front 1 Policy requiring police to inform suspects in custody of their rights | back 1 Miranda rule |
front 2 Equal protection clause | back 2 Constitutional basis for civil rights and equality under the law |
front 3 Miranda rule | back 3 Policy requiring police to inform suspects in custody of their rights |
front 4 Exclusionary rule | back 4 The rule that evidence obtained by authorities in violation of the Constitution may not be used in court |
front 5 Individualism | back 5 The belief that people should be self-reliant, free from state control, and responsible for their own success of failure |
front 6 Equality of opportunity | back 6 The idea that the government should provide citizens with the same chance to succeed |
front 7 Prospective voting | back 7 Voting for a candidate based on predictions about what the candidate will do in the future |
front 8 Party-line voting | back 8 Voting for candidates from one political party |
front 9 Demographics | back 9 The statistical characteristics of a population |
front 10 General election | back 10 An election for president, members of the House of Representatives, and one third of the Senate |
front 11 Mid-term elections | back 11 An election for members of Congress two years after a presidential election |
front 12 Linkage institutions | back 12 Elections, interest groups, political parties and the media |
front 13 Critical election | back 13 An election where new coalitions of voters have formed, beginning a new party era |
front 14 Realignment | back 14 When voters leave one of the major political parties and join the other major political party |
front 15 Gerrymandering | back 15 Drawing congressional district boundaries to benefit a group, usually a political party |
front 16 Redistricting | back 16 Redrawing congressional district boundaries based on a new census |
front 17 Reapportionment | back 17 Redistributing legislative seats according to the population so that each district has roughly the same population |
front 18 Divided government | back 18 When the president is from one party and one or both houses of Congress are controlled by a different party. |
front 19 “lame duck” president | back 19 A president who is at the end of his second term or who has lost an election or decided not to run for a second term |
front 20 Executive order | back 20 A presidential statement that has the force of law and does not require congressional approval |
front 21 Executive agreement | back 21 An agreement with a foreign nation that does not require congressional approval |
front 22 Signing statement | back 22 Signing a bill with a written statement that the executive will not carry out a portion of the bill |
front 23 Stare decisis | back 23 When a court follows precedent by allowing a previous court decision to stand |
front 24 Judicial activism | back 24 A philosophy that the Supreme Court should use its authority to make bold new policy |
front 25 Judicial restraint | back 25 A philosophy that the Supreme Court should limit itself to constitutional interpretation and avoid making bold new policy |
front 26 Issue network/iron triangle | back 26 The relationship between a congressional committee or subcommittee, an interest group, and bureaucratic agency regarding a policy area |
front 27 Oversight | back 27 When a congressional committee holds a hearing to determine how well an agency is doing its job |
front 28 Civil liberties | back 28 Individual rights protected by law from unjust government interference |
front 29 Civil rights | back 29 Rights provided by the government to protect groups from discrimination |
front 30 Selective incorporation | back 30 The process by which the Bill of Rights has been applied to the states on a case-by-case basis through the Fourteenth Amendment |
front 31 Symbolic speech | back 31 Non-verbal expression protected by the First Amendment, such as wearing an arm band |
front 32 Defamatory speech | back 32 An untrue statement that damages someone’s reputation, which is not protected by the First Amendment |
front 33 Due process clause | back 33 Constitutional basis for individual liberties and fair treatment by the judicial system |
front 34 Free enterprise | back 34 The idea that businesses should operate in competition, relatively free from government control |
front 35 Rule of law | back 35 The idea that everyone, including government officials, is subject to well-defined and established laws that are not arbitrary |
front 36 Pluralist democracy | back 36 A theory emphasizing group-based activism |
front 37 Logrolling | back 37 When members of Congress trade votes for favors in order to get bills they support passed |
front 38 Trustee model | back 38 The idea that members of Congress should use their expertise and judgement in making policy |
front 39 Delegate model | back 39 The idea that members of Congress should make the policies favored by their constituents |
front 40 Politico model | back 40 The idea that members of Congress sometimes use their judgement and sometimes follow the wishes of their constituents in making policy |
front 41 Pocket veto | back 41 When the president doesn’t sign a bill for 10 days, after Congress has adjourned |
front 42 Concurrent powers | back 42 Authority that is shared between the national and state governments |
front 43 Mandates | back 43 When the national government requires the states to do something |
front 44 Revenue sharing | back 44 When the national government distributes tax revenues to the states to spend as they see fit |
