PLCY100 FINAL

balance of trade

the difference between a country's total exports and total imports

Consumer Price Index (CPI)

a measure of the overall cost of the goods and services bought by a typical consumer

cost-of-living adjustment (COLA)

automatic adjustments of nominal income to the rate of inflation

entitlement program

a program that provides benefits for those who qualify under the law, regardless of income

fiscal policy

government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling taxing and spending

full employment

the level of employment reached when there is no cyclical unemployment

line-item veto

an executive's ability to block a particular provision in a bill passed by the legislature

monetary policy

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

national debt

the sum of government deficits over time

progressive tax

a tax for which the percentage of income paid in taxes increases as income increases

regressive tax

a tax for which the percentage of income paid in taxes decreases as income increases

supply-side economics

an economic philosophy that holds that sharply cutting taxes will increase the incentive people have to work, save, and invest

tax expenditures

revenue losses that result from special exemptions, exclusions, or deductions on federal tax law

Affordable Care Act

an expansion of medicaid, most of employers must provide health insurance, have insurance or face surtax, and prevents rejection based on pre-existing condition (Obamacare)

Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

a joint federal-state program that provides health-care insurance for low-income children

fee-for-service

a system under which doctors and hospitals receive a payment for each service they provide

health maintenance organization (HMO)

alternative means of health care in which people or their employers are charged a set amount and it provides health care and covers hospital costs

managed care

a health care system whose goals are to provide cost effective quality care

Medicaid

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

Medicare

a federal program of health insurance for persons 65 years of age and older

merit good

a good or service society deems everyone is entitled to some minimal quantity of

national health insurance

a compulsory insurance program for all Americans that would have the government finance citizens' medical care

patients' rights

factors of care that patients can expect to receive

portability of health care services

ability to switch jobs without it affecting health insurance

preferred provider organization (PPO)

group of healthcare providers that provide services to a specific group, often at a reduced rate

preventive health care

focuses on educating and equipping clients to reduce and control risk factors of disease- examples include immunizations, stress management programs, and seat belt use

public health agency

agency that provides health care at little or no cost to lower-income individuals

single-payer insurance

a common health care policy in industrialized nations in which the national government provides health insurance to all citizens

third-party payers

insurance companies, Medicare, Medicaid, and other commercial companies that are the payers of inpatient and outpatient medical expenses for the patient

Tricare

U.S. government health insurance plan for all military personnel

veterans' health care system

designed to serve the needs of the U.S. veterans by providing primary medical care, specialized care, and other medical and social services, such as rehabilitation

culture of poverty

the assumption that the values and behaviors of the poor make them fundamentally different from other people, that these factors are largely responsible for their poverty, and that parents perpetuate poverty across generations by passing these characteristics to their children

Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)

a provision of a 1975 law that entitles working families with children to receive money from the government if their total income is below a certain level

food stamp program

federally funded program that gives food coupons to low-income people based on income and family size

Gini coefficient

a measure of income inequality within a population, ranging from zero for complete equality to one if one person has all the income

means-tested programs

government programs available only to individuals below a poverty line

minimum wage

a minimum price that an employer can pay a worker for an hour of labor

poverty

the state of being extremely poor

Social Security

federal program of disability and retirement benefits that covers most working people

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

a food and nutrition service that works with state agencies nutrition educators, and neighborhood and faith-based organizations to offer nutrition assistance to millions of eligible, low-income individuals and families and provides economics benefits to communities

charter school

a public school with its own set of standards that is funded and licensed by the state or local district in which it is located

competency test

an exam used to determine teachers' pedagogical skills or knowledge base

Establishment Clause

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

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

Obama's act in 2015 that took over No Child Left Behind

Free Exercise Clause

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

merit pay

a system of linking pay increases to ratings on performance appraisals

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

an ongoing and nationally representative measure of U.S. children's achievement in reading, mathematics, and other subjects over time

school choice

various policies that give families options for deciding which school their children will attend

school vouchers

payments from the government to parents whose children attend failing public schools; the money helps parents pay private school tuition

teacher quality

an issue in education policy that concerns a teacher's ability in the classroom

cap-and-trade policy

approach that provides economic incentives for limiting emissions of pollutants

carbon tax

a fee that the government charges polluters for each unit of greenhouse gas they emit

