Reading...
Play button
Play button
Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
117 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
Public Opinion
|
Distribution of opinions and attitudes held by the public
|
|
|
Political socialization
|
A lifelong process by which people form their ideas about politics and acquire political values
|
|
|
Attentive public
|
The sector of society that is interested in politics and understands how government works.
|
|
|
Voter registration
|
The requirement of citizens to register with their local board of elections before being qualified to vote
|
|
|
Australian ballot
|
A printed ballot that bears the names of all candidates and the texts of propositions and is distributed to the voter at the polls and marked in secret
|
|
|
Turnout
|
attendance for a particular event or purpose (as to vote in an election)
|
|
|
Party Identification
|
Party identification is a political term to describe a voter's underlying allegiance to a political party
|
|
|
Winner-takes-all
|
Candidate with most votes winsCandidate with most votes wins
|
|
|
Single-member district
|
Voters choose one representative or official
|
|
|
Proportional representation
|
Each party receives the proportion of legislative seats corresponding to its proportion of the vote
|
|
|
Electoral College
|
Used in electing the President and Vice President, in which voters vote for electors pledged to cast their ballots for a party’s candidate.
|
|
|
Safe seat
|
An elected office that is predictably won by one party or the other
|
|
|
Coattail effect
|
The boost candidates of the president’s party receive in an election because of the president’s popularity
|
|
|
Caucus
|
Meeting of local party members to elect public officials
|
|
|
National party convention
|
Meeting of delegates to nominate President and Vice President candidates, ratify the party platform, and elect officers and adopt rules
|
|
|
Interested money
|
Contribution by individuals in hopes of influencing an outcome
|
|
|
Soft money
|
Money that is contributed to a state or local government that does not have to be disclosed under federal law
|
|
|
Issue Advocacy
|
Commercial advertising advocating a position on an issue
|
|
|
Independent expenditure
|
Money spent by individuals not associated with a particular candidate, but set out to beat another candidate
|
|
|
Mass media
|
Communication process that makes its way to the public
|
|
|
News media
|
The part of mass media that focuses on the news itself
|
|
|
Issue ad
|
An advertisement that takes a particular side to an issue
|
|
|
Fairness doctrine
|
Doctrine that gave ad companies an obligation to accept all views on a particular situation
|
|
|
Political socialization
|
The process by which we develop our political attitudes, values, and beliefs
|
|
|
Selective exposure
|
Individuals can choose what messages they can receive, and block the ones against their bias
|
|
|
Selective perception
|
Individuals can perceive whatever they want in media messages
|
|
|
Log Rolling
|
the exchanging of political favors to benefit political parties, and that one party will have an advantage over the others
|
|
|
Rider
|
an amendment or addition to a document or record
|
|
|
Pocket Veto
|
the indirect veto of a bill received by the President
|
|
|
Closed Rule
|
when no additional amendments or substitutes to the bill may be offered from the floor of the house
|
|
|
Open Rule
|
open rules allow amendments from the floor of the house
|
|
|
Party Caucus
|
a committee within a political party in charge of determining policy
|
|
|
Hold
|
when a senator puts aside a bill for a period of time
|
|
|
Senatorial Courtesy
|
when the U.S. Senate refuses to confirm a presidential appointment to office opposed by both senators from the state of the appointee
|
|
|
Delegate
|
a person authorized to act as representative for another
|
|
|
Trustee
|
One that holds legal title to property in order to manage it for a beneficiary
|
|
|
Seniority Rule
|
determines committee chairperson of the party based on who has been in the party the longest
|
|
|
Discharge Petition
|
means of bringing a bill out of committee and to the floor for consideration without any word from a committee
|
|
|
Redistricting
|
is the process of drawing U.S. electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes
|
|
|
Reapportionment
|
redistribution of representation in a legislative body, usually when a term ends according to the constitution
|
|
|
Safe Seat
|
a parliamentary seat that is likely to be preserved with a large majority in an election
|
|
|
Gerrymandering
|
to divide (a geographic area) into voting districts so as to give unfair advantage to one party in elections
