American gov- spring 2025 sophmore year

final exam study guid

esidency requirement

establishes how long a citizen must live in a state before becoming eligible to register

voting-age population

which consists of persons who are eighteen and older.

closed primary

only members of the political party selecting nominees may vote

open primary

allows all voters to vote

top-two primary

pits all candidates against each other, regardless of party affiliation.

initiative (Proposition)

normally a law or constitutional amendment proposed and passed by the citizens of a state

mass media

The collection of all forms of media that communicate information to the general public is called

examples of mass media

Tv, radio, print, and the internet

agenda setting

which is the act of choosing which issues or topics deserve public discussion

soft news

presents news in an entertaining and approachable manner, painlessly introducing a variety of topics

slander

speak false information with an intent to harm a person or entity

libel

print false information with an intent to harm a person or entity

prior restraint

the government can prevent the publication of information

framing

the creation of a narrative, or context, for a news story

priming

when media coverage predisposes the viewer or reader to a particular perspective on a subject or issue

political party

group of persons organized to acquire and exercise political power

plurality voting

electoral process in which the candidate who polls more votes than any other candidate is elected.

party realignment

when people or a group change their political affiliation because they think a different party represents their interests more accurately.

party organization

like a team that works behind the scenes to get their party's candidates elected and make sure they have the support they need

majority party

the political group that has more members than any other group in a legislative body

divided government

that different political parties control different parts of the government

gerrymandering

when people who decide where voting districts are drawn try to change the district lines to make it easier for their own political party to win elections

redistricting

he way we change the districts that determine who represents us.

LOBBYIST

someone who tries to convince lawmakers (people who make laws) to vote a certain way

particularized benefit

a benefit that generally accrues to a narrow segment of society.

public intrest group

a group of people who get together to make changes in their community or country, usually focusing on issues that affect everyone

free rider problem

he tendency of some people to avoid paying for public goods, services, or shared resources while still enjoying the benefits.

efficacy

how well something works or does what it's supposed to do.

soft money

hat doesn't have strict rules about where it comes from or how much can be given

revolving door laws

denotes a situation wherein personnel move between roles as legislators or regulators in the public sector

bicameralism

a system of government where the legislative branch (or parliament) is divided into two separate chambers or house

apportionment

the process of distributing legislative seats, like those in the House of Representatives, among different states based on factors like population

enumerated powers

define the limits of what the federal government can do

trustee model of representation

describes a system where elected officials are seen as trustees responsible for acting in the best interests of their constituents, even if those actions may differ from the constituents' explicit preferences

descriptive representation

refers to the degree to which elected officials share demographic characteristics (like race, gender, or ethnicity) with the constituents they represent.

speaker of the house

the presiding officer of the U.S. House of Representatives

impeachment

the process of bringing charges against a government official for wrongdoing

cabinet

a group of people with the constitutional or legal task to rule a country or state, or advise a head of state, usually from the executive branch

executive privilege

the power of the President and other officials in the executive branch to withhold certain forms of confidential communication from the courts and the legislative branch

executive order

directive issued by the President of the United States that directs the operations of the federal government

bully pulpit

a conspicuous position that provides an opportunity to speak out and be listened to

rally round the flag effect

refers to the phenomenon where a leader's public approval ratings increase during times of national crisis

judicial review

allows the Supreme Court to take an active role in ensuring that the other branches of government abide by the Constitution

common law

a body of unwritten laws based on legal precedents established by the courts

stare decisis

to stand by things decided."