1.
527
groups - A political
organization, not affiliated with a party, that can raise and spend soft money;
named after a section of the Internal Revenue Code.
2.
absentee
ballot - A ballot, usually
sent in the mail, that allows those who cannot go to their precinct on election
day to vote.
3.
absolutism - The belief that the government should
have all the power and be able to do whatever it wants.
4.
acquisitive
model - A view of
bureaucracies that argues agency heads seek to expand the size, budget, and
power of their agency.
5.
actual
malice - Knowingly printing
falsehoods in order to harm a person’s reputation.
6.
administrative
adjudication -
The bureaucratic function of settling disputes by relying on rules and
precedents.
7.
affirm - An action by the Supreme Court to
uphold a ruling by a lower court; that ruling is now the legally binding one.
8.
affirmative
action - Measures to give
minorities special consideration for hiring, school admission, and so on,
designed to overcome past discrimination.
9.
agency
capture -
The gaining of control (direct or indirect) over a government regulatory agency
by the industry it regulates.
10.
agency
representation -
A type of representation in which the representative is seen as an agent,
acting on behalf of the district, who is held accountable if he or she does not
do as the constituents wish.
11.
agenda-setting - The power of the media to determine
which issues will be discussed and debated.
12.
amendment - A change to the Constitution.
13.
American
conservatism -
The belief that freedom trumps all other political considerations; the
government should play a small role in people’s lives.
14.
American
exceptionalism -
The view that the United States is different from other countries.
15.
American
liberalism -
The belief that the government should promote equality in politics and
economics.
16.
Americans
with Disabilities Act -
The major law banning discrimination against the disabled, it requires
employers to make all reasonable accommodations to disabled workers; it passed
in 1990.
17.
amicus
curiae brief -
Literally, a “friend of the court” brief. A brief submitted to the court by a
group not involved in the case; it presents further arguments for one side in
the case.
18.
anarchism - The belief that all governments are
repressive and should be destroyed.
19.
appellate
jurisdiction -
The authority to review cases heard by lower courts.
20.
appointment
power - The president’s
power to appoint people to key federal offices.
21.
appropriation - The act of Congress formally
specifying the amount of authorized money that an agency can spend.
22.
Articles
of Confederation -
America’s first national constitution, which loosely bound the states under a
weak national Congress.
23.
attack
journalism -
Journalism that aims to undermine political leaders.
24.
Australian
ballot - A ballot printed by
the government that allows voting to be secret.
25.
authoritarian
regime - A government that
can do whatever it wants, without limits.
26.
authority - The ability of the government to
exercise power without resorting to violence.
27.
authorization - A formal declaration by a
congressional committee that a certain amount of money is available to an
agency.
28.
autocracy - A regime in which the government
holds all the power.
29.
bad-tendency
rule - A rule to judge if
speech can be limited: If the speech could lead to some sort of “evil,” it can
be prohibited.
30.
Bakke case -
This Supreme Court Case decided in 1978 that affirmative action is legal as
long as race is not the only factor considered.
31.
balanced
budget - When a government
spends exactly as much as it takes in.
32.
bicameral
legislature -
A legislature with two houses.
33.
bilateral - A state acting in cooperation with
another state.
34.
bill of
attainder -
A bill passed by the legislature that declares a person guilty of a crime.
35.
Bill of
Rights - The first ten
amendments to the Constitution, which safeguard some specific rights of the
American people and the states.
36.
Bill - A proposed law or policy.
37.
Bipartisan
Campaign Finance Reform Act -
A law passed in 2002 that banned soft money, put limits on issue advertising,
and increased the amount people can donate to candidates; also called the McCain-Feingold
bill.
38.
bipolar
system - An international
system characterized by two superpowers that roughly balance each other.
39.
blanket
primary -
A primary in which voters can choose candidates from more than one party;
declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
40.
block
grant - A grant-in-aid with
few restrictions or rules about how it can be spent.
41.
blog - A weblog on the Internet; the
thoughts and opinions of a person or group posted online.
42.
brief - A document submitted to a court that presents
one side’s argument in a case.
43.
broadcast
media - Media that is
distributed over the airwaves.
44.
Brown v.
Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas -
Supreme Court case that ended segregation and declared “separate but equal” to
be unconstitutional.
45.
bundling - The practice of lumping campaign
donations from several donors together.
46.
bureaucracy - An administrative way of organizing
large numbers of people to work together; usually relies on specialization,
hierarchy, and standard operating procedure.
47.
buying
power - One’s ability to
purchase things; it is undermined by inflation.
48.
cabinet - A group, composed of the heads of
federal departments and key agencies, that advises the president.
49.
caesaropapism - The belief that the powers of church
and state should be united in one person.
50.
candidate-centered
politics -
Campaigns and politics that focus on the candidates, not party labels.
51.
case law - The collection of court decisions
that shape law.