|
|
|
Bicameralism
|
based on two legislative branches of government
|
|
|
Speaker
|
the presiding officer of the House of Representatives usually elected by the majority of the house
|
|
|
Majority Leader
|
The leader of the majority party in a legislature
|
|
|
Minority Leader
|
the leader of the minority party in legislature
|
|
|
President Pro Tempore
|
the senator who takes over if the vice president is absent
|
|
|
Filibuster
|
a tactical obstruction to delay legislative action
|
|
|
Cloture
|
when a debate is immediately ended and voted upon
|
|
|
Attentive Public
|
a group of people who follow a political issue very closely and pay close attention to
|
|
|
Standing Committee
|
exists to examine bills with close detail so they can consider them more acceptable
|
|
|
Override
|
legislative vote to cancel presidential veto of legislative act
|
|
|
Joint Committee
|
set up in order to coordinate activities, avoid duplicating work, or to discuss matters of common interest
|
|
|
Select Committee
|
committees which analyze the executive on issues broader than legislation
|
|
|
Conference Committee
|
agree upon a single bill that both houses agree on word for word
|
|
|
Divided Government
|
When different parties control the House and Senate, or when the majority in Congress is not from the President's party
|
|
|
Executive Office of the President
|
A group of federal agencies supervised by people that work directly with the president
|
|
|
Management and Budget
|
Provides recommendations to the President, regarding budget and prepares for review of the Congress
|
|
|
Cabinet
|
A body of high ranking members of government, representing the executive branch
|
|
|
Executive Privilege
|
The President can withhold information from Congress or the courts
|
|
|
Executive Order
|
A presidential policy directive that implements or interprets a federal statute, a constitutional provision, or a treaty
|
|
|
Veto
|
the power or right vested in one branch of a government to cancel or postpone the decisions
|
|
|
Pocket Veto
|
The indirect veto of a bill received by the President within ten days of the adjournment of Congress, effected by retaining the bill unsigned until Congress adjourns
|
|
|
Item Veto
|
The power of a state governor to veto items in bills without vetoing the entire measure
|
|
|
Judicial Review
|
The power to interpret the Constitution authoritatively
|
|
|
Adversary System
|
A judicial system where a court of law is a neutral arena where two parties argue their differences
|
|
|
Justiciable Dispute
|
dispute that comes about from a case or controversy that is capable of settlement by legal methods
|
|
|
Class Action Suit
|
Lawsuit brought by an individual or a group of people on behalf of all those similarly situated
|
|
|
Political Question
|
A dispute that requires many things related to the court system, and the judges refuse to answer constitutional questions that they declare are political.
|
|
|
Stare Decisis
|
The rule of precedent, where a rule or law contained in a judicial decision is commonly viewed as binding on judges whenever the same question is presented.
|
|
|
Appellate Jurisdiction
|
The authority of a court to review appeals of the decisions made by lower courts
|
|
|
Original Jurisdiction
|
The authority of a court to hear a case in the first instance
|
|
|
Grand Jury
|
A jury of 12 to 23 persons who hear evidence presented by the government to determine whether persons shall be required to stand trial. If there is sufficient evidence, hey issue an indictment
|
|
|
Petit Jury
|
A jury of 6-12 persons that determines guilt or innocence in a civil or criminal action
|
|
|
Magistrate Judge
|
An official who performs a variety of limited judicial duties
|
|
|
Court of Appeals
|
A court with appellate jurisdiction that hears appeals from the decisions of lower courts
|
|
|
Habeas Corpus
|
A court order requiring explanation to a judge why a prisoner is held in custody
|
|
|
Defendant
|
In criminal action, the person or party accused of an offense
|
|
|
Plea Bargain
|
Negotiations between a prosecutor and defendant aimed at getting the defendant to plead guilty for a lesser offense to avoid having to stand trial for a more serious offense
|
|
|
Public Defender System
|
Arrangement whereby public officials are hired to provide legal assistance to people accused of crimes who are unable to hire their own attorneys
|
|
|
Judicial Restraint
|
Judicial philosophy proposing that judges should interpret the Constitution to reflect what the framers intended and what its words literally say
|
|
|
Judicial Activism
|
Judicial philosophy proposing that judges should interpret the constitution to reflect current conditions and values
