AP Gov Midterm Vocab

Democracy

a system of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part in the governmental process, usually through the election of key public officials

Direct democracy

a system of rule that permits citizens to vote directly on laws and policies

Equality of opportunity

a widely shared American ideal that all people should have the freedom to use whatever talents and wealth they have to reach their fullest potential

Government

Institutions and procedures through which a territory and its people are ruled

Liberty

freedom from government control

Limited government

a government whose powers are defined and limited by a constitution. a government's power cannot be absolute

Political efficacy

The belief that one's political participation really matters - that one's vote can actually make a difference

Politics

conflict over the leadership, structure, and policies of governments

Popular Sovereignty

the principle that all government power comes from the consent of its people

Representative Democracy (Democratic Republic)

a system of government in which the populace selects representatives, who play a significant role in governmental decision making

Republicansim

Political theory of representative government, based on the principle of popular sovereignty, with a strong emphasis on liberty and civic virtue. Influential in eighteenth-century American political thought, it stood as an alternative to monarchical rule.

Theocracy

a form of government in which a Deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler, but the Deity's laws are interpreted by ecclesiastical authorities (bishops, mullahs, etc.); a government subject to religious authority.

Communism

a system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a single - often authoritarian - party holds power; state controls are imposed with the elimination of private ownership of property or capital while claiming to make progress toward a higher social order in which all goods are equally shared by the people (i.e., a classless society).

Monarchy

a government in which the supreme power is lodged in the hands of a monarch who reigns over a state or territory, usually for life and by hereditary right; the monarch may be either a sole absolute ruler or a sovereign - such as a king, queen, or prince - with constitutionally limited authority.

Dictatorship

A form of government in which the ruler wields absolute power (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)

Oligarchy

a government in which control is exercised by a small group of individuals whose authority generally is based on wealth or power.

Social Contract

an implicit (implied) agreement among the people in a society to give up some freedoms to maintain social order.

Natural Rights

the idea that all humans are born with rights, which include the right to life, liberty, and property. In theory, these rights cannot be taken away

Participatory Democracy

a theory of democracy in which all members of a group or community participate collectively in making major decisions; emphasizes broad participation in politics and civil society

Pluralist Democracy

a theory of democracy that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government; the outcome of competition is compromise and moderation

elite democracy

A theory of democracy in which the privileged classes acquire the power to decide by a competition for the people's votes and have substantial freedom between elections to rule as they see fit.

Agenda Setting

the power of the media to bring public attention to particular issues and problems

Broadcast Media

television, radio, or other media that transmit audio and/or video content to the public

Equal Time Rule

the requirement that broadcasters provide candidates for the same political office equal opportunities to communicate their messages to the public

Fairness Doctrine

broadcasters who air programs on controversial issues were required to provide time for opposing views; rescinded by the FCC in 1985

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

an independent regulatory agency established in 1934 to regulate American radio and television

Framing

the power of the media to influence how events and issues are interpreted

Linkage institution

structure within a society that connects the people to the government or centralized authority

Mass Media

print and digital forms of communication, including television, newspapers, radio, and, intended to convey information to large audiences

Narrowcasting

transmission of television programs to a comparatively localized or specialist audience

Policy Agenda

a list of subjects or problems (issues) to which government officials as well as individuals outside the government are paying serious attention at any given time

Press Conference

interview given to journalists by a prominent person in order to make an announcement or answer questions

Selection bias (news)

the tendency to focus news coverage on only one aspect of an event or issue, avoiding coverage of other aspects

Right of Rebuttal Rule/Right of Reply Rule

An FCC regulation giving individuals the opportunity to respond to personal attacks made on a radio or TV broadcast

Sound bite

a short extract from a recorded interview, chosen for its pungency or appropriateness

Trial Balloon

government information purposefully leaked by a politician's staff (think president specifically) to the media in order to observe the reaction of an audience

Watchdog function

The accepted responsibility of the media to alerts the public and serve as an additional check on the government; helps to maintain honesty, ethics and transparency in American democracy

Contributory programs

social programs financed in whole or in part by taxation or other mandatory contributions by their present or future recipients

Cost of living adjustments (COLAs)

changes made to the level of benefits of a government program based on the rate of inflation

Federal Reserve System (The Fed)

a system of 12 Federal Reserve banks that facilitates exchanges of cash, checks, and credit; regulates member banks; and uses monetary policies to fight inflation and deflation

Fiscal policy

the government's use of taxing, monetary, and spending powers to manipulate the economy

Indexing

periodic process of adjusting social benefits or wages to account for increases in the cost of living

in-kind benefits

noncash goods and services provided to needy individuals and families by the federal government

Means testing

a procedure by which potential beneficiaries of a public-assistance program establish their eligibility by demonstrating a genuine need for the assistance

Medicaid

a federally and state-financed, state-operated program providing medical services to low-income people

Medicare

a form of national health insurance for the elderly and the disabled

Monetary policy

efforts to regulate the economy through the manipulation of the supply of money and credit; America's most powerful institution in this area is the Fed

Public policy

a law, rule, statute, or edict that expresses the government's goals and provides for rewards and punishments to promote their attainment

Social Security

a contributory welfare program into which working Americans contribute a percentage of their wages and from which they receive cash benefits after retirement or if they become disabled

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

the largest antipoverty program, which provides recipients with a debit card for food at most grocery stores; formerly known as food stamps

Supply-side economics (Reaganomics)

An economic philosophy that holds the sharply cutting taxes will increase the incentive people have to work, save, and invest. Greater investments will lead to more jobs, a more productive economy, and more tax revenues for the government.

