Fsot - Us Government (5)

Front 1

Marxists

Back 1

People who believe that those who control the economic system also control the political one. (Ch. 1)

Front 2

Mass media

Back 2

Consisting of television, radio, newspapers, and magazines, they reach a large segment of the population. It is also considered one of the linkage institutions.

Front 3

massive retaliation

Back 3

The doctrine that the best way to deter aggression is to threaten a potential aggressor with devastation by atomic bombs. (See hawks and doves.)

Front 4

Matching funds

Back 4

Limited federal funds given to presidential candidates that match private donations raised during the campaign.

Front 5

Material incentives

Back 5

Benefits that have monetary value, including money, gifts, services, or discounts received as a result of one's membership in an organization. (Ch. 9)

Front 6

Mayflower Compact

Back 6

In 1620, the travellers aboard teh Mayflower signed an agreement establishing a body politic and a basic legal system for the colony. This agreement created a legal authority and a legislative assembly. It also asserted that the government's pwer derives from the consent of the governed, a concept central to limited government.

Front 7

McCarthyism

Back 7

Charges that unfairly or dishonestly tarnish the motives, attack the patriotism, or violate the rights of individuals, especially of political opponents. Refers to the numerous unsubstantiated accusations of communism made against public and private individuals by Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s. (Ch. 18)

Front 8

McGovern-Frasier Commission

Back 8

Commission that brought significant representation changes to the Democratic Party. It made future conventions more democratic by including more minority representation.

Front 9

Means test

Back 9

An income qualification that determines whether one is eligible for benefits under government programs reserved for lower-income groups. (Ch. 17)

Front 10

Medal of Honor

Back 10

The highest military decoration in the United States armed services, often called the Congressional Medal of Honor. It recognizes valor and bravery in action “above and beyond the call of duty.” There have been some 3,400 recipients of the medal, which was established by an act of Congress in 1862.

Front 11

Media Campaign

Back 11

That part of a political campaign waged in the broadcast and print media

Front 12

Media Effects

Back 12

The influence of news sources on public opinion

Front 13

Medicaid

Back 13

A shared program between the federal and local governments that covers hospital and nursing home costs of low-income people.

Front 14

Medicare

Back 14

(MED-i-kair) A federal program providing medical care for the elderly. Established by a health insurance bill in 1965, as part of President Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society, the Medicare program made a significant step for social welfare legislation and helped establish the growing population of the elderly as a pressure group. (See entitlements.)

Front 15

Mercantile System

Back 15

System that binds trade and it's administration to the National gov't

Front 16

Merit System

Back 16

The system by which federal civil service jobs are classified into grades or levels, to which appointments are made on the basis of performance on competitive examinations.

Front 17

Middle America

Back 17

A phrase coined by Joseph Kraft in a 1968 newspaper column to refer to Americans who have moved out of poverty but are not yet affluent and who cherish traditional middle-class values. (Ch. 5)

Front 18

Military-industrial complex

Back 18

An alleged alliance among key military, governmental, and corporate decision-makers involved in weapons procurement and military support systems. The phrase was coined by Dwight D. Eisenhower, who warned Americans about its dangers. (Ch. 20)

Front 19

minor party

Back 19

a small political party that rises and falls with a charismatic candidate or, if composed of ideologies on the right or left, usually persists over time; also called a third party

Front 20

Miranda decision

Back 20

(muh-RAN-duh) A decision by the United States Supreme Court concerning the rights of persons in police custody. In the case of Miranda versus Arizona, in 1966, the Court ruled that, before questioning by the police, suspects must be informed that they have the right to remain silent and the right to consult an attorney, and that anything they say may be used against them in court. The Miranda ruling protects a suspect’s Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. The Miranda warning, a written statement of these rights, is normally recited by a police officer before interrogating the suspect in police custody.

Front 21

misdemeanor

Back 21

(mis-di-MEE-nuhr) A minor crime, punishable by a fine or a light jail term. Common misdemeanors, such as traffic violations, are usually dealt with informally, without a trial. (Compare felony.)

