Pol Sci exam 3

Article III

Part of the United States Constitution that establishes the judicial branch.

Judicial Review

The power of courts to declare laws or government actions unconstitutional.

Marbury v. Madison

A landmark case that established judicial review.

Federal District Courts

The lowest federal courts where trials happen; have original jurisdiction.

Courts of Appeals

Middle federal courts that review lower court decisions; have appellate jurisdiction.

Supreme Court

The highest court in the U.S.; final interpreter of the Constitution.

Original Jurisdiction

The power to hear a case first.

Appellate Jurisdiction

The power to review decisions made by lower courts.

Amicus Brief

A 'friend of the court' brief submitted by outside groups to influence a court case.

Impeachment of Judges

The process of removing federal judges; House impeaches, Senate convicts.

Writ of Certiorari

A request for the Supreme Court to hear a case.

Rule of Four

The requirement that four Supreme Court justices must agree to hear a case.

Majority Opinion

The official decision of the court supported by most justices.

Concurring Opinion

An opinion that agrees with the decision but for different reasons.

Dissenting Opinion

An opinion that disagrees with the majority decision.

Judicial Activism

The belief that judges should actively interpret the Constitution and shape policy.

Judicial Restraint

The belief that judges should defer to elected branches when possible.

Political Party

An organization that seeks to win elections and control government.

Party Platform

The official statement of a party’s beliefs and policy goals.

Party Convention

A meeting where parties nominate candidates and adopt platforms.

Third Party

A smaller political party that often raises new issues or acts as a spoiler.

Partisan Realignment

A major shift in party support and voter coalitions.

Duverger’s Law

The idea that winner-take-all elections encourage a two-party system.

Open Primary

An election where any voter can participate regardless of party.

Closed Primary

An election where only registered party members can vote.

Median Voter Theorem

The idea that candidates move toward the political center to attract most voters.

Partisan Polarization

The process by which parties become more ideologically divided.

Interest Group

An organization that influences government policy but does not run candidates.

First Amendment

Part of the Constitution that protects speech, assembly, and petition, which support interest groups.

Lobbyist

A person who tries to influence lawmakers on behalf of a group.

Insider Strategy

Direct lobbying of lawmakers and government officials.

Outsider Strategy

Using public opinion, protests, or media pressure to influence government.

Pluralism

A theory that suggests many competing groups influence government.

Biased Pluralism

The theory that wealthy or business groups have more influence over government.

Collective Action Problem

The difficulty in getting people to contribute to a group effort.

Selective Incentives

Benefits offered to encourage people to join a group.

Solidary Incentives

The social benefits of being in a group.

Purposive Incentives

Joining a group because you believe in its cause.

Political Participation

Actions taken by people to influence government.

Voting

The most common form of political participation.

Rational Abstention

The idea that some people don’t vote because the cost outweighs the benefit.

Socioeconomic Status (SES)

A person’s income, education, and occupation.

Political Efficacy

The belief that your participation can influence politics.

Social Capital

The connections and relationships that encourage civic participation.

Public Opinion

The attitudes and beliefs of citizens about politics.

Political Socialization

The process by which people develop their political beliefs.

Party Identification

A psychological attachment to a political party.

Gender Gap

The difference in political views between men and women.

Yellow Journalism

Sensationalized or exaggerated news reporting.

Muckraking

Journalism that exposes corruption or wrongdoing.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to favor information that supports existing beliefs.

Selective Exposure

Choosing media sources that match your beliefs.

Infotainment

News presented mainly as entertainment.

Agenda Setting

The media's ability to influence what issues people think about.

Framing

The media's influence on how people think about an issue.

Media Profit Motive

The media's goal of attracting viewers/readers and making money.