American Politics Glossary Terms

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Passed by congress in 1973 to limit the president's ability to commit troops to combat; only when Congress has declared war, when congress has given the president specific authority to do so or when an attack on the US or its military creates a national crisis.

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War Powers Resolution

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Statute passed by Congress to protect disabled people from discrimination in employment and public accommodation.

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Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

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The district a member of Congress represents.

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Constituency

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A system of hiring civil service based on competitive examinations.

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Merit system.

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1862 document in which Lincoln proclaimed that "slaves shall be... forever free".

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Emancipation Proclamation

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The education amendments of 1972 to the 1964 Civil Rights Act, forbidding discrimination on the basis of sex in schools and colleges that receive federal aid.

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Title IX

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Member of congress in charge of maintaining contact with party members, determining which way they are leaning on issues and trying to ensure they vote on party-backed bills.

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Whip

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An indirect democracy, where citizens do not make laws or make policy, but elect policymakers to make decisions for them.

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Republic

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The authority to hear and decide cases.

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Jurisdiction

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Election-day poll of voters leaving the polling place, conducted mainly by the media.

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Exit poll

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Directives or proclamations issued by the president,

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Executive orders

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The practice of organizing on the basis of one's ethic or racial identity, sex, or sexual orientation, to compete for public resources and to influence public policy.

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Identity politics

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A contiguous speech made by one or more members to prevent the Senate from taking action on a bill.

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Filibuster

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Believe individuals and communities are better off without government assistance, but government should impose standards of personal behavior on its citizens.

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Conservatives

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The efforts of interest groups to influence government.

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Lobbying

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Group that lobbies for political and social causes rather than direct financial gain for its members.

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Public interest groups

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A primary election that is not limited to members of a particular party; a voter may vote in either's primary

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Open primary

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An unscientific poll.

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Straw poll

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Serves as Congress's watchdog in oversight, making sure that funds are properly used by government.

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General Accountability Office (GAO)

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The practice of drawing strangely shaped districts to fulfill political objectives.

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Gerrymandering

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Implied agreement between people and government in which people give up part of their liberty to the government in exchange for the government protecting the remainder of their liberties.

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Social contract

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"Battleground states" where the results of an election are in doubt.

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Swing states

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A 1954 Supreme Court decision ruling unanimously that school segregation violated the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause.

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Brown vs the Board of Education

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A right to autonomy--to be left alone--that is not specifically mentioned in the Constitution, but has been found by the US Supreme Court to be implied through certain amendments.

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Right to Privacy

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Court cases in which persons sue others for denying their rights and causing them harm.

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Civil cases

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The right to vote.

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Suffrage

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The same as a special committee, typically organized on a temporary basis to investigate a specific problem or to hold hearings and issue a report on special problems that arise. They are disbanded when their work is completed.

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Select committee

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Converting laws into rules and action that have an actual impact on people and things.

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Policy implementation

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When party leaders, once in office, openly award government jobs and other benefits to their supporters.

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Political patronage

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A congressional act tat does not provide funding, but enables agencies and departments to operate, either by creating them or by authorizing their continuance, and may establish funding levels and guidelines from them.

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Authorization

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Law passed in 1995 that made it illegal to interfere wit anyone's right to vote.

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Voting Rights Act

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A committee set up to resolve differences in the two versions of the same bill that have been passed in the House and in the Senate.

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Conference committee

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A system in which power is constitutionally divided between a central government and sub national or local governments (in the US there are the states).

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Federalism

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A worldview that leads to a consistent and coherent set of opinions on political issues, toward political personalities, or on political parties.

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Ideology

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When the House of Representatives brings formal charges against an incumbent president (similar to an indictment in criminal proceedings).

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Impeachment

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A prosecutor charged with investigating and prosecuting alleged violations of federal law by the president, vice president, members of Congress or the Judiciary.

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Special Prosecutor

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Publications listing all government rules, regulations and laws.

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Federal Register

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1963 law requiring women and men to receive equal pay for equal work.

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Equal Pay Act

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The constitutional amendment barring unreasonable searches and seizures.

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Fourth Amendment

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The authority of the courts to declare laws or actions of government officials unconstitutional.

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Judicial review

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Opportunity for members of Congress to rewrite bills in subcommittee; the bill is then sent to the full committee, which may also hold hearings.

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Markup session

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The willingness of individuals to extend procedural rights and liberties to people with whom they disagree.

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Political tolerance

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A congressional act that gives federal agencies the authority to spend the money allocated to them.

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Appropriation

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Peaceful but illegal protest activity, in which those involved allow themselves to be arrested and punished.

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Civil disobedience

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What politicians (or their aides) do to portray themselves or their programs in the most favorable light, often shading the truth.

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Spin

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Members of a political party meeting to conduct party business (also refers to the group)

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Party caucus

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A clause in the Fourteenth Amendment granting citizenship to blacks that would eventually become the primary guarantee that government would treat people equally.

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Equal protection clause

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The right of the president to refuse to make public some internal documents and private conversations.

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Executive privilege

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Court cases in which governments prosecute persons for violating laws.

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Criminal cases

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This group believes that government can be a constructive force in society, but personal behavior is best left for individuals to decide for themselves.

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Liberals