Obama's Australian Aspirations – Key Terms (Vocabulary)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, people, and concepts from the lecture notes about Obama’s Australian aspirations, gun policy, healthcare, voting, and political structures.

Vetocracy

A political system in which veto players and institutions block decisive action, leading to gridlock; a concept used by Francis Fukuyama to describe constraint of authority over effective government.

80:20 rule

The idea that two countries (US and Australia) are 80% alike and 20% different, with the 20% differences (e.g., guns, compulsory voting, universal healthcare) being highly consequential.

National Firearms Act (1934)

A U.S. federal law that banned machine guns and silencers, illustrating early federal gun-control regulation.

Assault Weapons Ban (1994)

A 10-year federal prohibition on the sale of certain semi-automatic assault weapons, later allowed to expire.

NRA (National Rifle Association)

A powerful gun-rights lobbying organization in the U.S. that finances campaigns and heavily influences gun policy.

Bump stock

A device that enables a semi-automatic rifle to fire more rapidly; discussed as a target of regulatory tweaks rather than a complete ban.

National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity

A proposed measure intended to allow carry permits to be honored across state lines, potentially enabling cross-state gun carrying.

Lexington and Concord

Early 1775 battles cited as the origins of American liberty and the right to bear arms, illustrating gun rights in U.S. history.

Obamacare (Affordable Care Act)

The 2010 health reform program that expanded health insurance coverage in the U.S.; it roughly doubled the insured population but left a portion uninsured.

Universal healthcare

A health system that provides health coverage for all citizens; highlighted as one of Obama’s Australian aspirations.

Compulsory voting

A voting obligation required by law in some countries (e.g., Australia); Obama considered this too difficult to implement in the U.S.

Demos

The Greek word for 'people'; used in the discussion of Fukuyama's theory contrasting 'demos' with veto power in a vetocracy.

Fukuyama’s Vetocracy

A term describing a government where veto players hinder policy change; emphasizes constraints on initiative over efficient governance.

Westminster system

A parliamentary system (as in Britain and Australia) where the executive is drawn from the legislature and has strong party discipline, with fewer veto points than a presidential system.

Presidential form of government

A system in which the president is separately elected and powers are divided between the executive and legislature, often featuring multiple veto points and potential gridlock.

Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre (2012)

A mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, where 26 people were killed; intensified debates over gun control and influenced Obama’s stance on firearms.