52.
casework - Work done by a member of Congress or
his or her staff on behalf of constituents.
53.
categorical
grants - Money given for a
specific purpose that comes with restrictions concerning how the money should
be spent. There are two types of categorical grants: project grants and formula
grants.
54.
caucus - A gathering of political leaders to
make decisions, such as which candidate to nominate for an office; set policy;
and plot strategy.
55.
census - Counting the population to determine
representation in the House of Representatives; the constitution mandates one
every ten years.
56.
central
bank - The institution
with the power to implement monetary policy.
57.
centralization - the process by which law- and
policymaking becomes centrally located.
58.
centrally
planned economy -
An economy where all decisions are made by the government.
59.
charter - A document issued by state government
granting certain powers and responsibilities to a local government.
60.
checks
and balances -
The ability of different branches of government to stop each other from acting;
designed to prevent one branch from gaining too much power.
61.
chief of
state - The ceremonial head
of government; in the United States, the president serves as chief of state.
62.
citizen - A legal member of a political unit.
63.
civic
education -
Education geared toward training the young to be good citizens.
64.
civil
liberties -
Individual freedoms that the government cannot take away, including free
speech, freedom of religion, and the rights of the accused.
65.
Civil
Rights Act of 1964 -
The major civil rights legislation in the modern era, the Civil Rights Act
banned discrimination and segregation in public accommodations.
66.
Civil
Rights Cases - Supreme Court decision in 1883 that
said the Fourteenth Amendment only made discrimination by government illegal;
private citizens could do as they pleased.
67.
civil
rights - The rights of
equality under the law.
68.
Civil
Service Commission -
The first federal personnel agency.
69.
Civil
Service Reform Act of 1883 -
Law that established the federal civil service; also known as the Pendleton
Act.
70.
Civil
Service Reform Act of 1978 -
Law that updated and reformed the civil service.
71.
civil
service -
Government employees hired and promoted based on merit, not political
connections.
72.
civil
society -
The network of community relationships that builds social capital.
73.
civil war - A war fought within a single country
between or among different groups of citizens who want to control the
government and do not recognize another group’s right to rule.
74.
classical
conservatism -
A view that arose in opposition to classical liberalism; it claimed that
tradition was very valuable, human reason limited, and stability essential.
75.
classical
liberalism -
A view that arose in the early modern era in Europe; it argues for the value of
the individual, the necessity for freedom, the importance of rationalism, and
the value of the free market.
76.
clear-and-present
danger - A limit on free
speech stipulating that speech that constitutes a “clear and present danger” can
be banned.
77.
closed
primary -
A primary in which the voter must belong to the party in which he or she
participates.
78.
closed
rule - A rule on a bill,
issued by the House Rules Committee, which limits or bans amendments during
floor debate.
79.
cloture - A motion to end debate in the Senate,
it must be approved by sixty votes.
80.
codetermination - A policy used in some states with
strong social democratic parties that forces large corporations to have
substantial representation from the workers on the board of directors
81.
command
economy -
An economy where all decisions are made by the government.
82.
commerce
clause - A clause in Article
I, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution that grants Congress the power to
regulate interstate commerce.
83.
common
law - A system of law,
originally from England, in which previous decisions guide judges in
interpreting the law.
84.
common-carrier
role - The media’s role as
an intermediary between the people and the government.
85.
communism - An extreme form of socialism that
advocates violent revolution to create a socialist state.
86.
comparative
politics -
An academic discipline that compares states in order to understand how they
work.
87.
concurrent
powers - Powers exercised
simultaneously by the states and the federal government.
88.
concurring
opinion -
An opinion issued by a judge who votes with the winning side but disagrees with
the majority or plurality opinion.
89.
confederacy - A loose relationship among a number
of smaller political units.
90.
confederate
system - A system of
government with a very weak central government and strong states.
91.
conformism - A tendency for people to act the same
way, watch the same television programs, read the same books, and so on.
92.
constituency - The people in a district represented
by a legislator.
93.
constitution - A set of rules that govern how power
will be distributed and used legitimately in a state.
94.
constitutional
democracy -
A type of government characterized by limitations on government power spelled
out in a constitution.
95.
constitutional
government -
A regime in which the use of power is limited by law.
96.
constitutional
powers - Powers of the
president granted explicitly by the Constitution.
97.
continuing
resolution -
A measure passed by Congress that temporarily funds an agency while Congress
completes its budget.
98.
convention
delegate -
A party member or official who goes to the national convention to vote for the
party’s presidential nominee and to ratify the party’s platform.
99.
conventional
participation -
Political participation in activities deemed appropriate by most; includes
voting, donating to a campaign, and writing letters to officeholders.
100.
cooperative
federalism -
A term used to describe federalism for most of the twentieth century (and into
the twenty-first), where the federal government and the states work closely
together and are intertwined; also known as marble-cake federalism.
