Political Science Flashcards

Political Structure and Responsibilities

  • Bully Pulpit

    • The president's use of his or her prestige and visibility to push an agenda or enthuse the American public.

  • Veto

    • A formal decision to reject a bill passed by Congress.

  • White House Office

    • Led by the Chief of Staff.
    • This staff of the president oversees policy interests and does NOT need to be confirmed by the Senate.
    • Seen as superior to the EOP (Executive Office of the President).

  • EOP (Executive Office of the President)

    • The cluster of presidential staff agencies that help the president carry out his responsibilities.

Political Mechanics

  • Platform

    • A statement of purpose and policy objectives drafted and approved by a political party at its national convention.

  • Electoral College

    • A group of representatives from each U.S. state who formally elect the President and Vice President.
    • Each state has a certain number based on its population.
    • The candidate who receives at least 270 out of 538 wins the election.
    • The system is intended to balance the influence of populous states with less populous ones in presidential elections.

  • Party Machine

    • A group of people who control a political party, often through loyalty and rewards.

Government Structure

  • State of the Union

    • The president's annual statement to Congress and the nation.

  • Divided Government

    • Governance divided between the parties, especially when one holds the presidency, and the other controls one or both houses of Congress.

  • Conference Committee

    • A committee appointed by the leaders of each chamber (House/Senate) to settle differences on a particular bill passed by each house in different form.

  • Delegated Powers

    • Powers specifically granted to the national government in the Constitution.

Political Philosophy

  • Big Tent

    • A political party that seeks to attract people with a broad spectrum of viewpoints and place them under one banner.

  • Red Tape

    • Complex bureaucratic rules and procedures that must be followed to get something done.

  • Turnout

    • The proportion of the voting age public that votes; the number of registered voters who vote.

  • Exit Poll

    • A poll taken at randomly selected polling places after citizens have placed their votes.

  • Appellate Jurisdiction

    • The authority of a court to review a decision made by a lower court.

Political Participation

  • Political Efficacy

    • An indication of a citizen's trust in government and own belief that he or she can understand and influence political affairs.

  • Litmus Test

    • An examination of the political ideology of a nominated judge.

  • Selective Incorporation

    • The process by which the Supreme Court has selectively applied the Bill of Rights to state law through the Fourteenth Amendment.

  • Majority Opinion

    • A signed statement that presents the views of the majority of Supreme Court justices regarding a case.

  • Political Culture

    • A set of basic values and beliefs about a country or government that is shared by MOST citizens and that influences political opinions and behaviors.

Judicial Process

  • Amicus Curiae Brief

    • A "friend of the court" brief, filed by an individual or organization to present arguments in addition to those presented by immediate parties to a case.

  • 14th Amendment

    • An amendment that declared all citizens were entitled to equal protection under the law and their due process rights could not be violated by states or the national government.

  • Political Socialization

    • The process by which people get their sense of political identity, beliefs, and values.
    • Family is often seen as the biggest influence.

  • Rule of Law

    • A set of procedures in which all people are treated equally and consistently under the law.

Media and Influence

  • Spin

    • Providing an interpretation of an event or campaign to persuade public opinion in favor of or against a certain issue or public figure.

  • Separation of Powers

    • A constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

  • Federalist Papers

    • A series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in the late 1780s advocating for the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
    • They explain the principles of the Constitution, the importance of a strong federal government, and address concerns of opponents.

Political Dynamics

  • Pluralism

    • Many different interest groups competing against each other to gain influence or concessions from the government.

  • Bicameralism

    • A two-house legislature.

  • Reserved Powers

    • All powers not specifically delegated to the national government by the Constitution that are left to the states.

  • Mandate

    • A directive from the national government ordering the states to do something; this can be funded or unfunded.

  • Marble Cake

    • A system in which states and the national government cooperate by sharing powers and responsibilities.

Decentralization and Sovereignty

  • Devolution

    • Transferring responsibility for policies from the federal government to state and local governments.

  • Popular Sovereignty

    • A belief that ultimate power resides in the people.

  • Referendum

    • A process by which a policy issue, amendment, or constitution is sent to the voters for approval.

  • Checks & Balances

    • A constitutional grant of powers that enables each of the three branches of government to check some acts of the others and therefore ensure that no branch can dominate.

  • Grassroots

    • From the bottom up; ideas work up from common citizens to the people in power.

Governance Structures

  • Federalism

    • Division of power between national and state/local governments.

  • Power to Persuade

    • A president's ability to convince Congress, other political actors, and the public to cooperate with the administration's agenda.

  • Block Grants

    • Federal money given to states with few strings attached and only general guidelines for its use.

  • Judicial Review

    • A principle that gives the courts the power to rule on the constitutionality of a law or action of local, state, or national government.

Constitutional Powers

  • Elastic Clause

    • A clause setting forth the implied powers of Congress stating that Congress has the legislative power "to make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers."

  • Supremacy Clause

    • A constitutional doctrine that states whenever conflict occurs between the actions of the national government and the states, the national government prevails.

  • Legitimacy

    • The government’s generally accepted right to rule.

Legislative Compromise

  • Connecticut Compromise

    • An agreement at the Constitutional Convention to form a bicameral legislature with lower house representation based on population and upper house representation based on equality.

  • Direct Primary

    • An election where voters choose party nominees.

  • Executive Order

    • A directive issued by the president that has the force of law.

  • Cleavages

    • Factors that separate groups.

Voter Participation and Electoral Laws

  • Motor Voter Law

    • An act designed to reverse declining voter registration by allowing voters to register at motor vehicle departments.

  • Honeymoon

    • The period at the beginning of a new president's term during which the president enjoys generally positive relations with the press and Congress, usually lasting about six months.