Front 22

Monarchy

Back 22

Form of gov't in which power is vested in hereditary kings and queens

Front 23

Monetarism

Back 23

An economic philosophy that assumes inflation occurs when there is too much money chasing too few goods. Monetarism suggests that the proper thing for government to do is to have a steady, predictable increase in the money supply at a rate about equal to the growth in the economy's productivity. (Ch. 16)

Front 24

most-favored-nation

Back 24

Status in an international trading arrangement whereby agreements between two nations on tariffs are then extended to other nations. Every nation involved in such an arrangement will have most-favored-nation status. This policy is used, particularly by the United States, to lower tariffs, extend cooperative trading agreements, and protect nations from discriminatory treatment. Most-favored-nation agreements can also be used to apply economic pressure on nations by deliberately excluding them from international trade.

Front 25

Motor Voter Act of 1993

Back 25

Signed into law by President Clinton, it enables people to register to vote at motor vehicle departments.

Front 26

movement

Back 26

a large body of people interested in a common issue, idea, or concern that is of continuing significance and who are willing to take action, seek to change attitude or institutions not just policies

Front 27

Muckraker

Back 27

A journalist who searches through the activities of public officials and organizations seeking to expose conduct contrary to the public interest. The term was first used by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 to warn that antibusiness journalism, while valuable, could be excessively negative. (Ch. 10)

Front 28

Mugwumps or progressives

Back 28

The faction in the Republican party of the 1890s to the 1910s composed of reformers who opposed the use of patronage and party bosses and favored the leadership of experts. After 1910 they evolved into a nonpartisan "good government" movement that sought to open up the political system and curb the abuses of parties. See also Political machine (Ch. 7)

Front 29

Multiple referral

Back 29

A congressional process whereby a bill may be referred to several committees that consider it simultaneously in whole or in part. For instance, the 1988 trade bill was considered by fourteen committees in the House and nine in the Senate simultaneously. (Ch. 11)

Front 30

Municipal corporation or municipality

Back 30

A legal term for a city. It is chartered by the state to exercise certain powers and provide certain services. See also Special-act charter; General-act charter (Ch. 3)

Front 31

Name the order of presidential succession.

Back 31

VP, speaker of house, pres. pro tempore of senate, Sec. State, Sec. Treasury, Sec. Defence, Attorney General.

Front 32

Name-request job

Back 32

A job to be filled by a person whom a government agency has identified by name. (Ch. 13)

Front 33

narrow construction

Back 33

A theory of interpretation of the Constitution that holds that the courts, particularly the Supreme Court, should be bound by the exact words of the Constitution, or by the original intent of the framers of the Constitution, or a combination of both. (Compare broad construction.)

Front 34

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Back 34

An agency of the United States government, charged with directing civilian programs in aeronautics research and space exploration. NASA maintains several facilities, most notably the Johnson Space Center in Houston (which selects space crew personnel and is responsible for ground direction of space flights), and the launching pads at Cape Canaveral in Florida.

Front 35

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

Back 35

An organization that promotes the rights and welfare of black people. The NAACP is the oldest civil rights organization in the United States, founded in 1909. Among the NAACP’s achievements was a lawsuit that resulted in the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Brown versus Board of Education, in 1954, which declared the segregation of public schools unconstitutional. (See also W. E. B. DuBois and separate but equal.)

Front 36

National chairman

Back 36

A paid, full-time manager of a party's day-to-day work who is elected by the national committee. (Ch. 7)

Front 37

National committee

Back 37

A committee of delegates from each state and territory that runs party affairs between national conventions. (Ch. 7)

Front 38

National convention

Back 38

A meeting of party delegates elected in state primaries, caucuses, or conventions that is held every four years. Its primary purpose is to nominate presidential and vice-presidential candidates and to ratify a campaign platform. (Ch. 7)

Front 39

National Economic Council?

Back 39

The National Economic Council (NEC) is a United States government agency in the Executive Office of the President. Created by President Bill Clinton in 1993 by Executive Order, its functions are to coordinate policy-making for domestic and international economic issues, coordinate economic policy advice for the President, ensure that policy decisions and programs are consistent with the President's economic goals, and monitor implementation of the President's economic policy agenda. The Director of the NEC is also Assistant to the President for Economic Policy.

Front 40

National Guard

Back 40

The volunteer military forces of each state, which the governor of a state can summon in times of civil disorder or natural disaster. Through congressional and presidential order, the National Guard can be called into service in the regular United States army.