Keynesian economics

Economic theory based on the principles of John Maynard Keynes stating that government spending should increase during business slumps and be curbed during booms.

Entitlement Program

a program that provides benefits for those who qualify under the law, regardless of income. Examples include Social Security and Medicare

Agents of Socialization

social institutions, including families and schools, that helped to shape individuals' basic political beliefs and values

Bandwagon Effect

a shift in electoral support to the candidate whom public opinion polls report as the front runner

Conservative

describes those who generally support the social and economic status quo and are suspicious of efforts to introduce new political formulae and economic arrangements; believe that a large and powerful government poses a threat to citizens' freedom

Gender Gap

a distinctive pattern of voting behavior reflecting the differences in views between women and men; women support Democratic policies more so than men

Liberal

describes those who generally support social and political reform, governmental intervention in the economy, more economic equality, the expansion of federal social services, and greater concern for consumers and the environment

Libertarian

describes those who emphasize freedom and believe in voluntary association with small government

Marketplace of Ideas

the public forum in which politics and ideas are exchanged and compete

Political Ideology

a cohesive set of beliefs that forms a general philosophy about the role of government

Political Socialization

the induction of individuals into political culture; learning the underlying beliefs and values on which the political system is based

Public Opinion

citizens' attitudes about political issues, leaders, institutions, and events

Public Opinion Polls

scientific instruments for measuring public opinion

Push Polling

a polling technique in which the questions are designed to shape the respondent's opinion

Random Sample

method of selecting from a population in which each person has an equal probability of being selected

Margin of Error (Sampling Error)

the predicted difference between the average opinion expressed by poll respondents and the average opinion in the population

Selection Bias (polling)

polling error that arises when the sample is not representative of the population creating errors of over or under-representation of opinions

Social Desirability Effect

the effect that results when respondents in a survey report what they expect the interviewer wishes to hear rather than what they believe

Values

basic principles that shape a person's opinions about political issues and events

Generational Effect

a long-lasting effect of the events of a particular time on the political opinions of those who came of political age at that time. For example, Watergate made the Baby Boomer generation lose their trust in government and appreciate the freedom of the press (1st Amendment)

Life-cycle Effect

People change as they grow older because of age-specific experiences and thus people are likely to hold age-specific attitudes. For example, a college-age person might be apathetic towards things like the child tax credit but after they have a child, their attitude toward government programs that help THEIR (and other) children will shift.

Exit poll

a generally unreliable poll of people leaving a polling place, asking how they voted

Tracking poll

continuous surveys that enable a campaign or news organization to chart a candidate's daily rise or fall in support

Individualism

A CORE VALUE IN THE US: each person has the ability to shape their life and destiny through the choices they make

Equality of opportunity

A CORE VALUE IN THE US: all people are given an equal chance to compete

Free enterprise

A CORE VALUE IN THE US: the market determines prices, products, and services

Rule of Law

A CORE VALUE IN THE US: Every person, even those in power, must follow and is accountable to the same laws that govern all

Ballot initiative

a proposed law or policy change that is placed on the ballot by citizens or interest groups for a popular vote

Closed primary

a primary election in which voters can participate in the nomination of candidates, but only in the party in which they are enrolled for a period of time prior to primary day

Open primary

a primary election in which the voter can wait until the day of the primary to choose which party to enroll in or to select candidates for the general election

Party Identification

an individual voter's psychological ties to one party or another

Primary election

an election within a political party to select the party's candidate for the general election

Recall

a procedure to allow voters to remove state officials from office before their terms expire by circulating petitions to call a vote

Referendum

the practice of referring a measure proposed or passed by a legislature to the vote of the electorate for approval or rejection. Reversal

Socioeconomic status

status in society based on level of education, income, and occupational prestige

Suffrage

the right to vote

Voter Turnout

the percentage of eligible individuals who actually vote

15th Amendment

extends voting rights to all races

19th Amendment

extends voting rights to women

24th Amendment

extends voting rights to all classes by abolition of poll taxes

26th Amendment

extends voting rights to citizens aged 18 and over

Voter registration

a system adopted by states in which voters are required to register in advance of the elections

Motor Voter Law

a law requiring states to permit citizens to register to vote at the same time they apply for their drivers license

Disenfranchisement

to take away the right to vote by law or intimidation

Retrospective voting

A model of voting behavior in which an individual decides whether the party or candidate in power should be re-elected based on the recent past

Majority (voting)

A voting system in which a candidate must win more than 50 percent of votes to win the election.

Plurality (voting)

A voting system in which the winner is the person who gets the most votes, even if he or she does not receive a majority; used in almost all American elections

Prospective Voting

A model of voting behavior in which individuals vote based on predictions of how a party or candidate will perform in the future

Straight Ticket Voting

A model of voting behavior in which individuals vote for all of the candidates from one political party on a ballot.