AP US Gov: Unit 3 Vocab

Unit 3 Vocab Test

Open primary

 A primary election where voters are not required to declare party affiliation. 

Closed primary

Voters can only vote for their declared party

Caucus

When party members gather to discuss candidates and issues to select delegates

Party Convention

 A mass meeting of a political party. 

General Election

The election in which nominated candidates from each party compete for the presidency

Electoral College

A body of people elected by states to formally cast votes for the electron of the president

Winner-take-All

The concept that the candidate who wins even a small majority of electoral votes wins an entire state

Plurality

The state of being more than one or having multiple aspects, opinions, or possibilities.

Incumbent

person currently in office 

Candidate Appeal

The ability of a political candidate to attract and connect with voters through their personality, charisma, and relatability. It encompasses factors like communication skills, authenticity, and the ability to address voter concerns effectively. Strong candidate appeal can significantly impact a candidate's chances of winning an election.

Federal Election Commission

an independent agency of the United States government, whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections

Presidential Tickets

Ballots specifically for voting for the president

Executive Agreement

An international agreement made by the executive branch without ratification from the senate

Executive Order

A direct order by the president

Executive Privilege

The ability to withhold information from the public

Signing Statement

A statement signed by the president upon signing a bill into law

Veto

The constitutional right to reject a decision or proposal made by a legislative body

Pocket Veto

An indirect veto of a legislative bill by the president or a governor by retaining the bill unsigned until it is too late for it to be dealt with during the legislative session

Line-Item Veto

A veto that only targets specific parts of the bill in question, not the whole bill

Impeachment

(especially in the US) a charge of misconduct made against the holder of a public office

Bully Pulpit

 A public office or position of authority that provides its occupant with an outstanding opportunity to speak out on any issue

National Security council

the principal forum used by the president of the United States for consideration of national security, military, and foreign policy matters

Chief of Staff

identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer, who is the coordinator

Mass media

The main means of mass communication, such as broadcasting, publishing, and the internet, considered collectively

Social media

websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking

Horse-race journalism

political journalism of elections that resembles coverage of horse races because of the focus on polling data and public perception instead of candidate policy, and almost exclusive reporting on candidate differences rather than similarities

Selective exposure

A phenomenon whereby people choose to focus on information in their environment that is the same with and confirms their current views

Selective perception

the tendency not to notice and more quickly forget stimuli that cause emotional discomfort and contradict our prior beliefs

Independent agency

Agencies that exist outside the federal executive departments and the Executive Office of the President. (like the CIA)

Independent regulatory commission

federal agencies created by an act of Congress that are independent of the executive departments. Though they are considered part of the executive branch, these agencies are meant to impose and enforce regulations free of political influence

Government corporation

A government or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an administration. There is a notable variety of agency types

Spoils system

The practice of a successful political party giving public office to its supporters. (someone becomes president, and puts a person who supported their campaign into a position of power)

Merit system

the process of promoting and hiring government employees based on their ability to perform a job, rather than on their political connections. It is the opposite of the spoils system

Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

Manages the civil service of the federal government, coordinates recruiting of new government employees, and manages their health insurance and retirement benefits programs

Hatch Act (1939)

An Act that prohibits civil-service employees in the executive branch of the federal government, except the president and vice president, from engaging in some forms of political activity

Implementation

can refer to the delivery of a programme or service in a specific community setting, or to government policy involving a series of activities undertaken by government and its agencies to achieve the goals and objectives articulated in policy statements or legislation

Administrative discretion

refers to the flexible exercising of judgment and decision making allowed to public administrators

Regulations

A rule or directive made and maintained by an authority

Rule-making process

a process for developing and issuing rules (rules are also referred to as “regulations”). The process can lead to the issuance of a new rule, an amendment to an existing rule, or the repeal of an existing rule. (pretty self explanatory)

Uncontrollable spending

Government spending on mandatory programs (often called entitlement programs), and net interest on the public debt are often described as “uncontrollable.”

Entitlement programs

Programs that are either financed from Federal trust funds or paid out of the general revenues. Those paid out of the general revenues are income redistribution programs intended to address problems such as illness and poverty

Oversight

The process by which Congress follows up on the laws it has enacted to ensure that they are being enforced and administered in the way Congress intended