Front 41

National Labor Relations Act (or Wagner Act)?

Back 41

A 1935 United States federal law that protects the rights of most workers in the private sector to organize labor unions, to engage in collective bargaining, and to take part in strikes and other forms of concerted activity in support of their demands. The Act does not, on the other hand, cover those workers who are covered by the Railway Labor Act, agricultural employees, domestic employees, supervisors, independent contractors and some close relatives of individual employers.

Front 42

National Labor Relations Board

Back 42

An agency of the United States government, charged with mediating disputes between labor and management, and responsible for preventing unfair labor practices, such as the harassment of labor unions by business corporations. The NLRB attempts to maintain a position of neutrality, favoring neither labor nor management.

Front 43

National nominating conventions

Back 43

The governing authority of the political party. They give direction to the national party chairperson, the spokesperson of the party, and the person who heads the national committee, the governing body of the party. They are also the forums where presidential candidates are given the official nod by their parties.

Front 44

National Organization for Women

Back 44

A major feminist organization, founded in the middle 1960s, when the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission failed to enforce a clause in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender. One of its founders was Betty Friedan. NOW has worked to promote occupational opportunities for women and has supported legislative proposals that would guarantee women equality with men.

Front 45

national party convention

Back 45

a antioanl meeting of delegates elected in primaries, caucuses, or state conventions who assemble once every fours years to nominate candidates for president and vice president, ratify the party platform, elect officers, and adopt rules

Front 46

National Party Platform

Back 46

A statement of the general and specific philosophy and policy goals of a political party, usually promulgated at the national convention

Front 47

National Rifle Association

Back 47

An organization that acts as a powerful lobby against governmental restrictions on the private ownership of guns. NRA supporters argue that “guns don’t kill people; people kill people.” They often cite the Second Amendment to the Constitution, which states: “A well-regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”

Front 48

National Security Council

Back 48

Chaired by the president, it is the lead advisory board in the area of national and international security. The other members of the council include the vice president, secretaries of state and defense, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and chair of the joint chiefs of staff.

Front 49

national security council

Back 49

Presidential advisory board established in 1947 to consult with the president on matters of defense and foreign policy.

Front 50

national supremacy

Back 50

constitutional doctrine that whenever conflict occurs between the constitutionally authorized actions of the national gov and those of a state or local gov, the actions of the fed gov prevail

Front 51

national supremacy article

Back 51

Article 6; "This Constiution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made...under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every States shall e bound thereby; any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding"

Front 52

Nationalization of the Bill of Rights

Back 52

A judicial doctrine of the Fourteenth Amendment that applied the Bill of Rights to the states in matters such as segregation.

Front 53

natural law

Back 53

God's or nature's law that defines right from wrong and is higher than human law

Front 54

Natural rights

Back 54

Part of Locke's philosophy; rights that are God given such as life, liberty, and property.

Front 55

naturalization

Back 55

The process by which a foreign citizen becomes a citizen of a new country. Millions of immigrants to the United States have become American citizens. Requirements for naturalization in the United States include residency for several years, ability to communicate in English, demonstrated knowledge of American history and government, and a dedication to American values that includes no membership in subversive organizations, such as the Communist party.

Front 56

Naturalization Act of 1870?

Back 56

This Naturalization Act limited American citizenship to "white persons and persons of African descent," barring Asians - who were coming to california in large numbers - from U.S. citizenship.

Front 57

Necessary and proper clause

Back 57

The final paragraph of Article I, section 8, of the Constitution, which authorizes Congress to pass all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out the enumerated powers. Sometimes called the "elastic clause" because of the flexibility that it provides to Congress. (Ch. 3)

Front 58

Network

Back 58

An association of broadcast stations (radio or television) that share programming through a financial arrangement

Front 59

New Democrat

Back 59

A term created by the Democratic Leadership Council in 1992, it denotes a less liberal, centrist Democrat.

Front 60

New federalism

Back 60

Political theory first espoused by Richard Nixon and carried out by Ronald Reagan. New federalism advocates the downsizing of the federal government and the devolution of power to the states.

Front 61

New Jersey Plan

Back 61

Offered at the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia, it urged the delegates to create a legislature based on equal representation by the states.

