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138 Cards in this Set
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Interest Groups |
any formally organized association that seeks to influence public policy |
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Political Movement |
an organized constellation of groups seeking wide-ranging social change |
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Lobbying |
tactic for influencing public decisions for private purposes, usually employing personal contact with elected officials |
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Public Interest Groups |
those advocating policies they believe promote the good of all Americans and not merely the economic or ideological interests of a few |
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Advocacy Groups |
groups organized around broad public goals but without local chapters and often without formal membership |
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Political Entreprenour |
individual who develop support for latent causes or projects that have not yet gained widespread popularity |
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Collective Goods |
goods that are not owned privately but benefit all citizens equally, such as clean air |
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Strategy |
a group's overall plan for achieving its goals |
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Tactics |
specific actions that groups take to implement strategies |
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Iron Triangle |
a decision-making structure dominated by interest groups, congressional committees, and executive agency personnel who create policies that are mutually beneficial |
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527 Groups |
tax-exempt organizations set up by interest groups to engage in political activites |
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Political Disadvantage Theory |
view positing that groups are likely to seek remedies in courts if they do not succeed in the electoral process |
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Grassroots Mobilization |
the practice of organizing citizen support for a group's policy or candidate preferences |
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Mobilizing the Grass Tops |
mining databases for high-status community leaders for purposes of contacting legislators in key districts regarding sponsoring a group's position |
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Astroturf Lobbying |
using deceptive practices and lack of transparency to manufacture grassroots support for an issue important to a particular set of unidentified interests |
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Political Parties |
organization created for the purpose of winning elections and governing once in office |
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Proportional Representation |
system of representation in which seats for office are apportioned according to proportion of votes received by candidates or parties |
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Single Member District |
electoral system in which the candidate receiving a plurality of being selected for an interview |
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Plurality |
having more votes than any other single candidate; may not constitute a majority |
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Duverger's Law |
principle that asserts single-member district elections lead to two-party systems |
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Electoral College |
the assemblage of state electors constitutionally charged with electing the president |
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Political Machine |
a strong party organization that maintained control by giving favors in return for votes |
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Patronage |
a practice of providing jobs in exchange for political loyalty |
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Civil Service |
a merit-based system of employment and personnel management for that replaced patronage |
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New Deal Coalition |
coalition of social groups that became the core base of support for the Democratic party after the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt |
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Realignment |
periodic changes in party strength, composition, and direction |
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Dealignment |
a falloff in electoral support for both major political parties |
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Divided Government |
control of the White House by one party while the opposition party controls one or both houses in Congress |
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Soft Money |
money that is outside the federal regulatory framework but raised and spent in a manner suggesting possible intent to affect federal elections |
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Hard Money |
campaign money received by candidates or parties that can be used for any purpose |
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National (Party) Conventions |
event held every four years by each political party to formally anoint its presidential candidate and to signal the initiation of the general election campaign |
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Platform |
statement of political principles and campaign promises generated by each party at its national convention |
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Safe Seats |
legislative districts that regularly remain in the hands of the same candidate or party |
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Precincts |
the geographic area served by a polling place and organized by local party units |
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Third Party |
minor parties that run a slate of their own candidates in opposition to major-party organizations in an election |
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Splinter Party |
political parties that are formed as offshoots of major political parties usually by dissenters |
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Ideological Parties |
minor parties organized around distinct ideological principles |
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Single-Issue/Single-Candidate Parties |
minor parties arising in electoral response to important issues not addressed by major party candidates or around a strong personality |
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Primary Elections |
election in which voters choose candidates to represent the political parties in the general election |
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Closed Primary |
election in which voters can choose from potential nominees only within their own party |
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Open Primary |
election in which voters can choose from among potential nominees from their own party or those from the other major political party |
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Runoff Elections |
second election between top 2 voter-getters in a race that did not produce a majority winner |
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Retail Politics |
campaign style emphasizing close personal contact between candidate and voters |
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Earned Media |
media attention for which candidates do not pay associated with major events like debates |
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Paid Media |
media access for which candidates or party must pay a fee advertisements |
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Negative/Attack Advertising |
advertising that attacks one's opponents usually on the basis of issues, stance, or character |
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Equal Time Rule |