  • Realigning Election

    • When the party that had not been in power wins by building a new coalition of voters that continues to win over successive elections.

  • Hard Money

    • Political contributions given to a party, candidate, or interest group that are limited in amount and fully disclosed.

  • Soft Money

    • Unlimited and undisclosed amounts of money that political parties previously could raise for party-building purposes.

Political Action Committees

  • SuperPACs

    • A political organization that may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, and individuals but is not permitted to contribute to or coordinate directly with parties or candidates.

  • Coattail Effect

    • The boost that candidates may get in an election because of the popularity of candidates above them on the ballot, especially the president.

Campaign Financing

  • 501(c)4s

    • A "social welfare" organization that may engage in political activities by collecting unlimited and undisclosed amounts of money.

  • Horse Race

    • Any contest in which the focus is on who is ahead and by how much rather than on substantive differences between the candidates.

  • Free Rider

    • An individual who does not join a group representing his or her interests yet receives the benefit of the group's influence.

  • Lobbying

    • Engaging in activities aimed at influencing public officials, especially legislators, and the policies they enact.

Policy Making

  • Revolving Door

    • A cycle in which individuals who work in government eventually end up working for interest groups with the same policy concerns.

  • Iron Triangle

    • A rigid policy-making alliance between members of Congress, bureaucratic organizations, and interest groups that is mutually beneficial to all involved.

  • Litigation

    • When people go to court in order to get a positive ruling for their cause.

  • Issue Network

    • A relationship among interest groups and individuals that unite in order to promote a single issue in government policy.

Delegate Dynamics

  • Delegates

    • Pledged Delegates: Awarded based on primary or caucus results. They must vote for the candidate they are pledged to during the first ballot at the convention.
    • Unpledged Delegates: Often referred to as superdelegates, they can vote for any candidate they choose. Only the Democrat Party has superdelegates.

  • Incumbent

    • The current holder of elected office.

  • Gerrymandering

    • The drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit a party, group, or incumbent.

Legislative Procedures

  • Earmarks

    • Special spending projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of Congress for their constituents.

  • Cloture

    • A procedure for terminating debate, especially filibusters, in the Senate.

  • Standing Committee

    • A permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a broad policy area.

  • Logrolling

    • A legislator supports a proposal or policy favored by another in return for support for his or her own.

  • Closed Rule

    • A procedure in the House of Representatives that sets a time limit for debate and prohibits a bill from being amended on the floor.

Congressional Privileges

  • Franking Privilege

    • The ability of members of Congress to mail letters to their constituents free of charge.

  • Electoral Mandate

    • The perception that an election victory signals broad support for the winner's proposed policies.

  • Pyramid Structure

    • A clear chain of command that provides for an orderly flow of information but risks isolating or misinforming the president.

  • Circular Structure

    • When assistants routinely report directly to the president, giving him a great deal of information, but runs the risk of confusion and conflict between agencies.

Political Tenure and Policies

  • Lame Duck Period

    • A time when focus shifts away from a politician who is still in office after having lost a reelection bid or is nearing a term limit.

  • Entitlements

    • Benefits guaranteed by law to individuals who meet certain basic requirements.

  • Oversight

    • Congress' monitoring of the bureaucracy and its administration of policy, performed mainly through hearings.

  • Judicial Restraint

    • A philosophy that states judges should strike down the actions of the elected branches only if they violate the Constitution.

Court Mechanisms

  • Writ of Certiorari

    • An order by a court notifying a lower court that it will hear a case on appeal.

  • Stare Decisis

    • An appellate court principle that means to let the lower court's decision stand.

  • Prior Restraint

    • Censorship of news material before it is made public.

  • Due Process Clause

    • A part of the 5th and 14th Amendments that has over the years guaranteed individuals a variety of rights and legal protections from state and national government.

  • Exclusionary Rule

    • The requirement that evidence unconstitutionally or illegally obtained be excluded from a criminal trial.

Social Impacts and Legislation

  • De Facto Segregation

    • Segregation that occurs as the result of factors like housing patterns rather than law.

  • Strict Scrutiny

    • A test applied by a court to see if a law denies equal protection because it does not serve a compelling state interest and is not narrowly tailored to achieve a specific goal.

  • Majoritarian Politics

    • A setup in which political leaders feel constrained to follow the preferences of the majority.

  • Monetary Policy

    • A government policy that attempts to regulate the economy by controlling the money supply and interest rates.

  • Fiscal Policy

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

Powers of Government

  • Expressed Powers

    • Constitutional powers that are specifically given to the different branches of the federal government.

  • Implied Powers

    • Powers that are not specifically granted to different branches of the federal government but can be interpreted from what is written in the Constitution.

  • Inherent Powers

    • Powers of the different branches that do not depend on the Constitution but rather grow out of the very existence of the national government.

Political Polarization and Changes

  • Polarization

    • When two opposing sides feel intensely about an issue that is difficult to compromise on, due to increased ideological consistency.

  • Frontloading

    • The tendency of states to hold primaries early in the calendar in order to become the focus of candidates and capitalize on media attention.

  • Merit System

    • Emerged in the U.S. during the late 19th century as a response to the patronage system, when hiring was given to political connections. The Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 was a significant milestone, establishing a framework for merit-based hiring in federal jobs.

Legal precedents and Activism

  • Precedent

    • Refers to a legal principle or rule established in previous court decisions that is used as a standard for deciding subsequent cases with similar facts or issues.

  • Judicial Activism

    • The philosophy that the Supreme Court should play an active role in shaping national policies by addressing social and political issues.

  • Senatorial Courtesy

    • The custom of the president submitting names of possible appointees for approval to senators from the states in which the appointees are from.

  • Apportioning

    • Dividing up how many representatives each state gets. Reapportionment happens every 10 years (after a census) to update the number of representatives each state gets.