American Federal Government: Chapters 6–10 Vocabulary

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering key definitions, theories, legislation, and legal precedents from Chapters 6 through 10 of American Federal Government.

Public Opinion

The collection of attitudes and beliefs people hold about political issues, leaders, events, and government policies.

Political Socialization

The process through which people develop political beliefs, values, attitudes, and behaviors over time.

Agent of Political Socialization

A person, group, institution, or experience—such as family, schools, peers, religion, or media—that influences someone's political views.

Traditional Conservatism

A political ideology emphasizing tradition, established institutions, authority, social order, and continuity with the past.

Modern Conservatism

A political ideology emphasizing individual liberty, limited government, free markets, personal responsibility, and less government interference in economic decisions.

Classical Liberalism

An ideology that emphasizes individual liberty, individual rights, personal freedom, limited government interference, and free choice.

Modern Liberalism

An ideology that emphasizes equality of opportunity, civil rights, and government action or public programs to address social and economic problems.

Random Sample

A sample selected through a process that gives members of the target population an appropriate chance of being selected, helping reduce selection bias.

Representative Sample

A sample that resembles the target population in relevant characteristics.

Margin of Error

An estimate of the amount of sampling uncertainty associated with a poll.

Push Poll

A poll using questions designed to influence or persuade respondents rather than measure opinion objectively.

Straw Poll

An informal, usually non-random measure of opinion that is not necessarily representative.

Exit Poll

A survey conducted with voters immediately after they have voted, used to study voter choices and behavior.

Bradley Effect

A potential discrepancy between what voters report in polls and how they actually vote, historically discussed in connection with racial attitudes and socially desirable answers.

Bully Pulpit

The president's ability to use the visibility and influence of the office, particularly media attention, to advance policy goals and shape public discussion.

Rally 'Round the Flag Effect

A temporary increase in public support for a national leader during a major international crisis or significant event.

Delegate Model

A model of representation in which an elected official is expected to represent constituents' expressed preferences directly when making decisions.

Diffuse Support

The general public belief that the political system, government institutions, or legal system is legitimate.

Specific Support

The public approval or disapproval of particular leaders, decisions, or policies.

Bandwagon Effect

The tendency of people to support a candidate or position simply because it appears popular or successful.

Horse-Race Coverage

Election media coverage that focuses on which candidate is ahead or behind, polling numbers, campaign strategy, and competition, rather than policy substance.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Federal legislation that prohibited racial discrimination in voting and authorized federal enforcement to expand ballot access.

Shelby County v. Holder (2013)

The Supreme Court decision that invalidated the coverage formula used to determine jurisdictions subject to federal preclearance under the Voting Rights Act.

National Voter Registration Act of 1993

Also called the Motor Voter Act, a federal law that expanded voter registration opportunities through government offices, including motor vehicle agencies.

Voter Turnout

The proportion of an eligible voting population that actually casts ballots in an election.

Political Efficacy

The belief that a person's political participation can make a difference or that the government is responsive to people's concerns.

Voter Fatigue

A condition in which citizens grow tired of repeated elections, campaigns, or political demands, making them less likely to participate.

Primary Election

An election held to choose a political party's candidate for the general election.

Caucus

A meeting of party members or supporters who discuss candidates and participate in a party delegate selection process.

Electoral College

The system used to formally elect the president and vice president, consisting of 538 electors, where a candidate needs 270 votes to win.

Coattail Effect

The pattern in which a popular candidate helps other candidates from the same party win their elections.

Campaign War Chest

The funds accumulated by a candidate or campaign from earlier donations to finance campaign activities.

Franking Privilege

The right of members of Congress to send certain official mail to constituents without paying ordinary postage.

Gerrymandering

The redrawing of electoral district boundaries to give a specific political party or group an unfair advantage.

Political Action Committee (PAC)

An organization that raises and spends money to influence elections, subject to federal contribution limits and disclosure requirements.