Clean Power Plan

a policy aimed at combating global warming that was first proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency in June 2014

climate change

a negative change in global or regional climate patterns

collaborative decision making

process of working with others to make a decision

command and control

an approach to protecting the environment that sets strict legal limits and threatens punishment for violations of those limits

Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards

set of federal standards under which each vehicle manufacturer must meet a miles-per-gallon benchmark averaged across all new cars or trucks

direct regulation

the amount of a good people are allowed to use is directly limited by the government

ecosystem-based management

the attempt to supervise the harvesting of resources in ways that minimize impact on the environment and the ecological process that provide the resources

environmental impact statement (EIS)

statement required by Federal law from all agencies for any project using Federal funds to assess the potential affect of the new construction or development on the environment

environmental policy

a general plan and principle related to the interactions between humans and the environment

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

an independent federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment

environmental stewardship

a position taken by an organization to protect or enhance the natural environment as it conducts its business activities

hydraulic fracturing

the forcing open of fissures in subterranean rocks by introducing liquid at high pressure, especially to extract oil or gas

intergenerational equity

balancing the needs of the young and old, often referred to as the idea that U.S. government entitlements, such as Medicare and Social Security, "over-benefit" the elderly at the expense of other age groups

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

an international group of scientists that evaluates scientific studies related to climate change to thoroughly and objectively assess the data

Kyoto Protocol

controlling global warming by setting greenhouse gas emissions targets for developed countries

multiple use

a policy that states that the national forests must serve a number of uses

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

group of major oil-producing countries that work together to coordinate their petroleum policies

resource subsidies

government policies that provide financial incentives (subsidies) to develop and use specific resources, such as land, water, minerals, and forests

sustainable development

development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Toxics Release Inventory (TRI)

a government database that reports the annual releases of pollutants by large industrial facilities

user fees

charges levied for the use of a good or service

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

a U.S. agency created to gather secret information about foreign governments

Cold War

the power struggle between the Soviet Union and the United States after World War II

defense policy

area of policy making that focuses on the strategies that a country uses to protect itself from its enemies

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

federal agency responsible for preventing terrorist attacks within the United States, reducing America's vulnerability to terrorism, and minimizing the damage and assisting in recovery from attacks that do occur

deterrence

the attempt to discourage criminality through the use of punishment

foreign policy

a nation's overall plan for dealing with other nations

globalization

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

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

an international organization that acts as a lender of last resort, providing loans to troubled nations, and also works to promote trade through financial cooperation

Marshall Plan

U.S. program of economic aid for the reconstruction of Europe (1948-1952)

National Security Agency (NSA)

the intelligence agency that is responsible for protecting U.S. government communications and producing intelligence by monitoring foreign communications

National Security Council (NSC)

a presidential foreign policy advisory council composed of the president, the vice president, the secretary of state, the secretary of defense, and other officials invited by the president

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

a group of 28 countries that has agreed to protect each other in case of attack; founded in 1949

nuclear proliferation

the spread of nuclear weapons

Realpolitik

realistic politics based on the needs of the state

terrorism

the use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims

United Nations (UN)

an organization of independent states formed in 1945 to promote international peace and security

UN General Assembly

a body composed of representatives of all states that allocates UN funds, passes nonbinding resolutions, and coordinates third world development programs and various autonomous agencies through the Economic and Social Council

UN Security Council

a 15-member panel which bears the UN's major responsibility for keeping international peace

US Agency for International Development (USAID)

government agency that administers non-military foreign aid

World Bank

a specialized agency of the United Nations that makes loans to countries for economic development, trade promotion, and debt consolidation

World Trade Organization (WTO)

a permanent global institution to promote international trade and to settle international trade disputes

citizen capacity

the ability of citizens to participate in policy-making processes; that is, their level of interest and knowledge, and their ability to understand issues and play an active role

public participation

the involvement of the public in political or governmental processes. It can refer to voting, writing letters or e-mail messages to policymakers, talking with others about policy issues, or assuming a direct role in governmental decisions