommodations, public transportation, and many other areas |
| deregulation | reducing or completely elminating federal government oversight of an industry so as to allow it to operate more freely; deregulation is supposed to encourage competition and reduce costs to consumers |
| detente | American policy of easing tensions with the Soviet Union during the Nixon Administration; the policy led to increased trade, cultural exchanges, and arms control agreements |
| discount rate | the interest rate that hte Federal Reserve charges to member banks for loans. The discount rate is set by the Federal Reserve Board |
| discretionary spending | federal spending that is authorized through the appropriations process, for example, the amount included in the defense budget for personnel |
| dissenting opinion | an opinion by a judge who voted in the minority that explains the reasons for opposing the majority opinion |
| divided government | occurs when the president is from one party and Congress is controlled by the other party. This also occurs if the House is controlled by one party and the Senate by the other party |
| domino theory | Cold War argument that if one country in a region fell to Communism, the other countries in the region would quickly follow |
| dual federalism | a model of the relationship between the federal government and the states where each is supreme in their own spheres and tensions exists between them; also known as layer-cake federalism. States' rights are emphasized, and the federal gov is limited e pow |
| due process | protection against the arbitrary loss of life, liberty, and property provided for under the 5th and 14th amendment |
| electoral college | a group of persons known as electors who offically elect the president and vice president of the US. The # of electors each state has is equal to the total # of representatives in Congress. To be elected president, the candidate needs a majority vote e.c. |
| entitlements | gov benefits provided to Americans who qualify because of their age, income, and/or status, for example, childern living below the proverty line, the disabled, and veterans |
| enumerated powers | powers that the Constitution specifically grants to the federal government (Congress); also known as delegated powers |
| equal access rule | the broadcast media must give all candidates for political office the same opportunity to be heard under Federal Communications Commission rules |
| establishment clause | 1st amendment freedom of religion protection that focuses on the speration of church and state |
| ex post facto law | a law that makes an action a crime that was legal when it was committed or increases te penatly for a crime after it has been committeed. Under the Constitution, neither the states nor Congress can pass such a law |
| exclusionary rule | evidence that is obtained illegally is not admissible in court |
| executive agreement | an agreement between the US and another country that does not require approval of the Senate; different from treaty |
| exit poll | a poll conducted on election day to determine how people voted |
| fairness doctrine | abolished by the Federal Communications Commissions in 1985, it required that broadcast media present opposing sides of controversial issues |
| fast track authority | the president is granted the power to negotiate trade agreements that Congress must vote up or down without amendments |
| federal budget deficit | difference in any year between government spending and government revenue; the national debt is the cumulative unpaid total of annual deficit |
| federal system | a political system in which power is divided between the national government and other governmental units |
| Federalists | those who favored a strong central government and supported the ratification of the Constitution (George Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton) |
| filibuster | talking a bill to death on the Senate floor so that no other business can be conducted; only a cloture vote can end a filibuster |
| fiscal policy | using taxes and spending to impact the economy; associated with Keynesian economics |
| flat tax | a single low tax rate on all taxpayers coupled with the elimination of all or most exemptions |
| franking privilege | the right of members of Congress to free use of the mail for official business |
| free exercise clause | 1st Amendment freedom of religion protection against interference with the practice of religion |
| free rider | an individual who benefits from the activities of an interest group but does not support the group either financially or through active participation |
| front-loading | refers to the practice of bunching presidential primaries early in the year so that a majority of the delegates are selected by March |
| fruit of the poisonous tree | additional evidence that is discovered from evidence obtained through illegal search, which is lso not admissible in court |
| full faith and credit clause | laws, court decisions, and records of one state are recognized and valid in every other state |
| gender gap | men and women hold different position on a wide range of political issues; women tend to vote for the Democratic party more than men |
| General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) | international agreements that seek to increase trade among countries by lowering tariffs |
| gerrymandering | the redrawing of legislative district lines in such a way to favor on political party over the other; racial gerrymandering refers to creating districts that guarantee teh election of minority candidate |
| good-faith exception | if the authorities act "in good faith", evidence that otherwise may have been excluded may be admissible |
| government corporation | may receive part of its funding from Congress and is managed by a board appointed by the President. THe function that it preforms could be carried out by private enterprise. THe US postal service (ie) |
