National Government

Front 1

agenda setting-

Back 1

Occurs when readers and watchers of news that relates to issues or topics are influenced by what the press covers in a very specific way- it influences what they think about, not what they think

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14th Amendment (Equal Protection Clause)-

Back 2

A Fourteenth Amendment clause guaranteeing all citizens equal protection of the laws. The courts have interpreted the clause to bar discrimination against minorities and women

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credibility gap-

Back 3

The widespread suspicion among reporters that presidents will lie to the media when doing so serves their interest and they can get away with it

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Bill of Rights-

Back 4

The first ten amendments to the US Constitution

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divided government-

Back 5

A term used to describe government when one political party controls the executive branch and the other political party controls one or both houses of the legislature

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Brown v Board of Education-

Back 6

landmark Supreme Court decision barring segregation of schools

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equal time-

Back 7

A "fairness" rule- if a radio or television station sells or gives airtime to one candidate for political office, it must provide other candidates with equal time.

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Bureaucracy-

Back 8

A complex structure of offices, tasks, and rules in which employees have specific responsibilities and work within a hierarchy of authority. Govt. bureaucracies are charged with implementing policies

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fairness doctrine-

Back 9

Rule that ensures that different points of view on controversial issues have access to the airwaves.

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checks and balances-

Back 10

a system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power

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framing-

Back 11

Providing a context that affects the criteria citizens use to evaluate candidates, campaigns, and political issues

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civil liberties-

Back 12

Constitutional and legal protections from government interference into personal rights and freedoms such as freedom of assembly, speech, and religion

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grassroots lobbying-

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Lobbying conducted by rank-and-file members of an interest group

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civil rights-

Back 14

The powers or privileges that are conferred on citizens by the Constitution and the courts and that entitle them to make claims upon the government. They protect individuals from arbitrary or discriminatory treatment at the hands of the government

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ideology-

Back 15

A comprehensive, integrated set of views about govt and politics

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collective action-

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An action taken by a group of like-minded individuals to achieve a common goal

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infotainment-

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Increasingly popular, nontraditional source political information that combines news and entertainment

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commerce clause-

Back 18

the clause in the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 1) that gives Congress the power to regulate all business activities that cross state lines or affect more than one state or other nations

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insider tactics (including examples)-

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Interest group activity that includes normal lobbying on Capitol Hill, working closely with members of Congress, and contributing money to incumbents' campaigns

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coordination-

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The act of organizing a group to achieve a common goal, prerequisite for effective collective action

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interest groups-

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Organized groups of people seeking to influence public policy

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court of appeals-

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The second tier of courts in the federal judicial system

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leak-

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Strategically consequential information given to reporters on the condition that its source not be identified by name.

Front 24

district courts-

Back 24

The trial courts of original jurisdiction in the federal judicial system. The 94 district courts are the third tier of the federal judicial system, below the Supreme Court and the courts of appeals

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libel-

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A published falsehood or statement resulting in the defamation of someone's character.

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divided government-

Back 26

A term used to describe government when one political party controls the executive branch and the other political party controls the executive branch and the other political party controls one or both houses of the legislature

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lobbying-

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Activities through which individuals, interest groups, and other institutions seek to influence public policy by persuading government officials to support their groups' position

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due process clause-

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A clause found in both the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution protecting citizens from arbitrary action by the national and state governments

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lobbyist-

Back 29

Professionals who work to influence public policy in favor of their clients' interests

Front 30

Electoral College-

Back 30

A body of electors in each state, chosen by voters, who formally elect the president and vice president of the United States. Each state's number of electoral votes equals its representation in Congress; the District of Columbia has three votes. An absolute majority of the total electoral vote is required to elect a president and vice president

Front 31

media bias/bias-

Back 31

Bias or slant in the selection of which news to report and how the news is reported.

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enumerated powers-

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The explicit powers given to Congress by the Constitution in Article I, Section 8.

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moral incentives-

Back 33

The personal satisfactions of active self-expression through contribution or other involvement to social causes

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establishment of religion clause-

Back 34

The first clause of the First Amendment. The establishment clause prohibits the national government from establishing a national religion

Front 35

opinion leaders-

Back 35

A citizen who is highly attentive to and involved in politics or some related area and to whom other citizens turn for political information and cues

Front 36

executive agreement-

Back 36

An agreement between the president and one or more other countries, does not require the approval of the Senate

Front 37

outsider tactics (including examples)-

Back 37

Interest group activities designed to influence elected officials by threatening to impose political costs on them if they do not respond. Tactics include marches, demonstrations, campaign contributions to opponents, and electoral mobilization

Front 38

executive order-

Back 38

Regulations originating from the executive branch. They are one method presidents can use to control the bureaucracy

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patronage-

Back 39

The practice of awarding jobs, grants, licenses, or other special favors in exchange for political support

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factions-

Back 40

interest groups arising from the unequal distribution of property or wealth that James Madison attacked in Federalist Paper No. 10. Today's parties or interest groups are what Madison had in mind when he warned of the instability in government caused by factions

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political socialization-

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The process by which citizens acquire their political beliefs and values

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federalism-

Back 42

A system of government in which power is divided between a central government and several regional governments. In the United States the division is between the national government and the states

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primary elections-

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An election held before the general election in which voters decide which of a party's candidates will be the party's nominee for the general election

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Federalist 10 (main idea)-

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Madison combating factions with pluralism

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Priming-

Back 45

When readers or news watchers are influenced by what the press covers in a very specific way.

Front 46

Federalist 51 (main idea)-

Back 46

Madison talking about checks and balances

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prior restraint -

Back 47

A government agency's act to prohibit the publication of material or speech before that fact.