front 45 Categorical grants | back 45 Money given by the national government to the states to be used for a specific, narrowly defined purpose |
front 46 Block grants | back 46 Money given by the national government to the states to carry out a specific policy, with few restrictions about how it should be spent |
front 47 Enumerated powers | back 47 Powers that are given to an institution of government directly in the Constitution |
front 48 Implied powers | back 48 Powers that are necessary to carry out an expressed power in the Constitution |
front 49 Constituency | back 49 The voters in a district or state who are represented by a member of Congress |
front 50 Winner-take-all system | back 50 A system for electing members of the legislature where the person who receives the plurality of votes is awarded the single seat available |
front 51 Party coalition | back 51 Groups of voters who support one political party over time |
front 52 Bipartisan | back 52 Legislation or policy that has the support of both major political parties |
front 53 Open primary | back 53 A vote to determine a party’s candidate for office where that party’s members and unaffiliated voters may vote |
front 54 Closed primary | back 54 A vote to determine a party’s candidate for office where only members registered to a political party are allowed to vote |
front 55 Party caucus | back 55 Face-to-face meeting of party members at the local or state level to pick their party’s candidate for office |
front 56 Incumbency advantage | back 56 Those who already hold office are more likely to win than their challengers |
front 57 PAC | back 57 An organization that is registered with the Federal Election Commission that donates money to a candidate or campaign |
front 58 Super PAC | back 58 An organization whose members need not be disclosed that may donate unlimited amounts of money to campaigns |
front 59 Independent expenditure | back 59 Money spent on ads not sponsored by a candidate or party |
front 60 Horse race journalism | back 60 The tendency of the media to focus on which candidate is ahead in the polls rather than focusing on the issues |
front 61 Limited government | back 61 A government with constrained powers, usually by a constitution |
front 62 Natural rights | back 62 Humans are entitled to life, liberty and property |
front 63 Popular sovereignty | back 63 The idea that the right to rule comes from the people |
front 64 Republicanism | back 64 A form of government where people elect representatives to carry out their interests |
front 65 Social contract | back 65 An agreement between the people, who give up some freedom, in exchange for protection from the government |
front 66 Participatory democracy | back 66 A theory emphasizing broad citizen involvement in government |
front 67 Elite democracy | back 67 A theory that the wealthy have more influence |
front 68 Federalism | back 68 A system of government where power is shared between the national government and the states |
front 69 Exclusive powers | back 69 Authority that is given only to the national or state governments |
front 70 Filibuster | back 70 An informal procedure used in the Senate to talk a bill to death |
front 71 Cloture | back 71 A vote by 60 senators to end unlimited debate |
front 72 Unanimous consent | back 72 An agreement setting the terms for considering a bill |
front 73 Hold in the Senate | back 73 A procedure to prevent a bill from reaching the floor |
front 74 Discharge petition | back 74 A procedure for getting a bill out of committee and onto the floor for a vote |
front 75 Discretionary spending | back 75 Spending on programs not already required by law |
front 76 Mandatory spending | back 76 Spending that is required under the law |
front 77 Entitlement programs | back 77 A program for which funding is required that provides guaranteed benefits to those who qualify |
front 78 Budget deficit | back 78 An annual shortfall between federal revenues and expenses |
front 79 Pork barrel legislation | back 79 A provision in a bill that benefits a relatively small group of people |
front 80 Political socialization | back 80 The process by which an individual develops his or her political beliefs |
front 81 Political ideology | back 81 An individual’s set of beliefs about the role of government |
front 82 Keynesian theory | back 82 A theory that the government should spend money during economic recessions to stimulate demand in the economy |
front 83 Supply-side theory | back 83 The theory that the government should cut taxes to stimulate economic growth |
front 84 Monetary policy | back 84 The government’s use of the money supply to influence economic growth |
front 85 Fiscal policy | back 85 The government’s use of taxing and spending to influence economic growth |
front 86 Liberal ideology | back 86 A political view that government should protect individual freedom and civil rights |
front 87 Conservative ideology | back 87 A political view that supports free enterprise and traditional social values |
front 88 Franchise/suffrage | back 88 The right to vote |
front 89 Rational-choice voting | back 89 Voting for a candidate because they will act in the voter’s best interest |
front 90 Retrospective voting | back 90 Voting for a candidate based on what he or she has done in the recent past |
front 91 Proportional representation | back 91 A system for electing members of the legislature by awarding seats based on the percentage of votes received |