Gov Final

Front 1

Executive Order

Back 1

A presidential order to carry out a policy or policies described in a law passed by Congress.

Front 2

Cloture

Back 2

A method of ending debate in the Senate and bringing the matter under consideration to a vote by the entire chamber.

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Sound Bite

Back 3

In televised news reporting, a brief comment, lasting only a few seconds that captures a thought or a perspective and has an immediate i impact on the viewers.

Front 4

Spin

Back 4

A reporter's slant on, or interpretation of, a particular event or action.

Front 5

Iron Triangle

Back 5

A three-way alliance among legislators, bureaucrats, and interest groups to make or perceive policies that benefit their respective interests.

Front 6

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Back 6

An agency in the Executive Office of the President that assists the president in preparing and supervising the administration of the federal budget.

Front 7

Speaker of the House

Back 7

The presiding officer in the House of Representatives. The Speaker has traditionally been a longtime member of the majority party in and is often the most powerful and influential member of the house.

Front 8

Electoral College

Back 8

The group of electors selected by the voters in each state to elect officially the president and vice president. The number of electors in each state is equal to the number of that state's representatives in both chambers of Congress.

Front 9

Majority Leader

Back 9

The party leader elected by the majority party in the House or in the Senate.

Front 10

Minority Leader

Back 10

The party leader elected by the minority party in the House or in the Senate.

Front 11

Filibuster

Back 11

The enacting of endless debate in the Senate for the purpose of preventing action on a bill.

Front 12

Gerrymandering

Back 12

The drawing of a legislative district's boundaries in such a way as to maximize the influence of a certain group or political party.

Front 13

Standing Committee

Back 13

A permanent committee in Congress that deals with legislation concerning a particular area, such as agriculture or foreign relations.

Front 14

Subcommittee

Back 14

A division of a larger committee that deals with a particular part committee's policy area. Most standing committees have several subcommittees.

Front 15

Bureaucracy

Back 15

A large, complex, hierarchically structured administrative organization that carries out specific functions.

Front 16

Judicial Review

Back 16

The power of the courts to decide on the constitutionality of legislative enactments and of actions taken by the executive branch.

Front 17

Judicial Restraint

Back 17

The belief of not utilizing the powers granted as a judge for active lawmaking power and authority. Acts more as a constitutional police.

Front 18

Judicial Activism

Back 18

The belief that the courts should actively use their powers to check the legislative and executive branches to ensure they do not exceed their authority.

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Social Welfare

Back 19

A policy that consists ofall government actions that are undertaken to give assistanceto specific groups, such as the aged, the ill and thepoor.

Front 20

Borking

Back 20

Obstructing a candidate from achieving a public office position by defaming or vilifying them. Named after Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork.

Front 21

Keynesian Economics

Back 21

A economic theory proposed by British economist John Maynard Keynes that is typically associated with the use of fiscal policy to alter national economic variables.

Front 22

Welfare Reform Act of 1996

Back 22

Congressional act that requires states to develop plans for implementing the new welfare policy within their borders, such as limiting how long individuals can acquire welfare.

Front 23

Impeachment

Back 23

To accuse or charge a public official with improper conduct in office.

Front 24

McCain-Feingold Act

Back 24

One of several campaign finance reform bills that regulates the financing of political campaigns.

Front 25

Soft Money

Back 25

Campaign contributions that are not regulated by federal law, such as some contributions that are made to political parties instead to particular candidates.

Front 26

Precedent

Back 26

A court decision that furnishes an example or authority for deciding subsequent cases involving identical or similar facts and legal issues.

Front 27

Incumbency

Back 27

The official currently holding the office. Often referred to during elections due to the benefit gained.

Front 28

Federal Reserve

Back 28

Determines policy with respect to interest rates, credit availability and the money supply.

Front 29

Monetary Policy

Back 29

Actions taken by the Federal Reserve Board to change the amount of money in circulation so as to affect interest rates, credit markets, the rate of inflation, the rate of economic growth, and the rate of employment.