101.
corrupt
practices acts -
A series of laws in the early twentieth century that were the first attempts to
regulate campaign finance.
102.
credentials
committee -
Party officials who decide which delegates may participate in the national
convention.
103.
critical
election -
An election that marks the advent of a realignment.
104.
de
facto segregation -
Segregation that exists due to economic and residential patterns, not because
of law.
105.
de jure
segregation -
Segregation imposed by law.
106.
dealignment - The loosening of party ties as more
voters see themselves as independents.
107.
decision - A document issued by the court
stating who wins the case.
108.
Declaration
of Independence -
The document written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776 that broke the colonies away
from British rule.
109.
defamation
of character -
Unfairly hurting a person’s reputation.
110.
deficit
spending -
When a government intentionally spends more money than it takes in.
111.
delegated
powers - Powers granted by
Congress to help the president fulfill his duties.
112.
demand-side
economics -
An approach to economic policy that stresses stimulation of demand by putting
more money in the hands of consumers.
113.
democracy - Rule by the people.
114.
democratic
socialism -
A peaceful form of socialism that works within democratic governments to attain
socialism gradually.
115.
demosclerosis - The inability of the U.S. government
to get anything significant done because interest groups block all major
change.
116.
denial of
power - Declaring that a
certain person or group does not have a particular power.
117.
depression - A severe economic downturn that lasts
a long time; more serious than a recession.
118.
deregulation - The repeal or reduction of
regulations in order to boost efficiency, increase competitiveness, and benefit
consumers.
119.
deterrence - Threatening to use military force to
prevent another state from taking a particular course of action.
120.
devolution - The process of the national
government giving responsibilities and powers to state, local, or regional
governments.
121.
dictatorship - An absolute government in which one
person holds all the power and uses it for his or her own self-interest.
122.
diplomacy - The act of negotiating and dealing
with other nations in the world, trying to achieve goals without force.
123.
direct
democracy -
A government in which the people come together to vote on all important issues.
124.
discharge
petition -
A measure in the House that forces a bill out of a committee for consideration
by the whole House.
125.
dissenting
opinion -
A court opinion written by the losing side that explains why it disagrees with
the decision.
126.
diversity - A mix of different cultural and
religious traditions and values.
127.
divided
government -
A situation in which one party controls the presidency, while the other
controls at least one house of Congress.
128.
divine
right theory of kingship -
The view that the monarch is chosen by God to rule with absolute power over a
country.
129.
division
of labor -
The practice of dividing a job into smaller component parts and assigning one
person or group to do each part.
130.
dual
federalism -
A term to describe federalism through most of the nineteenth century, where the
federal and state governments each had their own issue areas, which rarely
overlapped; also known as layer-cake federalism.
131.
due
process clause -
Part of the Fourteenth Amendment, which declares that no person can be deprived
of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.
132.
duopoly - A term to describe the overwhelming
power of the two major parties in American politics.
133.
Earned
Income Tax Credit -
A federal welfare program that refunds all or part of a poor family’s social
security tax.
134.
economic
aid - Assistance to other
countries designed to help the recipient’s economy.
135.
economic
group - An interest group
that seeks material benefits for its members.
136.
economic
growth - The expansion of
the economy, leading to the creation of more jobs and more wealth.
137.
effective
tax rate -
The actual percentage of one’s income that one pays in taxes, after deductions
and tax credits.
138.
elastic
clause - Clause in Article
I, Section 8, of the Constitution that says the Congress has the power to do
anything that is necessary and proper in order to carry out its explicit
powers; also called the necessary and proper clause.
139.
elector - A member of the Electoral College.
140.
Electoral
College -
The body that elects the president of the United States; composed of electors
from each state equal to that state’s representation in Congress; a candidate
must get a majority of electoral votes to win.
141.
elitism/elite
theory - The view that a
small capable group should rule over the rest.
142.
emergency
powers - Inherent powers
exercised by the president to deal with emergencies.
143.
empire - A state that governs more than one
national group, usually as a result of conquest.
144.
enabling
legislation -
A law passed by Congress that lays out the general purposes and powers of an
agency but grants the agency the power to determine the details of how it
implements policy.
145.
entitlement
program -
A program under which the federal government is obligated to pay a specified
benefit to people who meet certain requirements.
146.
enumerated
powers - The powers
specifically given to Congress in Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution.
147.
environmental
impact statement -
A statement that must be prepared by the federal government prior to acting
that describes how the environment will be affected.
148.
environmentalism - The belief that humans have an
obligation to protect the world from the excesses of human habitation,
including pollution and the destruction of wilderness.
149.
equal
protection clause -
Part of the Fourteenth Amendment, which states that states must give all
citizens the equal protection of the law.
150.
