AP Government Unit 3-4

approval rating

Amount of public support for an official, such as a president

Baby Boomers

Aging adults born from 1946-1964. They will reach retirement starting around 2011-2030.

benchmark polls

A long, detailed survey of voter opinion designed to help political candidates craft their campaigns

conservative

A person who believes government power, particularly in the economy, should be limited in order to maximize individual freedom.

entrance polls

Voters asked about which candidate they are going to vote for and why before walking into a caucus

exit polls

Election-related questions asked of voters right after they vote

focus group

A small group of individuals who are led in discussion by a professional consultant in order to gather opinions on and responses to candidates and issues.

free enterprise

A type of economy in which people are free to buy, sell, and produce whatever they want

Generation X

A term coined to describe people born in the United States between the years 1965 and 1980. This post-baby-boom generation will have to support the baby boom cohort as they head into their retirement years.

globalization

The process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale.

individualism

Giving priority to one's own goals over group goals and defining one's identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications

liberal

A person whose views favor more govt involvement in business, social welfare, minority rights, & increased govt spending

libertarian

One who believes in limited government interference in personal and economic liberties

life-cycle effects

Attitudes or physical characteristics that change as one ages, no matter the time period or generation. The graying of one's hair is a life cycle effect.

limited government

The idea that certain restrictions should be placed on government to protect the natural rights of citizens.

margin of error

Indicates how reliable the poll data is, based on the laws of statistical probability.

Millenials

Consumers born between 1977 and 2000 and the children of the Baby Boomers.

party identification

An informal and subjective affiliation with a political party that most people acquire in childhood.

populist

A member or adherent of a political party seeking to represent the interests of ordinary people.

progressive

A person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties

push polling

A type of survey in which the questions are presented in a biased way in an attempt to influence the respondent.

random-digit dialing

A technique used by pollsters to place telephone calls randomly to both listed and unlisted numbers when conducting a survey.

random sample

Method of selecting from a population in which each person has an equal probability of being selected

representative sample

A sample that reflects the characteristics of the population from which it is drawn

rule of law

The restriction of the arbitrary exercise of power by subordinating it to well-defined and established laws.

saliency

The level of interest or concern that our listeners have in a particular issue or topic

sample

A relatively small proportion of people who are chosen in a survey so as to be representative of the whole.

sampling error

The level of confidence in the findings of a public opinion poll. The more people interviewed, the more confident one can be of the results.

Silent Generation

-Born from 1925 - 1945, grew up during the Great Depression. Most of them have left the workplace

stratification

The uneven distribution of resources and privileges among participants in a group or culture

tracking polls

Continuous surveys that enable a campaign or news organization to chart a candidate's daily rise or fall in support

universe

The population from which a sample will be drawn

valence issues

An issue about which the public is united and rival candidates or political parties adopt similar positions in hopes that each will be thought to best represent those widely shared beliefs

wedge issues

A divisive political issue, especially one that is raised by a candidate for public office in hopes of attracting or alienating an opponent's supporters.

weighting

Adjustments to surveys during analysis so that selected demographic groups reflect their values in the population, usually as measured by the census

agenda

Issues that merit action, as determined by the public or those in power

bonds

A certificate issued by a government or private company which promises to pay back with interest the money borrowed from the buyer of the certificate. For example…the city issued bonds to raise money for putting in new sewers.

discount rate

The minimum interest rate set by the Federal Reserve for lending to other banks.

entitlements

A claim for government funds that cannot be abridged without violating the rights of the claimant; for example, social security benefits or payments on a contract.

Federal Reserve Board

A seven-member board that sets member banks reserve requirements, controls the discount rate, and makes other economic decisions.

fiscal policy

A government policy for dealing with the budget (especially with taxation and borrowing)

flat tax

A tax system in which all people pay the same percentage of their income

globalization

Actions or processes that involve the entire world and result in making something worldwide in scope.

inflation

A general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

The branch of the U.S. Treasury Department in charge of collecting taxes

mandatory spending

Federal spending required by law that continues without the need for annual approvals by Congress.

means test

The requirement that applicants for public assistance must demonstrate that they are poor in order to be eligible for the assistance.

Medicaid

A federal and state assistance program that pays for health care services for people who cannot afford them.

Medicare

A program added to the Social Security system in 1965 that provides hospitalization insurance for the elderly and permits older Americans to purchase inexpensive coverage for doctor fees and other health expenses.

monetary policy

Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling the money supply and thus interest rates.

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

Created to allow the free movement of goods between Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. by lessening and eliminating tariffs

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010

Requires individuals not covered by employer or government health insurance to purchase insurance or pay a penalty. Creates Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan for those individuals who had been denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions. Allows parents to keep their children on their plan until age 26. Creates insurance exchanges for individuals and employers.

progressive tax

A tax graduated so that people with higher incomes pay a larger fraction of their income than people with lower incomes.

reserve requirement

This is the percentage of their deposits that member banks must keep available in a Federal Reserve Bank.