| grassroots lobbying | organizating a letter-writing campaign or talking out advertisments to influence public opinion and persuade elected officials to support a particular policy |
| Great Compromise | solution to the problem of representation at the Constitutional Convention; the # of members that each state would have in the HofR is deteremined by population while state would have equal representation in the Senate (2 senators) |
| gross domestic product | the total output of goods and services produced in the US, which is a measure of the health of the economy |
| Group of Eight (G8) | World's major industrial nations- Canada, France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Japan, and US -- Plus Russia who meet regularly to discuss global economic issues |
| hard money | money used directly by a candidate running for office and is subject to campain finance laws and Federal Election Commission regulations |
| heightened scrutiny | Standard adopted in Craig v Broen (1976); classification of individuals based on gender must be related to an important gov objective; replaced min rationality standard |
| implied powers | powers of the federal gov not specifically mentioned in the Constitution but dervied for the necessary and proper clause |
| incorporation doctrine | the Bill of Rights, with certain exceptions, applies to states and municipalities as well as the federal government through the 14th amendment |
| independent executive agency | part of the executive branch but not included in any executive department; the head of the agency is appointed by the president and serves at the pleasure of the president (NASA and CIA) |
| independent regulatory agency | part of the executive branch and responsible for regulating and oversight of a segment of the economy; manage by board of commissions appointed by the president for a fixed term. The Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) (ie) |
| interest group | an organization whose members share the same concerns, and try to influence public policy that imact those concerns |
| issue network | a looser relationship than the iron triangle; refers to the numerous people who are invovled in the formulation of policy, including the president, members of Congress, teh cabinet, lobbyists, interest groups, government agencies, and scholars and academi |
| Jim Crow Laws | laws passed by sate legislatures in the South in the late 19th and early 20th century to create a racially segregated society in order to deprive African Americans of the right to vote |
| joint committee | a committee of Congress mae up of members of both houses that focuses on issues of general concern but does not propose legislation; the Joint Economic Committee is an example |
| judicial activism | courts have a more expanisve role to play in shaping public policy |
| judicial restraint | the function of the courts is to say when the law is not to make new law |
| judicial review | the power of the supreme court to declare law passed by Congress or the sate legislatures or an Executive action unconstitutional; established in Marbury v Madison (1903) |
| Keynesian economics | associated with the ideas of British economist John Maynard Keynes; economic slumps are the result of too little demand; government can stimulate demand by increasing spending anc utting taxes even if this result in growing deficits |
| laissez-faire economics | govrement should keep its hands off the economy, and not interfere with business, popular concept in teh 19th century when the federal government actually helped business through land grants to the railroads and high protective tariffs |
| LAPS Test | part of the criteria for determining obscenity in Miller v California (1973); work is considered obscene if it lacks "literay, artistic, political,' or 'scientific' value |
| leak | an unauthorized release of info to the press from someone in the government |
| legislative courts | courts created by Congress under Article I that deal with specialized cases; the judges serve for a fixed term |
| legislative veto | Congress rejects an action of the president by a majority vote of both houses; declared unconstitution by the Supreme Court |
| Lemon Test | criteria established in Lemon v Kurtzman (1971) concerning a law or government action dealing with religion. Such law or actions are constitutional if they serve a secular purpose, does not inhibit or advance religion, and doesn't entangle gov with religi |
| line-item veto | allows the president to selectively veto part of a bill without vetoing the entire bill; declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court |
| lobbying | the way an interest group tries to influence public policy |
| logrolling | an agreement btwn two or more members of Conress to vote for each other's bills |
| mandate | law, regulation, or court decision that compels a state or local gov to do something under the threat of legal action or the cutt off of federal funds |
| mandatory spending | Federal spending that is required by law, for example, for entitlement programs such as Social Security and veterans' benefits |
| margin of error | the percentage that a scientific poll is likely to be off; +/-3% is common |
| means test | income must be at a certain levl to qualify for beneftis from federal or state programs. There are means tests for such programs as food stamps and Medicaid |
| media event | a staged public event that gives the press the opportunity to see an elected official in action, and that presents the politician in a good light |
| midterm elections | Congressional elections held between presidential elections; the president's party usually loses seats in Congress |