Super PAC

An independent expenditure-only committee that can raise and spend unlimited funds, but cannot coordinate with campaigns or donate directly to candidates.

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

The Supreme Court decision holding that the government cannot ban independent political expenditures by corporations and labor unions.

Initiative

A form of direct democracy that allows citizens to propose a law or constitutional amendment through a petition process.

Referendum

A direct democracy process in which voters cast ballots to approve or reject a proposed law or constitutional amendment, often submitted by a legislature.

Recall

A direct democracy procedure allowing voters to decide whether to remove an elected official from office before their term ends.

Watchdog Role

The media's function of monitoring government and powerful institutions to uncover wrongdoing and hold officials accountable.

Party Press Era

The period in the late 1700s when American newspapers were openly partisan and closely affiliated with political parties.

Muckraking

Investigative journalism aimed at exposing corruption, abusive business practices, and social problems.

Prior Restraint

Government action that prohibits speech or publication before it occurs.

Libel

A defamatory false statement published in written or otherwise recorded form.

Slander

A defamatory false statement communicated orally.

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

A federal law providing the public with a mechanism to request executive branch agency records, subject to specific exemptions.

Sunshine Laws

Statutes that require certain government meetings, proceedings, and records to be open to the public to promote transparency.

Equal-Time Rule

An FCC regulation requiring broadcast stations to provide equal broadcast opportunities to legally qualified candidates for the same office.

Fairness Doctrine

A former FCC policy eliminated in the 1980s that required broadcasters to cover controversial public issues and present contrasting viewpoints.

Hypodermic Theory

A media theory suggesting that media messages exert a direct and powerful effect on a passive audience.

Cultivation Theory

A communication theory proposing that long-term, repeated exposure to media content shapes how individuals perceive reality.

Agenda Setting

The media's ability to influence which public issues people view as important by giving them prominent coverage.

Framing

The way news information is presented or contextualized, influencing how audiences understand and interpret an issue.

Priming

Media coverage that encourages the audience to use specific standards or considerations when evaluating political figures or events.

Gatekeeping

The editorial process of selecting which news stories are reported, published, or broadcast and how prominently they appear.

Plurality Voting

An election system in which the candidate receiving the most votes wins, even without securing an absolute majority of over 50%.

Proportional Representation

An electoral arrangement where parties receive legislative seats or delegates roughly in proportion to their share of the vote.

Safe Seat

An electoral district in which a particular political party's candidate is strongly favored or almost certain to win.

Party Sorting

The process by which citizens' party identification increasingly aligns with their ideological beliefs.

Divided Government

A condition in which different political parties control the presidency and at least one chamber of Congress.

Faction

A group of citizens united by a common interest or passion that may conflict with the rights of others or the community, as described by James Madison.

Pluralism

The theory that political power is distributed among multiple competing groups that advocate for different interests.

Elite Critique

The argument against pluralism asserting that political influence is disproportionately concentrated among wealthy and business interests.

Free-Rider Problem

The situation occurring when individuals benefit from an interest group's work or collective goods without contributing to the group's efforts or costs.

Solidary Incentive

A social benefit, such as friendship, networking, or a sense of belonging, that motivates a person to join an interest group.

Purposive Incentive

The internal satisfaction derived from supporting or advancing a political cause, principle, or moral belief in an interest group.

Disturbance Theory

The theory that an external event or social change can motivate people to mobilize and establish new interest groups.

Grassroots Lobbying

Lobbying efforts that attempt to influence policymakers by mobilizing ordinary citizens and constituents to contact their representatives.

Amicus Curiae Brief

A 'friend of the court' legal brief filed by a non-party to present additional arguments or information to assist a court's decision.

Iron Triangle

A close, stable relationship among an interest group, a congressional committee, and an administrative government agency.

Issue Network

A broad, flexible network of policy experts, researchers, interest groups, and officials who collaborate on a particular public policy topic.

Revolving Door

The movement of individuals between government positions and private-sector lobbying roles related to their previous public service.