Front 62

New world order

Back 62

President Bush's vision for world peace centering around the United States taking the lead to ensure that aggression be dealt with by a mutual agreement of the United Nations, NATO, and other countries acting in concert.

Front 63

news media

Back 63

media that emphasizes the news

Front 64

Nineteenth Amendment (1920)

Back 64

Granted voting rights to women.

Front 65

nolo contendere

Back 65

(NOH-loh kuhn-TEN-duh-ree, kuhn-TEN-duh-ray) A plea that can be entered in a criminal or civil case, by which an accused person neither admits guilt nor proclaims innocence of a charge. Nolo contendere is Latin for “I do not wish to contend.”

Front 66

nomination

Back 66

Endorsement to run for office by a political party.

Front 67

Nomination Campaign

Back 67

That part of a political campaign aimed at winning a primary election

Front 68

Non-departmental cabinet level poistions.

Back 68

Vice President, Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff, Administrator of the EPA, Director of the OMB, Director of the National Drug control Policy, USTR, Director fo the CIA, Ambassador to the UN, Under Secretary of Homeland Security, Emergency Preparedness, White House Counsel, National Security Advisor, Director of National Intelligence

Front 69

nonpartisan election

Back 69

a local or judicial election in which cnadidates are not selected or endorsed by political parties and party affiliation is not listed on ballots

Front 70

Nonpartisan Primary

Back 70

A primary used to select candidates regardless of party affiliation

Front 71

Nonpreferential primary

Back 71

Where voters choose delegates who are not bound to vote for the winning primary candidate.

Front 72

Nonrenewable resources

Back 72

Those natural resources such as oil, which based on consumption, are limited.

Front 73

Nonviolent civil disobedience

Back 73

A philosophy of opposing a law one considers unjust by peacefully violating it and allowing oneself to be punished as a result. (Ch. 19)

Front 74

Norm

Back 74

A standard of right or proper conduct that helps determine the range of acceptable social behavior and policy options. (Ch. 5)

Front 75

Norris-La Guardia Act (1932)

Back 75

Act that prohibited employers from punishing workers who joined unions and gave labor the right to form union.

Front 76

North American Free Trade Agreement

Back 76

An agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico to establish free trade. It took effect in 1994 and is designed to eliminate trade barriers between the three nations by 2009. Many American labor unions oppose NAFTA on the grounds that it takes away jobs from American workers as manufacturers relocate in Mexico to take advantage of cheaper labor. Others argue that free trade creates more jobs in the United States than it destroys.

Front 77

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Back 77

A major achievement of the government under the AOC. It set specific regulations concerning the conditions under which a territory could apply for statehood. It also contained a bill of rights guaranteeing trial by jury, freedom of religion, and freedom from excessive punishment. It abolished slavlery in the Northwest territories (northwest of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River, up to the Canadian border).

Front 78

Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty of 1968

Back 78

Agreement that stopped and monitored the spread of nuclear weapons to countries who did not have the bomb.

Front 79

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Back 79

An agency of the United States government responsible for licensing and regulating nuclear power plants. Created in 1974, along with the Energy Research and Development Administration, it replaced the Atomic Energy Commission.

Front 80

Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963

Back 80

Agreement that banned atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons.

Front 81

Nullification

Back 81

A theory first advanced by James Madison and Thomas Jefferson that the states had the right to "nullify" (that is, declare null and void) a federal law that, in the states' opinion, violated the Constitution. The theory was revived by John C. Calhoun of South Carolina in opposition to federal efforts to restrict slavery. The North's victory in the Civil War determined once and for all that the federal Union is indissoluble and that states cannot declare acts of Congress unconstitutional, a view later confirmed by the Supreme Court. (Ch. 3)

Front 82

Oak Ridge

Back 82

A city in Tennessee, where uranium for the atomic bomb was produced during World War II. Since that time, the government has maintained a variety of nuclear research facilities in Oak Ridge. (See also Manhattan Project.)

Front 83

objective good faith

Back 83

Exception to the exclusionary rule that allows the use of illegally obtained evidence at trial if the court determines that police believed they were acting within the limits of their search warrant.