the rule that requires that all broadcaster provide airtime equally to all candidates if they choose to provide it to any |
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Fairness Doctrine |
the law that formally required broadcasters to present contrasting views on important public issues |
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Adversarial/ Attack Journalism |
form of interpretive journalism that adopts a hostile position toward government, politics, and political figures |
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Spin |
a campaigns favorable interpretation of their campaign and unfavorable view of their opponents activities |
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Spin Doctors |
political campaign operatives who interpret campaign events in the most favorable light to their candidate |
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Sound Bites |
new programs' short video clips of politician's statements |
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Exit Polls |
interviews of voters as they leave the polling place |
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Constituents |
the citizens from a state or district than an elected official represents |
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Seniority System |
a system that rewards those with longer service with positions of leadership |
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CBO (Congressional Budget Office) |
nonpartisan agency created by congress to assist in budget process |
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Incumbent |
current occupant of an office |
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Safe District |
electoral district in which a candidate from a dominant party by 55% or more |
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Casework |
practice of finding solutions to constituent problems usually involving government agencies |
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Redistricting |
the practice of drawing congressional district boundaries to accord with population changes |
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Reapportionment |
the periodic relocation of 435 house seats among the states as population shifts from one region to another |
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Gerrymander |
the practice of drawing congressional boundaries to the advantage of one party |
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Minority-Majority District |
district in which minority members are clustered together producing a majority of minority voters in the district |
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Delegate Role Theory of Representation |
stressing the lawmakers role as a tribune of the people who reflects their views on issues of the day |
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Trustee Theory of Representation |
stressing the lawmaker's own judgment and legislative decision making |
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Politico Theory of Representation |
approached to representation in which the lawmaker alternates in between trustee and delegate as he or she deems appropriate |
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Congressional Caucuses |
unofficial party or special interest groups formed by likeminded members of congress to confer on issues of mutual concern |
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Pork Barrel Projects |
term applied to spending for pet projects of individual members of congress |
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Earmarks |
funding for special projects that are added by members of congress to appropriation bills usually without oversight or public debate |
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Speaker of the House |
the most powerful leader of the house of representatives |
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Majority Leaders |
leader of the majority party in each house responsible for marshalling support for the party's agenda |
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Minority Leaders |
leader of the minority party in each house responsible for marshalling support for the party's agenda |
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Whips |
assistant party leaders in each house whose jobs include ensuring that party members are present for floor votes and prepared to vote as the party prefers |
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Committee Chairs |
the leaders of congressional committees, usually members of the majority party with the most seniority on that committee |
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Discharge Petition |
method for freeing legislation from a committee in the House that requires the signatures of 218 members |
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Committee on Rules |
in the House of Representatives, the committee charged with determining rules for debate, amendment, and vote on bills brought to the floor |
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Filibuster |
senate practice of continuous debate often employed to stop pending legislative action |
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Cloture |
the procedure that ends a filibuster with 60 votes of the senate |
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Hold |
action a senator may place on a bill requiring personal consultation before the matter can proceed |
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Impeachment |
to bring formal charges against a federal official, including the president |
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Oversight |
congressional authority to monitor the actions and budgets of executive agencies it creates |
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Legislative Veto |
device, declared unconstitutional in 1983, allowing congress to rescind rules promulgated by an executive agency |
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Signing Statements |
documents presidents append to legislation including their particular interpretation of its contents |
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Budget Resolution |
early step in budgeting process in which both houses of congress set spending goals |
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Reconciliation |
process of amending spending bills to meet budget targets |
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Contunuing Resolution |
vehicle for funding government operations at the previous year's levels of support when a new budget is delayed |
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Coatttails |
the effect of winning candidate at the top of the ticket has in bringing success to those lower on the ballot |
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Caucuses |
voter gatherings used to select party candidates to run in the general election |
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Unallocated Delegates |
elected officials and party leaders chosen as delegates to the national conventions with the ability to cast their votes for any candidate regardless of primary election results |
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Superdelegates |
term used to refer to a Democratic Party leaders and elected officials attending the party convention who may pledge support to a candidate prior to the convention |
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Elector |
member of the elector college |
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Unit Rule |
practice of awarding all of the state's electoral votes to the candidate who wins a plurality of the popular vote in presidential contests |
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Battleground State |
competitive state where neither party holds an overwhelming edge |
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Express Powers |
powers granted to the president by the Constitution |
