ap gov monster vocab

Executive Office of the President

The president's personal assistants and advisors.

Filibuster

A procedure used in the Senate to talk a bill to death.

Executive Order

A presidential directive.

Midterm Election

An election in which voters select members of Congress but not the president.

Critical Election

An election where new coalitions of voters have formed, beginning a new party era.

Pork Barrel

A provision in a bill that benefits a specific congressional constituency.

Entitlements

Promises made by the government to an identifiable group of people who are guaranteed benefits.

Originalism

Making judicial decisions by considering what the founding fathers meant in the Constitution.

Logrolling

When members of Congress trade votes for favors in order to get the bills they support passed.

Monetary Policy

Influencing the economy through federal interest rates, reserve rates, and the amount of money in circulation.

Selective Incorporation

The process by which the Bill of Rights has been applied to the states on a case-by-case basis through the Fourteenth Amendment.

Fiscal Federalism

The use of spending by the national government through the grant process to influence state policies.

Writ of Certiorari

A document issued by the Supreme Court if it has agreed to hear a case.

Litigation

A lawsuit.

Mandatory Spending

Expenditures that the federal government cannot realistically reduce because they are required by law.

Political Efficacy

An individual's belief that his or her political participation can make a difference.

Gender Gap

The tendency of men to support candidates from the Republican party at greater rates than women.

Single-Member Districts

The electoral system used to select members of the House of Representatives.

Pocket Veto

When a president does not sign a bill within 10 days when Congress is not in session.

Redistricting

Changing congressional district boundaries based on a new census.

Independent Expenditures

Money spent on ads that are not sponsored by a candidate or party.

Policy Agenda

Problems that have the attention of the government and the public.

Cooperative Federalism

A system where the federal government and the states work together in funding and administering programs.

Amicus Curiae Brief

An argument filed with a court by an individual or group who is not a party to a lawsuit.

Stare Decisis

When a court follows precedent by letting a previous decision stand.

Demographic

The statistical characteristics of a population.

Political Culture

The shared political values of a society.

Divided Government

When the president is from one political party and one or both houses of Congress are controlled by the opposing political party.

Open Primary

An election to determine a party's candidate for office in which that party's members and unaffiliated voters may vote.

Super PAC

An organization, which need not disclose its members, that can spend a vast and unlimited amount of money on a political campaign.

PAC

An organization that is registered with the Federal Election Committee and donates money to a candidate or campaign.

Block Grants

Federal money given to the states with few restrictions about how it should be spent.

Categorical Grants

Money given by the federal government to the states to be used for a narrowly defined purpose.

Pluralism

A theory of government in which many groups compete for policy.

Unfunded Mandate

A federal requirement that forces the states to spend their own money.

Inherent Powers

Powers that are naturally derived from the duties of a specific government position, such as Thomas Jefferson's power as president to purchase the Louisiana Territory.

Implied Powers

Powers that are necessary to carry out an expressed power in the Constitution, like the power of Congress to establish a bank.

Realignment

The process through which voters leave one of the major party coalitions and join the other major party's coalition.

Incumbent

An officeholder who is running for reelection.

Caucus

Face-to-face meetings of party members at the local or state level to determine their party's candidate for office.

Grassroots Lobbying

Ordinary citizens raising awareness for a cause and pushing the government to adopt a particular policy.

Interest Group

An organization that advocates for policies through lobbying, electioneering, grassroots mobilization, and protesting.

Mandatory Spending

Expenditures that the federal government is obligated to make, like entitlements and interest on the national debt.

Oversight

Congressional committee hearings held to determine how well an agency is doing its job.

Dealignment

When voters no longer identify with one of the two major parties and become independent voters.

Fiscal Policy

Impacting the economy through taxing and spending in the budget.

General Election

An election to select the person who will hold office.

Closed Primary

A vote by party members to determine their party's candidate for office, which is restricted to those who are registered to the party.

Cloture

A vote by 60 senators to end a filibuster.

Judicial Review

The power of the Supreme Court to overturn a law or executive action as unconstitutional.

Federalism

A system of government where power is shared between the national government and the states in which the states have some protected powers.

Political Socialization

The process by which an individual develops his or her political beliefs.

Expressed Powers

Powers that are given to an institution of government directly in the Constitution, such as Congress's power to tax.

Lame Duck Period

The time during which a president who has lost an election or has ended a second term is still in office before the new president serves.

Suffrage

The right to vote.

Franking Privilege

The free mail and electronic signature system used by members of Congress.

Lobbying

Efforts by an interest group or individual to contact a member of Congress and advocate for a particular policy.

Party Polarization

When political parties move farther away from each other ideologically and also move away from the center.

Devolution

A process by which the national government gives more power and authority to the states.

Judicial Activism

A philosophy that the Supreme Court should make bold new policy.

Horse Race Journalism

The tendency of the media to focus on which candidate is ahead in the polls rather than focusing on the issues.

Casework

When congressional staff help a constituent solve a problem.

Issue Network (Iron Triangle)

A relationship between interest groups, agencies, and congressional committees in a certain policy area.

Political Party

A group of individuals who organize to run candidates for office.

Gerrymandering

Drawing congressional district boundaries to benefit a group, usually a political party.