Sixteenth Amendment

Authorized Congress to enact a national income tax.

Social Security Act (1935)

Provided old-age pension (retirement), and a program of unemployment insurance (temporary aid to help people who lose jobs to find a new job), and federal welfare program (aid for very poor). Most famous and important legacy of New Deal. Has resulted (along with Medicare) with drastic reduction in poverty among elderly in the US

social welfare

A nation's system of programs, benefits, and services that help people meet those social, economic, educational, and health needs that are fundamental to the maintenance of society.

supply-side economics

An economic theory, first applied during the Reagan administration, holding that the key task for fiscal policy is to stimulate the supply of goods, as by cutting tax rates.

trade balance

The difference in value of the goods that a country sells abroad compared to those it purchases from other countries

Civil Liberties

the personal guarantees and freedoms that the federal government cannot abridge by law, constitution, or judicial interpretation

public interest

the concerns of society as a whole

selective incorporation

The process by which provisions of the Bill of Rights are brought within the scope of the Fourteenth Amendment and so applied to state and local governments.

Due Process

fair treatment through the normal judicial system, especially as a citizen's entitlement.

Fifth Amendment

A constitutional amendment designed to protect the rights of persons accused of crimes

Fourteenth Amendment

no state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws

compelling government interest

A test of constitutionality that requires the government to have compelling reasons for passing any law that restricts fundamental rights, such as free speech, or distinguishes between people based on a suspect trait.

prior restraint

government censorship of information before it is published or broadcast

Scheneck v. US

(1919) Unanimously upheld the Espionage Act of 1917 which declared that people who interfered with the war effort were subject to imprisonment; declared the 1st Amendment right to freedom of speech was not absolute; free speech could be limited if its exercise presented a "clear and present danger."

symbolic speech

Using actions and symbols rather than words to convey an idea

Tinker v. Des Moines

Students have the right to symbolic speech at school as long as it is not disruptive

obscene speech

depicts sexual conduct in a way that appeals to sexual interests in a manner that is "patently offensive" to community standards, and lacks serious artistic, political, or scientific value

Libel

A written defamation of a person's character, reputation, business, or property rights.

NYT v. US

The ruling made it possible for the New York Times and Washington Post newspapers to publish the then-classified Pentagon Papers without risk of government censorship or punishment.

Establishment Clause

Clause in the First Amendment that says the government may not establish an official religion.

Free Exercise Clause

A First Amendment provision that prohibits government from interfering with the practice of religion.

Engel v. Vitale

The 1962 Supreme Court decision holding that state officials violated the First Amendment when they wrote a prayer to be recited by New York's schoolchildren.

Lemon Test

The three-part test for Establishment Clause cases that a law must pass before it is declared constitutional: it must have a secular purpose; it must neither advance nor inhibit religion; and it must not cause excessive entanglement with religion.

Wisonsin v. Yoder

The three parents refused to send their children to such schools after the eighth grade, arguing that high school attendance was contrary to their religious beliefs.

2nd Amendment

Right to keep and bear arms

McDonald v. Chicago

Incorporated the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms to the states

search and seizure

the process by which police or other authorities who suspect that a crime has been committed do a search of a person's property and collect any relevant evidence to the crime

exclusionary rule

improperly gathered evidence may not be introduced in a criminal trial

Mapp v. Ohio

Established the exclusionary rule was applicable to the states (evidence seized illegally cannot be used in court)

inevitable discovery

the police can use evidence if it would inevitably have been discovered

good faith exception

Admission of illegally obtained evidence if illegality results from a technical or minor error

Miranda v. Arizona

Supreme Court held that criminal suspects must be informed of their right to consult with an attorney and of their right against self-incrimination prior to questioning by police.

public safety exception

the police can question an un-Mirandized suspect if there is an urgent concern for public safety

Gideon v. Wainwright

A person who cannot afford an attorney may have one appointed by the government

Roe v. Wade

(1973) legalized abortion on the basis of a woman's right to privacy

habeus corpus

The legal protection that prohibits the imprisonment of a subject without demonstrated cause

civil rights

the rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality.

Thirteenth Amendment

abolished slavery

15th Amendment (1870)

U.S. cannot prevent a person from voting because of race, color, or creed

Equal Protection Clause

14th amendment clause that prohibits states from denying equal protection under the law, and has been used to combat discrimination

Jim Crow Laws

Laws designed to enforce segregation of blacks from whites

literacy test

A test given to persons to prove they can read and write before being allowed to register to vote

poll tax

A requirement that citizens pay a tax in order to register to vote

Grandfather Clause

A clause in registration laws allowing people who do not meet registration requirements to vote if they or their ancestors had voted before 1867.

white primary

the practice of keeping blacks from voting in the southern states' primaries through arbitrary use of registration requirements and intimidation

NAACP

A black interest group active primarily in the courts