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