| minimum-rationality standard | also known as "reasonableness test"; in the 19th and though most of the 20th century, used by the courts if determination based on gender was valid |
| Miranda warning | at the time of arrest and questioning, an individual must be informed abouth 5th and 6th amendment rights -- to remain silent, that anything that he says may be used against him in the court of law, right to an attorney present during questioning |
| monetary policy | Control of growth of the monetary supply by the Federal Reserve System |
| muckrakers | During the Progressive Era (1900-1920) journalists committed to bringing political corruption and unsavory business practices to the public's attention. Today they are known as investigative reporters |
| necessary and proper clause | enables the Congress to enact laws 'necessary and proper' to carry out the enumerated powers; also known as the elastic clause because it expands the power of the federal government |
| New Deal Coalition | Political coalition created by Franklin Roosevelt in the 1930s that included the South, organized labor, urban voters, and racial/ethnic minoritites including Catholics, Jews, and African Americans |
| New Federalism | concept identified with Richard Nixon; power and money flowed from Washington back to the states and municipalities |
| nonpartisan election | an election in which andidates run as independents without party affiliation |
| North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) | treaty that established a free trade one btwn the US, Canada, and Mexico |
| off the record | a reporter cannot directly use info provided in an interview |
| on background | a reporter can quote info provided in the interview, but cannot attribute the quote specifically to the interviewee |
| on deep background | a reporter can use iformation provided in the interview, but cannot make even a indirect reference to the source |
| on the record | a reporter can quote and use the name of the source of information provided in the interview |
| open convention | a party national convention at which no candidate has wn a majority of the delegates in the primaries; the candidate is chosen by the convention |
| original jurisdiction | the first court to hear a case; the supreme court has original jurisdiction in cases involving two or more states, the US and a state, a state and the citizens of another state, and foreign diplomats |
| party dealignment | weakening of ties between the voters and the two major parties; voters increasingly identify themselves as independents |
| party machine | politcal organization, typically at the local level, that wielded considerable power through its ability to get out the vote; relied heavily on patronage and providing services to constituents; often corrupt |
| party realignment | shift in voter loyalty in response to critical events; this occured in 1932 with the election of Democrat Franklin Roosevelt |
| platform | a statement of a political party on the issues facing the country that s adopted at the national convention; each issueposition is known as a plank |
| plurality opinion | supported by 3 or 4 justices because the decision, but not the legal reasoning, is supported by a majority |
| pocket veto | the president does not sign a bill within 10 day sof Congress adjourning |
| policy formulation | the development of an approach to solving a problem thatis on that politcal agenda; Congress, the president, federal agencies, and interest groups may each be involved in the process |
| political action committee | established by a corporation, labor union, or other interest group to raise and contribute money to the campaigns of candidates for office or to a national party |
| politcal agenda | the issues the American people believe are important for the government to handle |
| political ideology | a coherent set of beliefs about politics and the role of the government |
| political socialization | the process by which Americans learn about the political system and develop their political views |
| pork-barrel legislation | legislation that brings a federal program or project to the district or state of a member of Congress; examples include the expansion of a military base, a new dam or other public works project, or a new highway |
| progressive tax | tax those who make more money at a higher rate; the income tax is a progressive tax |
| proportional representation | the delegates in a presidential primary are divided amon the candidates based on the percentage of the votes received, providing a minimum threshold (usually 15%) is achieved |
| random digit dialing | the method often used to select households for a telephone poll |
| random sampling | a statistical technique that gives everyone in the target group, example, all eligible voters, the same opportunity to participate in a poll |
| reapportionment | the states' loss or gain of seats in HofR based on the population changes between the decennial census |
| recess appointment | presidential appoinment made when Congress is not in session, and does not require immediate confirmation |
| recession | a downturn in the economy; two consecutive quarters of a negative gross domestic product |
| regressive tax | everyone is taxed at the same rate; a sales tax is regessive, and impacts the poor harder than it does the wealthy |
| reserved powers | under the 10th amendment, powers not granted to the federal government nor denied to the states are reserved for the states or the people |
| revenue sharing | a program (1972-1986) that distributed federal funds to the states and municipalities with no restrictions on how the money could be spent |
| reverse discrimination | program such as affirmative action that help racial minorities and/or women actually discriminate against white males on the basi of race and/or gender |