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Federalists-

Back 48

Name given to two related, but not identical groups in late-eighteenth-century American politics

Front 49

proportional representation-

Back 49

An electoral system in which legislative seats are awarded to candidates or parties in proportion to the percentage of votes received

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filibuster-

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A tactic used in the Senate to halt action on a bill

Front 51

public interest lobby-

Back 51

A group that promotes some conception of the public interest rather than the narrowly defined economic or other special interests of its members

Front 52

free exercise clause-

Back 52

The second clause of the First Amendment. The free exercise clause forbids the national government from interfering with the exercise of religion

Front 53

public opinion-

Back 53

"Those opinions held by private persons which governments find it prudent to heed."

Front 54

free-rider problem-

Back 54

A situation in which individuals can receive the benefits from a collective activity whether or not they helped to pay for it, leaving them with no incentive to contribute

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selective incentives-

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Private goods or benefits that induce rational actors to participate in a collective effort to provide a collective good

Front 56

gerrymandering-

Back 56

Drawing legislative districts in such a way as to give one political party a disproportionately large share of seats for the share of votes its candidates win

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shield laws-

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Laws that protect journalists from having to testify about their sources in court.

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going public-

Back 58

Presidents go public when they engage in t=intensive public relations to promote their policies to the voters and thereby induce cooperation from other elected officeholders in Washington

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slander

Back 59

- Forms of false and malicious information that damage another person’s reputation

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Great Compromise-

Back 60

Compromise made by Constitutional Convention in which states would have equal representation in one house of the legislature and representation based on population in the other house

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social movements-

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Amorphous aggregates of people sharing general values and a desire for social change

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hearings and investigations-

Back 62

Meetings in which bureaucrats are called before subcommittees to explain and defend their decisions, and outsiders are sometimes invited to criticize them

Front 63

sound bites-

Back 63

A catchy phrase or slogan that encapsulates a politician's message, broadcast especially on television news programs

Front 64

Jim Crow laws-

Back 64

A series of laws enacted in the late nineteenth century by southern states to institute segregation

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split ticket-

Back 65

The act of voting for candidates from different political parties for different offices

Front 66

judicial review-

Back 66

review by a court of law of actions of a government official or entity or of some other legally appointed person or body or the review by an appellate court of the decision of a trial court

Front 67

trial balloon-

Back 67

Policy announced by the president in order to test public opinion and floated either by members of Congress or the media

Front 68

logroll-

Back 68

work toward the passage of some legislation by exchanging political favors such as trading votes

Front 69

two-party system-

Back 69

A political system in which only two major parties compete for all of the elective offices

Front 70

majority leader-

Back 70

The formal leader of the party controlling a majority of the seats in the House or the Senate.

Front 71

Marbury v Madison-

Back 71

Marshall institutes judicial review, that the Supreme Court has the power to declare acts of Congress unconstitutional

Front 72

McCulloch v Maryland-

Back 72

Marshall established that the federal government has "implied powers" to carry out, without state interference, any and all rights given by the Constitution. Specifically, the Court ruled that the federal government could charter a bank and a state could not tax it

Front 73

mobilization (GOTV)-

Back 73

Also known as "getting out the vote." It occurs when activists working for parties, candidates, or interest groups ask members of the electorate to vote

Front 74

necessary and proper (elastic) clause

Back 74

- Clause of the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3) setting forth the implied powers of Congress. It states that Congress, in addition to its express powers, has the right to make all laws necessary and proper to carry out all powers the Constitution vests in the national government

Front 75

party identification-

Back 75

An individual’s enduring affective or instrumental attachment to one of the political parties

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pluralism-

Back 76

A theory of government that holds that open, multiple, and competing groups can check the asserted power by any one group

Front 77

political action committee-

Back 77

A federally registered fundraising group that pools money from individuals to give to political candidates and parties

Front 78

pork barrel legislation-

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Legislation that provides members of Congress with federal projects and programs for their individual districts

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republic-

Back 79

A form of democracy in which power is vested in elected representatives

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selective incorporation-

Back 80

The Supreme Court's gradual process of assuming guardianship of civil liberties by applying piecemeal the various provisions of the Bill of Rights to state laws and practices

Front 81

separate but equal (Plessy v Ferguson)-

Back 81

The Supreme Court-initiated doctrine that separate but equivalent facilities for African Americans and whites are constitutional under the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment

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separation of powers-

Back 82

The distribution of government powers among several political institutions (congress, president and supreme court)

Front 83

shared federalism-

Back 83

A system in which the national and state governments share in providing citizens with a set of goods

Front 84

Speaker of the House-

Back 84

The presiding officer of the House of Representatives. They are elected at the beginning of each congressional session on a party-line vote. As head of the majority party they have substantial control over the legislative agenda of the House

Front 85

standing committees-

Back 85

A permanent legislative committee specializing in a particular legislative area. They have stable memberships and stable jurisdictions

Front 86

states’ rights-

Back 86

Safeguards against national government that were favored by one group of delegates to the Constitutional Convention

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supremacy clause-

Back 87

Article VI of the Constitution, which makes the Constitution, national laws, and treaties supreme over state laws when the national government is acting within its constitutional limits

Front 88

take care clause-

Back 88

The constitutional requirement (in Article II, Section 3) that presidents take care that the laws are faithfully executed, even if they disagree with the purpose of those laws

Front 89

Tenth Amendment (Reserve Clause)-

Back 89

The amendment that offers the most explicit endorsement of federalism to be found in the Constitution: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Front 90

transaction costs-

Back 90

The costs of doing political business reflected in the time and effort required to compare preferences and negotiate compromises in making collective decisions

Front 91

veto-

Back 91

the power or right to prohibit or reject a proposed or intended act (especially the power of a chief executive to reject a bill passed by the legislature)