Front 84

office block ballot

Back 84

ballot on which all candidates are listed under the office for which they are running, making split ticket voting easier

Front 85

Office of Budget and Management

Back 85

executive branch office responsible for drawing up the president's proposals for the federal budget

Front 86

Office of Economic Opportunity

Back 86

A federal agency, founded in the 1960s as part of the War on Poverty conducted by President Lyndon Johnson. The OEO distributed federal money to a variety of local programs designed to promote educational opportunities and job training among the poor and to provide legal services for the poor. The OEO was abolished in the middle 1970s, and its programs have been curtailed or scattered among other federal agencies, particularly the Department of Health and Human Services.

Front 87

Office of National Drug Control Policy?

Back 87

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), a component of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, was established in 1988 by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act. Its stated goal is to establish policies, priorities, and objectives to eradicate illicit drug use, manufacturing, and trafficking, drug-related crime and violence, and drug-related health consequences in the United States.

Front 88

Office-bloc ballot

Back 88

A ballot listing all candidates for a given office under the name of that office; also called a "Massachusetts" ballot. See also Party-column ballot (Ch. 8)

Front 89

Offsets

Back 89

An environmental rule that a company in an area with polluted air can offset its own pollution by reducing pollution from another source in the area. For instance, an older company that can't afford to pay for new antipollution technologies may buy pollution credits from a newer company that has reduced its source of pollution below the levels required by law. (Ch. 21)

Front 90

oligarchy

Back 90

Form of government in which power is concentrated in the hands of a small group of individuals.

Front 91

omnibus bill?

Back 91

An omnibus spending bill is a bill that sets the budget of many departments of the United States government at once. It is one possible outcome of the budget process in the U.S. Every year, Congress must pass bills that appropriate money for all discretionary government spending. Generally, one bill is passed for each sub-committee of the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations. Ordinarily, each bill is passed separately — one bill for Defense, one for Homeland Security, and so on. appropriations bills into one omnibus spending bill. Some of the reasons that Congress might not complete all the separate bills include partisan disagreement, disagreement amongst members of the same political party, and too much work on other bills. When Congress does not or cannot produce separate bills in a timely fashion (by the beginning of the fiscal year on October 1), it will roll many of the separate. Often times, omnibus spending bills are criticized for being full of pork (unnecessary/wasteful spending that pleases constituents). The bills regularly stretch to more than 1,000 pages long, and often have not even been read in full by the people voting for them. Nevertheless, they have grown more common in recent years. The most recent one is for fiscal year 2005.

Front 92

On background

Back 92

A term for when sources are not specifically named in a news story

Front 93

on the Hill

Back 93

A phrase referring to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., where Congress meets: “They’re debating that nuclear waste issue on the Hill today.”

Front 94

One-Partyism

Back 94

A political system in which one party dominates and wins virtually all contests

Front 95

Open rule

Back 95

An order from the House Rules Committee that permits a bill to be amended on the legislative floor. See also Closed rule; Restrictive rule (Ch. 11)

Front 96

open shop

Back 96

a company with a labor agreement under which union membership cannot be required as a condition of employment

Front 97

open, closed, and restricted rules in the House?

Back 97

Bills favorably reported by committee are placed on the House or Senate calendar, which, in spite of its name, is simply a listing without chronological order. Many bills die on the calendar because they are never considered on the floor. In the House, the Rules Committee acts as a "traffic cop." Its rules are instructions which determine if and when a bill will be considered on the floor, and how. A closed rule forbids amendments and speeds consideration. A restricted rule allows only certain amendments to be considered. An open rule, of course, permits unlimited amendments. The Senate has no Rules Committee but instead relies on a unanimous consent agreement negotiated between the majority and minority leaders to govern consideration of a bill. The Senate also differs in permitting filibusters, which allow senators to delay or even kill bills by unlimited debate, though unlimited debate may be prevented if 60 senators vote for cloture. Cloture was once rare but is becoming more common. The Senate also allows unlimited amendments, which encourages riders: amendments unrelated to the substance of a bill, slipping in "back-door" legislation.

Front 98

Oral argument

Back 98

Legal argument made by each attorney in proceedings before the court in an attempt to persuade the court to decide the issue in their client's favor.

Front 99

Ordinance

Back 99

A law passed and enforced by a city government. (Ch. 3)

Front 100

Organizational Campaign

Back 100

That part of a political campaign involved in fund-raising, literature distribution, and all other activities not directly involving the candidate.