| revolvig door | the practice of gov officials becoming lobbyists for the industry or companies they were responsible for regulating while they were public servants |
| rider | an amendment that is completely unrelated to the subject of a bill |
| right-of-rebuttal rule | a person attacked on radio or television must be given a reasonabe opportunity to respond |
| rule making | the process by which federal agencies adopt regulations; includes public notice, hearings, and written comments |
| rule of four | four of he nine supreme court justices must agree in conference to hear a case before it is put on the docket |
| select committee | a temporary committee of Congress set up for specific purpose that is outside the scope of the standing committees; also know as special committees |
| senatorial courtesy | the right of a senior senator for the president's party to approve a nominee to a federal district court in his/her state |
| separation of powers | a key concept in the constitution; power in the federal government is divide between the legislaive (Congress), executive, and judicial branches. it is closely tied to the concept of checks and balances |
| shield laws | state laws that provide journalists limited protection against revealing their sources |
| soft money | money used by national, state, or local party organizations that is not regulated by the Federal Election Commission |
| sound bite | a very brief excerpt from a political speech aired on televisio or radio; the amount of time in a sound bite has decreased over the years |
| southern strategy | adopted by the Republicans under Nixon; Republicans challenge traditional Democratic control in the southern states based on the premise that voters in the region are fundamentally conservative |
| splinter parties | third political parties that break off from either the Democrats or Republicans; historically, splinter parties are the strongest third parties in terms of the popular and electoral vote |
| split-ticket voting | voting for the candidate rather than by party affiliation; a person might vote for a Democrat for president but a Republican for governor |
| spoils system | in the 19th century, granting federal jobs to political supporters |
| stagflation | a combination of high inflation and high unemployment that the US experienced in the 1970s |
| standard operating procedures | rule and procedures that are intended to make a bureaucracy run efficiently |
| standing committee | permanent committee of Congress that deals with legislation and oversight in a broad policy area, for example, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee |
| stare decisis | "let the decision stand"; the emphasis that courts give to precedent or previous decisions on the same issue |
| straight-ticket voting | voting for candidates based on party affiliation only |
| superdelegate | democratic political leaders who are appointed delegations to the national convention and are not bound by the primary results |
| supply-side economics | associated with Reagan Administration; cut taxes and reduce government regulations to give business the incentive to expand production; the emphasis is on business rather than the consumer |
| supremacy clause | the Constitution, federal laws, and treaties are hte supreme law of the land |
| Three-fifths compromise | slaves counted as 3/5s of a person for purposes of representation and taxation; an important recognition of slavery in the Constitution that helped fully resolve the controversy over representation |
| trial balloon | a story presented to the media to guage the public reaction to a policy or program under consideration |
| trustee | an elected official who takes the views of constituents into account but casts a vote based on his/her best judgement and/or conscience |
| unemployment rate | the percentage of the civilian labor force that is out of work |
| unicameral legislature | a one-house legislature; Congress under the Articles of Confederation was unicameral |
| unitary system | a political system in which all power is derived from the central government |
| value-added tax | tax on a product at each stage in its development; considerd a national sales tax |
| voter turnout | the total number of votes cast for the highest office on the ballot; usually expressed in terms ofa percentage of the voting age population that actualy voted |
| War Powers Act (1973) | limitation on the power of the president to commit American military forces. The president must inform Congress before troops are committed, and must get congressional approval for a deployment of longer than 60days |
| warrantless searches | a search that does not require a warrant, for example, the person who is placed under arrest and the item is in plain sight at the time of the arrest |
| whip | a party leader in Congress who makes sure the party members are present for important votes |
| white primary | only whites can vote in Democratic primaries in the South. This was a technique used to disenfranchise African Americans |
| winner-take-all primary | a presidential primary in which the candidate who gets the most votes wins all the delegates from that state; the Democratic party does not hold winner-take-all primaries |
| workfare | inclusion of work requirements for individual on welfare; slogan of the welfare reform movement, for example, move people from welfare to workfare |
| writ of certiorari | formal document issued by the supreme court to a lower court indicating it will hear a case |
| writ of habeas corpus | court order directing authorities to show cause why a person under detention should not be released |
| yellow journalism | in the late 19th century, newspapers that relied on sensational reporting to boost circulation and to shape public opinion; coverage of the events leading up to the Spanish-American War (1898) is a good example |
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