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Delegated Powers |
powers ceded by the congress to the president |
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Discretionary Powers |
powers the president assumes, giving him greater authority and flexibility in performing the duties of office |
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Cabinet |
presidential appointees to the major administrative units of the executive branch |
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Recess Appointment |
political appointment made by the president when congress is out of session |
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Line Item Veto |
executive power to reject a portion to a bill, usually a budget appropriation |
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Executive Order |
a decree with the force of the law but no requiring legislative approval |
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Emergency Powers |
wide-ranging powers a president may exercise during times of crisis, or those powers permitted the president by congress for a limited time |
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Executive Agreement |
a pact that is made between the president and a foreign leader of a government and that does not require a Senate approval |
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Honeymoon Period |
the period following an election when the public and the congress give the newly elected president the greatest latitude in decision making |
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Inner Cabinet |
term applied to leaders from the department of state, defense, treasury, and justice with whom the president meets more frequently then other cabinet officials |
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EOP |
close presidential advisors that include the white house staff, the national security advisor, the chief of staff, and members of various policy councils |
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Chief of Staff |
the official in charge of coordinating communication between the president and other staffers |
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Executive Privilege |
presidential power to shield from scrutiny white house documents and conversations between presidential advisors |
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Bureaucrats |
the civilian employees of the national government who are responsible for implementing federal laws |
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Spoils System |
the expansion of that patronage system to a level of corruption that placed political cronies into all levels of government |
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Merit System |
the system that classifies federal civil service grades to which appointments are made on the basis of performance on competitive exams |
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Bureaucracy |
a complex system of organization and control that incorporates the principals of hierarchy authority, division of labor, and formalized rules |
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Civil Service System |
the merit-based employment system that covers most white-collar and specialist positions of federal government |
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Rule Making |
the administrative process that creates rules that have the characteristics of a law |
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Federal Register |
a publication of the federal government used to announce the public place, time and nature of the proceedings to be followed when new agency rules are proposed |
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Cabinet Departments |
the fifteen major administrative organizations within the federal bureaucracy that are responsible for major governmental functions such as defense, commerce, and homeland security |
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Independent Executive Agency |
a government unit with special responsibilities that is not part of any cabinet department |
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Independent Regulatory Agency |
an agency existing outside the major departments that regulates a specific economic activity or interest |
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Whistle-Blowing |
the practice whereby individuals in the bureaucracy bring public attention to gross inefficiency or corruption in the government |
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Dual Court System |
system under which US citizens are subject to jurisdiction of both national and state courts |
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Precedent |
a former case that was supported by a majority on an appellate court and provides guidance for the determination of a present case |
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Judicial Review |
the power of the US Supreme Court to review the acts of other political institutions and declare them unconstitutional |
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Jurisdiction |
the power of a court to hear and decide cases |
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Justiciablity |
the doctrine that excludes certain cases from judicial consideration because of the party bring the lawsuit or the nature of the subject matter |
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Original Jurisdiction |
the power of the court to decide to hear and decide a case first |
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Appellate Jurisdiction |
the power of the court to receive cases from trial courts for the purpose of reviewing whether the legal procedures were properly followed |
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Standing |
proof that a party has suffered from harm or been threatened by harm by the circumstances surrounding a lawsuit |
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Political Questions |
issues determined by the supreme court to be resolved by congress or the president |
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Writ of Certiorari |
order issued by a superior court to one of inferior jurisdiction demanding the record of a particular case |
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Rule of Four |
requirement that a minimum of four justices must vote to review a lower court case by issuing a writ of certiorari |
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Decision |
the indication of which litigant the court supports and by how large a margin |
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Opinions |
the written arguments explaining the reasons behind a decision |
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Majority Opinion |
an opinion written by a justice who represents a majority of the court |
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Concurring Opinion |
an opinion written by one or more of the justices who agree with the decision but for different reasons than those stated in the majority opinion |
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Plurality Opinion |
an opinion that is written on behalf of the largest bloc of justices, representing less than a majority, who agree on the reasons supporting the court's decision |
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Dissenting Opinion |
an opinion written by one or more justices who disagree with a decision |
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Judicial Activism |
the belief that the supreme court should make policy and vigorously review the policies of other branches |
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Judicial Restraint |
the belief that the Supreme Court should not become involved in questioning the operations and policies of the elected branches unless absolutely necessary |
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Senatorial Courtesy |
in the selection of lower federal court judges, difference shown to home-state senators who are of the same party as the president |
