AP Government and Politics Chapter 5 and 6 Vocabulary

Amicus curiae brief

“Friend of the court” brief, filed by a person or organization to present arguments in addition to those presented by the immediate parties to a case.

Collective action

How groups form and organize to pursue their goals and objectives.

Collective bargaining

How a union represents a group of employees in negotiations with the employer about wages, benefits, and workplace safety.

Closed shop

A company with a labor agreement where union membership can be a condition of employment.

Faction

Refers to political parties and special interest groups.

Federal Register

An official document that lists new and proposed regulations of executive departments.

Free rider

A person who doesn’t join a group that represents their interests but still benefits from the group’s influence.

Interest group

A collection of people who share a common interest and want to influence government.

Issue advocacy

Unlimited and undisclosed spending by a group on communications that do not use words like “vote for” or “vote against” (much of this activity is actually about electing or defeating candidates)

Issue network/iron triangle

Relationships among interest groups, congressional committees, and the government agencies that share a COMMON POLICY CONCERN.

Leadership PAC

A PAC formed by an officeholder that collects donations from people and other PACs and then makes contributions to other candidates and political parties.

Lobbying

Engaging in activities aimed at influencing public officials and the policies they enact.

Open shop

A company with a labor agreement which union membership cannot be required as a condition of employment.

Pluralism

A theory of government that holds open, multiple, and competing groups can check the asserted power by an one group.

Political Action Committee (PAC)

The political branch of an interest group that is legally entitled to raise funds on a voluntary basis to contribute to candidates or political parties.

Professional association

A group of people who share a common profession and are often organized for common political purposes related to that profession.

Public choice

Same as “collective action,” specifically studies how people respond to positive and negative incentives.

Recall

Submitting to popular vote for the removal of officials before the end of their term (ONLY FOR STATES)

Revolving door

Employment cycle where people who work for governmental agencies that regulate interests eventually end up working for interest groups with the same policy concern.

Social Movement

A large body of people interested in a common concern and are willing to take action. Movements seek to change attitudes, not just policies.

Caucus

A meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates for public office and to decide the platform.

Closed primary

Primary election in which only persons registered in the party holding the primary may vote.

Crossover voting

Voting by member of one for a candidate of another party.

Dealignment

Weakening of partisan preferences that points to a rejection of both major parties and a rise in the number of independents.

Direct primary

Election in which voters choose party nominees

Divided government

One party holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of Congress.

Hard money

Political contributions given to a party, candidate, or interest group that are limited in amounts and fully disclosed.

Honeymoon

Period at the beginning of the new president’s term where the president enjoys generally positive relations with the press and Congress, usually lasting about six months.

Minor party

A small political party that rises and falls with a charismatic candidate. AKA third party.

National party convention

A national meeting of delegates elected in primaries, caucuses, or state conventions who assemble once every four years to nominate candidates for president and vice president, ratify the party platform, elect officers, and adopt rules.

Nonpartisan election

A local or judicial election where candidates are not selected or endorsed by political parties and party affiliation is not listed on ballots.

Open primary

Primary election where any voter, regardless of party, may vote.

Party convention

A meeting of party delegates to vote on matters of policy and in some cases to select party candidates for public office.

Party identification

An informal and subjective affiliation with a political party that most people acquire in childhood.

Party registration

The act of declaring party affiliation, required by some states when one registers to vote; Texas does NOT require.

Patronage

The dispensing of government jobs to people to belong to the winning political party.

Platform

Document stating the policy positions of the party

Political party

An organization that seeks political power by electing people to office so that its positions and philosophy become public policy.

Proportional representation

An election system in which each party running receives the proportion of legislative seats corresponding to its proportion of the vote.

Realigning election

An election during periods of expanded suffrage and change in the economy and society that proves to be a turning point, redefining the agenda of politics and the alignment of voters within parties.

Soft money

Money raised by political parties for party-building activities; largely banned by Bipartisan Campaign Reforming Act

Winner-take-all system

Election system in which the candidate with the most votes wins.