AP Government & Politics Terms Quiz #2

adverse selection

The problem of incomplete information—of choosing alternatives without fully knowing the details of available options

caucus

A meeting of a political or legislative group, normally closed to nonmembers, to select candidates, plan strategy, or make decisions about legislative matters

closed primary

A primary election in which only those voters who have registered their affiliation with the party by a specified time before the election can participate

equal time rule

An FCC requirement that broadcasters provide candidates for the same political office an equal opportunity to communicate their messages to the public

framing

The influence of the media over how events and issues are interpreted

gender gap

A distinctive pattern of voting behavior reflecting the differences in views between women and men

gerrymandering

The drawing of electoral districts in such a way as to give advantage to one political party

initiative

A process by which citizens may petition to place a policy proposal on the ballot for public vote

interest group

An organized group of people that attempts to influence governmental policies. Also called lobby

lobbying

An attempt by a group to influence the policy process through persuasion of government officials

moral hazard

The problem of not knowing all aspects of the actions taken by an agent (nominally on behalf of the principal but potentially at the principal’s expense)

open primary

A primary election in which voters can choose on the day of the primary which party’s primary to vote in

party activist

A partisan who contributes time and energy beyond voting to support a party and its candidates

party identification

An individual’s attachment to a particular political party, which may be based on issues, ideology, past experience, upbringing, or a mixture of these elements

party machine

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the local party organization that controlled local politics through patronage and the nomination process

pluralism

The theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government

plurality rule

A type of electoral system in which victory goes to the individual who gets the most votes, but not necessarily a majority of the votes cast

political action committee (PAC)

A private group that raises and distributes funds for use in election campaigns

prior restraint

An effort by a government agency to block publication of material by a newspaper or magazine; censorship

prospective voting

Voting based on the imagined future performance of a candidate

recall

The removal of a public official by popular vote

referendum

A direct vote by the electorate on a proposed law that has been passed by the legislature or on a specific governmental action

retrospective voting

Voting based on the past performance of a candidate or party

selection bias

A polling error in which the sample is not representative of the population being studied, so that some opinions are over- or underrepresented

selective benefits

Benefits that do not go to everyone but, rather, are distributed selectively—to only those who contribute to the group enterprise

super PACs

Independent expenditure committees allowed to raise unlimited amounts of money from any source and may have 501(c) branches, but must report donors to the FEC and may not directly coordinate with political candidates