EXAM 2 CRAM

Bureaucracy

The network of unelected agencies and administrators that carry out public policy.

2. Public opinion

The collective attitudes and beliefs of citizens about politics and government.

Australian ballot

A secret, government-printed ballot that weakened party control over voting.

Spoils system

System of giving government jobs to political supporters.

Margin of error

The range within which the true population likely falls.

population value likely falls.

Primary election

An election in which voters choose a party's nominees.

Merit system

A system of hiring and promotion based on qualifications rather than party loyalty.

National party convention

The meeting at which a party formally nominates its presidential candidate.

Red tape

Complex rules and procedures that slow action and make administration cumbersome.

Measurement error

Error caused by the way survey questions are worded or asked.

Superdelegate

A Democratic Party leader who automatically receives a convention vote.

Iron triangle

A stable alliance among a bureaucracy, a congressional committee, and an interest group.

Political socialization

The process by which people acquire political beliefs and values.

New Deal coalition

The broad Democratic alliance that dominated national politics for decades after the 1930s.

Issue network

Looser, less stable web of participants involved in a policy area.

Framing

Resenting an issue in a way that emphasizes some considerations over others.

Split-ticket voting

Voting for candidates from different parties in the same election.

Police patrol oversight

Active, regular monitoring of agencies by Congress.

Partisanship

A psychological attachment to a political party.

Two-party system

A system in which two major parties dominate elections and government.

Fire alarm oversight

Oversight triggered by complaints from citizens or groups.

Opinion leaders

Politically attentive people who influence the views of others.

Party machine

Disciplined party organization that used patronage and local networks to win votes.

Limitation rider

Language in a spending bill that restricts how agency funds may be used.

Aggregate opinion

Public opinion measured at the collective level rather than individual level.

Agenda setting

The media's ability to influence what issues people think about.

Inspectors general

Internal agency watchdogs who investigate waste, fraud, and abuse.

Rational ignorance

Remaining uninformed because the costs of learning outweigh the likely benefits.

Priming

The media's ability to shape the standards people use to judge leaders and issues.

GAO

The Government Accountability Office, Congress's auditing and investigative arm.

Voting Rights Act

The 1965 law that strengthened federal protection of voting rights.

Legacy news

Traditional news organizations that rely on professional reporting and editing.

Delegation problem

The problem that agents may not act as their principals intend after power is delegated.

Rational abstention

Deciding not to vote because one vote is unlikely to affect the outcome.

Penny press - cheap mass-circulation newspapers that expanded news to a broad public.

Judicial review

The power to declare laws or government acts unconstitutional.

Incumbency advantage

The electoral edge enjoyed by current officeholders.

Yellow journalism

Sensationalized, exaggerated reporting designed to attract readers.

Marbury v. Madison

the 1803 case that established judicial review.

Gerrymandering

redrawing district boundaries to benefit a party or group.

Associated Press

a cooperative wire service that shares news reporting among member outlets.

Original jurisdiction

the authority to hear a case first, rather than on appeal.

Electoral College

the system that formally selects the president through state electors.

Pack journalism

reporters covering the same story in similar ways.

Appellate jurisdiction

the authority to review decisions made by lower courts.

Winner-take-all

the rule giving all electoral votes in a state to the statewide popular-vote winner.

Beat

reporter’s assigned topic

Stare decisis

The principle of following precedent when deciding cases,

PAC

A political action committee that raises and spends money to influence elections.

Trial balloon

A tentative proposal floated to test public or political reaction.

Writ of certiorari

an order by which the Supreme Court agrees to hear a case,

Citizens United

the Supreme Court case expanding protection for independent political spending.

Prior restraint

government censorship that stops publication before it occurs.

Rule of four

the rule that four justices must vote to hear

Political efficacy

the belief that one can understand politics and influence government.

Pentagon Papers

classified Vietnam War documents whose publication was protected from prior restraint.

Solicitor general

the lawyer who represents the federal

Party identification

a voter's long-term psychological government before the Supreme Court.

Fake news

intentionally false information presented as real news for political or financial gain.

Judicial independence

The ability of judges to decide cases free from political pressure,

Political party

an organized group seeking to win elections and control government.

Fourth branch

the nickname for the media because they act as an informal check on government.

Precedent

an earlier judicial decision used as a guide in 44. Patronage - the giving of jobs or benefits in return for political support.

Communications Act of 1934

the law that regulated broadcasting in the public interest and broadcasted public interest and created FCC