Equal
Rights Amendment -
A proposed amendment that would end gender discrimination; it failed to be
ratified.
151.
equal
time rule -
A broadcast media regulation that requires media outlets to give equal amounts
of time to opposing candidates in an election.
152.
equality
of opportunity -
When all people are given the same chances to compete and achieve so that those
with talent and diligence will succeed, whereas others will not.
153.
equality
of outcome -
When all people achieve the same result, regardless of talent or effort.
154.
equity - When all parties to a transaction are
treated fairly.
155.
establishment
clause - A part of the First
Amendment that forbids government establishment of religion.
156.
ex post
facto law -
A law that declares something illegal after it has been done.
157.
excess
demand - An economic
situation in which the demand for something exceeds the supply.
158.
exclusionary
rule - A legal rule that
excludes from trial evidence obtained in an illegal search.
159.
executive
leadership -
The view that the president should have strong influence over the bureaucracy.
160.
Executive
Office of the President -
A set of agencies that work closely with the president to help him perform his
job.
161.
executive
order - An order issued by
the president that has the effect of law.
162.
executive
privilege -
The right of officials of the executive branch to refuse to disclose some
information to other branches of government or to the public.
163.
expressed
powers - The specific powers
given to Congress or the president by the Constitution; also called the enumerated
powers.
164.
fairness
doctrine -
A broadcast media regulation that requires a broadcaster that airs a controversial
program to also provide airtime to people with an opposing view.
165.
faithless
elector -
An elector who votes for someone other than the candidate who won the most
votes in the state.
166.
fascism - Ideology from Italy that stresses
national unity, a strong expansionist military, and absolute rule by one party.
167.
federal
budget - A document
detailing how the federal government will spend money during a fiscal year.
168.
Federal
Communications Commission -
The federal agency that regulates the broadcast media.
169.
Federal
Election Campaign Act -
A law, passed in 1971, that limited expenditures on media advertising and
required disclosure of donations above $100; made more stringent following the
Watergate scandal.
170.
Federal
Election Commission -
The independent agency established in 1974 to enforce campaign finance laws.
171.
Federal
Register - A federal publication that lists all
executive orders.
172.
federal
reserve bank -
The name of the central bank of the United States; often called the Fed.
173.
federal
system - A system of
government where power is shared between the central government and state and
local governments.
174.
federalism - A system of government in which power
is shared by national and state governments.
175.
feminism - The belief that women are equal to
men and should be treated equally by the law.
176.
filibuster - A Senate tactic; a senator in the
minority on a bill holds the floor (in effect shutting down the Senate) until
the majority backs down and kills the bill.
177.
First
Continental Congress -
A gathering of representatives from all thirteen colonies in 1774; it called
for a total boycott of British goods in protest against taxes.
178.
fiscal
federalism -
The practice of states spending federal money to help administer national
programs.
179.
fiscal policy - How the government influences the
economy through taxing, borrowing, and spending.
180.
fiscal
year - A twelve-month
period (which does not coincide with the calendar year) used for accounting and
budget purposes by the federal government.
181.
flat
taxes - A taxation system
in which everyone is charged the same rate, regardless of income.
182.
food stamps - Coupons issued by the government that
can be used to purchase food.
183.
foreign
policy - A state’s
international goals and its strategies to achieve those goals.
184.
formalized
rules - Another term for
standard operating procedure.
185.
formula
grants - Grants in which a
formula is used to determine how much money each state receives.
186.
framers - The men who wrote the Constitution.
187.
franking - The ability of members of Congress to
mail informational literature to constituents free of charge.
188.
free
exercise clause -
The part of the First Amendment that forbids the government from interfering in
the free exercise of religion.
189.
free
rider - A person who
benefits from an interest group’s efforts without actually contributing to
those efforts.
190.
front-loading - Moving primaries up in the campaign
calendar so that many primaries are held early in the campaign.
191.
front-runner - The candidate perceived to be in the
lead in an election campaign.
192.
full
faith and credit clause -
A clause in Article IV of the Constitution that declares that state governments
must give full faith and credit to other state governments’ decisions.
193.
fundamentalism - The belief that a religious document
is infallible and literally true.
194.
gag order - An order by a court to block people
from talking or writing about a trial.
195.
gender
discrimination -
Treating people differently and unequally because of gender.
196.
general
election -
An election contest between all party nominees and independent candidates; the
winner becomes a member of Congress.
197.
general
jurisdiction -
A court’s power to hear cases, which is mostly unrestricted.
198.
gerrymandering - The term used to describe the process
by which the party that controls the state government uses redistricting to its
own political advantage.
199.
Gibbons
v. Ogden - An 1824 Supreme Court case that gave
the federal government extensive powers through the commerce clause.
200.
Gideon v.
Wainwright - Supreme Court case of 1963 that
ordered governments to provide an attorney to criminal defendants who cannot
afford one.
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