Front 30

Writ of certiorari

Back 30

An order from a higher court asking a lower court for the record of a case.

Front 31

Stare decises

Back 31

A common law doctrine under which judges normally are obligated to follow the precedents established by prior court decisions.

Front 32

Habeas corpus

Back 32

An order that requires that an official to bring a specified prisoner into court and explain to the judge why the person is being held in prison.

Front 33

Privatization

Back 33

The transfer of the task of providing services traditionally provided by government to the private sector.

Front 34

Patronage

Back 34

The practice of giving government jobs to individuals belonging to the winning political party.

Front 35

Entitlement Program

Back 35

A government program (such as Social Security) that allows, or entitles, a certain class of people (such as elderly persons) to receive special benefits.

Front 36

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

Back 36

An agency established by Congress to evaluate the impact of proposed legislation on the federal budget.

Front 37

"Going Public"

Back 37

A strategy used by the president to use press conferences, public appearances, and televised events to arouse public opinion in favor of certain legislative programs.

Front 38

Mutual Assured Destruction

Back 38

A phrase referring to the assumption, on the policy of deterrence was based, that if the forces of two nations are equally capable of destroying each other, neither nation will take a chance on war.

Front 39

Isolationism

Back 39

A political policy of non-involvement in world affairs.

Front 40

Deterrence

Back 40

A policy of building up military strength for the purpose of discouraging (deterring) military attacks by other nations; the policy of "building weapons for peace" that supported the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Front 41

Containment

Back 41

A U.S. policy designed to contain the spread of communism by offering military and economic aid to threatened nations.

Front 42

Interventionism

Back 42

Direct involvement by one country in another country's affairs.

Front 43

Collective Security

Back 43

The formation of mutual defense allies with other nations. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Front 44

Manifest Destiny

Back 44

A term that embodies the idea that America was destined to expand through the North American continent.

Front 45

Cold War

Back 45

The war of words, warnings, and ideologies between the Soviet Union and the United States that lasted from late 1940s through the early 1990s.

Front 46

War Powers Resolution of 1973

Back 46

Limits the President's war-making powers by requiring the president to alert Congress within 48-hours of deploying troops.

Front 47

Advice and Consent

Back 47

Refers to the President to look to Congress for advice and consent on international dealings.

Front 48

Malapportionment

Back 48

A condition in which voting power of citizens in one district is greater than the voting power of citizens in another district.

Front 49

The Cabinet

Back 49

An advisory group selected by the president to assist with decision making. Traditionally the cabinet has consisted of the heads of the executive departments and other officers whom the president may choose to appoint.

Front 50

Executive Office of the President

Back 50

All executive councils, advisers and departments under the authority of the president.

Front 51

Terrorism

Back 51

The use of staged violence, often against civilians, to achieve political goals.

Front 52

National Security Council (NSC)

Back 52

A council that advises the president on domestic and foreign matters concerning the safety and defense of the nation; established in 1947.

Front 53

Common Law

Back 53

The body of law developed from judicial decisions in English and U.S. courts, not attributable to a legislature.

Front 54

Neutral Competency

Back 54

The application of technical skills to jobs without regard to political issues.

Front 55

Strict Constructionists

Back 55

Those who believe the law and Constitution should be followed verbatim and the job of the courts is to interpret those laws.

Front 56

Broad Constructionist

Back 56

Those who believe that the law and Constitution are meant to change to an evolving set of standards and is not fixed.

Front 57

Most Favored Nation Status

(Normal Trade Relations (NTR) Status)

Back 57

A status granted through an international treaty by which each member nation must treat other members at least as well as it treats the country with the most favorable treatment.

Front 58

Monroe Doctrine

Back 58

A U.S. policy in 1823 by President James Monroe, that the U.S. would not tolerate foreign intervention in the Western Hemisphere, and in return, the U.S. would stay out of European affairs.

Front 59

World Trade Organization (WTO)

Back 59

An organization that deals with the global rules of trade between nations.

Front 60

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Back 60

A U.S. program that provides stipends to low-income to the elderly, blind or disabled.