|
|
|
Writ of Certiorari
|
A formal writ used to bring before the Supreme Court
|
|
|
Amicus Curiae
|
“Friend of the court,” filed by an individual or organization to present arguments in addition to those presented by the immediate party to the case
|
|
|
Opinion of the Court
|
An opinion explaining the decision of the Supreme Court or any other appellate court
|
|
|
Dissenting Opinion
|
An opinion disagreeing with the decision of the Court
|
|
|
Concurring Opinion
|
An opinion that agrees with the decision of the Court but differs on the reasoning
|
|
|
Bureaucrat
|
A career government employee
|
|
|
Bureaucracy
|
A professional corps of officials organized in a pyramidal hierarchy and functioning under impersonal, uniform rules and procedures
|
|
|
Spoils System
|
System of public employment based on rewarding party loyalists and friends
|
|
|
Merit System
|
A system in which selection and employment is based on demonstrated performance rather than political patronage
|
|
|
Office of Personnel Management
|
Agency that administers civil service laws, rules, and regulations
|
|
|
Bureau
|
The largest subunit of a government department or agency
|
|
|
Government Corporation
|
A cross between a business corporation and a government agency, created to secure greater freedom of action and flexibility for a particular program.
|
|
|
Independent Agency
|
A government entity that is independent of the legislative, executive, and judicial branch
|
|
|
Independent Regulatory Board
|
An independent agency or commission with regulatory power whose independence is protected by Congress
|
|
|
Office of Management and Budget
|
President staff agency that serves as a clearinghouse for budgetary requests and management improvements
|
|
|
Hatch Act
|
Federal statute barring federal employment from active participation in certain kinds of politics and protecting them from being fired on partisan grounds
|
|
|
Iron Triangle
|
A mutual supporting relationship between interest groups, congressional committees and subcommittees, and agencies that share a similar governmental policy concern
|
|
|
Writ of Habeas Corpus
|
A court order requiring explanation to a judge to why a prisoner is held in custody
|
|
|
Ex Post Facto Law
|
Retroactive criminal law that works to the disadvantage of an individual
|
|
|
Bill of Attainder
|
Legislative act inflicting punishment, including deprivation of property, without a trial, on named individuals or members of a specific group
|
|
|
Due Process Clause
|
Clause in the Fifth Amendment limiting the power of the national government, similar to the clause in the Fourteenth Amendment prohibiting state governments from depriving any person from life, liberty, or the property without due process of law
|
|
|
Selective Incorporation
|
The process by which provisions of the Bill of Rights are brought within the scope of the Fourteenth Amendment and so applied to state and local governments
|
|
|
Establishment Clause
|
Clause in the First Amendment that states that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. It has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to forbid governmental support of any or all religions
|
|
|
Free Exercise Clause
|
Clause in the first amendment that states that Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion. Children may pray in public schools, provided that the prayer is not authorized, organized, or endorsed by the school authorities.
|
|
|
Bad Tendency Test
|
An early standard by which the constitutionality of laws regulating subversive expression were evaluated in light of the First Amendment's guarantee of Freedom of Speech
|
|
|
Clear and Present Danger
|
A doctrine adopted by the Supreme Court of the United States to determine under what circumstances limits can be placed on First Amendment freedoms of speech, press or assembly.
|
|
|
Preferred Position Doctrine
|
Freedom of expression is essential to democracy, and judges should give it special protection
|
|
|
Nonprotected Speech
|
Libel, obscenity, fighting words, and commercial speech, not given constitutional protection
|
|
|
Libel
|
Defamation of another person
|
|
|
Sedition
|
Attempting to overthrow the government or interrupt its activities through violence
|
|
|
Obscenity
|
Appeals to a prurient interest in sex, by depicting sexual conduct in a offensive way
|
|
|
Fighting Words
|
Words meant to inflict danger or injury
|
|
|
Commercial Speech
|
Advertisements that receive less First Amendment protection
|
|
|
Prior Restraint
|
Restraint imposed before a speech that is unconstitutional
|
|
|
Civil Disobedience
|
Action where people choose to disobey the law and choose to show their opposition to the government
|
