AP Government Monster Vocab Quiz

For Mrs.Anderson's APGOV Monster Vocab

Amicus Curiae

An Argument filed with a court by an individual or group who is not a party to a lawsuit

Bully Pulpit

The influential platform and visibility that a political leader, particularly the President, has to shape public opinion and promote their agenda.

Stare decisis

When a court follows precedent by letting a previous decision stand

Categorical grants

Money given by the federal government to the states to be used for a narrowly defined purpose

Casework

When congressional staff help a constituent solve a problem

Block Grants

Federal money given to the states with few restriction about how it should be spent

Grassroots lobbying

Ordinary citizens raising awareness for a cause and pushing the government to adopt a particular policy

Closed Primary

A vote by party members to determine their party's candidate for office, which is restricted to those who are registered to the party

Cooperative federalism

A system where the federal government and the states work together in funding and administering programs

Critical Elections

An election where new coalitions of voters have formed, beginning a new party era

Dealignment

When voters no longer identify with one of the two major parties and become independent voters

Demographics

The statistical characteristics of a population

Devolution

A process by which the national government gives more power and authority to the states

Divided government

When the president is from one political party and one or both houses of Congress are controlled by the opposing political party

Entitlements

promises made by the government to an identifiable group of people who are guaranteed benefits

Executive Order

A presidential directive

Expressed powers

Powers that are given to an institution of government directly in the Constitution, such as Congress's power to tax

Federalism

A system of government where power is shared between the national government and the states in which the states have some protected powers

fiscal federalism

the use of spending by the national government through the grant process to influence state policies

Fiscal Policy

impacting the economy through taxing and spending in the budget

filibuster

a procedure used in the senate to talk a bill to death

franking privilege

the free mail and electronic signature system used by members of congress

gender gap

the tendency of men to support candidates from the Republican party at greater rates than women

general election

an election to select the person who will hold office

Gerrymandering

Drawing congressional distgrict boundaries to benefit a group, usually a political party

caucus

Face-to-face meetings of party members at the local or state level to determine their party's candidate for office

Horse race journalism

The tendency of the media to focus on which candidate is ahead in the polls rather than focusing on the issues

Implied powers

Powers that are necessary to carry out an expressed power in the constitution, like the power of Congress to establish a bank

Incumbent

an officeholder who is running for reelection

independent expenditures

money spent on ads that are not sponsored by a candidate or party

Inherent powers

Powers that are naturally derived from the duties of a specific government position, such as Thomas Jefferson's power as president to purchase the Louisiana Territory

Interest groups

An organization that advocates for policies through lobbying, electioneering, grassroots mobilization and protesting

Issue network (iron triangle)

A relationship between interest groups, agencies, and congressional committees in a certain policy area

Judicial activism

A philosophy that the Supreme Court should make bold new policy

Judicial Review

The power of the Supreme Court to overturn a law or executive action as unconstitutional

Lame duck period

The time during which a president who has lost an election or has ended a second term is still in office before the new president serves

litigation

a lawsuit

Lobbying

efforts by an interest group or individual to contact a member of Congress and advocate for a particular policy

Logrolling

When members of the Congress trade votes for favors in order to get the bills they support passed

Mandatory Spending

expenditures that the federal government is obligated to make, like entitlements and interest on the national debt

mid-term elections

an election in which voters select members of Congress but not the president

monetary policy

influencing the economy through federal interest rates, reserve rates, and the amount of money in circulation

Motion for cloture

a vote by 60 senators to end a filibuster

Open primary

an election to determine a party's candidate for office in which that party's members and unaffiliated voters may vote

Original intent

making judicial decisions by considering what the founding fathers meant in the constitution

oversight

Congressional committee hearings held to determine how well an agency is doing its job

PAC

an organization, which need not disclose its members, that can spend a vast and unlimited amount of money on a political campaign

Party polarization

when political parties move farther away from each other ideologically and also move away from the center

pluralism

a theory of government in which many groups compete for policy

pocket veto

when a presdient does not sign a bill within 10 days when congress is not in session

policy agenda

problems that have the attention of the government and the public

Political culture

the shared political values of a society

Political efficacy

An individual's belief that his or her political participation can make a difference

Political socialization

the process by which and indivudal develops his or her poltical beliefs

Pork barrel spending

a provision in a bill that benefits a specific congressional constituency

realignment

the process through which voters leave one of the major party coalition and join the other major party's coalition

Redistricting

changing congressional district boundaries based on a new census

Selective incorporation

the process by which the Bill of Rights has been applied to the states on a case-by-case basis through the fourteenth amendment

Single-member districts

the electoral system used to select members of the house of representatives

suffrage

the right to vote

Super PAC

an organization that is registered with the Federal Election Committee and donates money to a candidate or campaign

Uncontrollable spending

expenditures that the federal government cannot realistically reduce because they are required by law

Unfunded mandate

a federal requirement that forces the states to spend their own money

white house staff

the president's personal assistants and advisors

writ of certiorari

a document issued by the Supreme Court if it has agreed to hear a case

Political Party

A group of individuals who organize to run candidates for office