Terms : Hide Images
| 9852338672 | digital citizen | daily internet user with high-speed home internet access and the technology and literacy skills to go online for employment, news, politics, entertainment, commerce, and other activities | 0 | |
| 9852340943 | news aggregator | Applications or feeds that collect web contents on one location. They are websites such as Google News, Reddit, and RealClear Politics, all of which cover thousands of stories everyday. These sites make getting different perspectives of news stories, or just different stories in general, much easier because they are in one location. | 1 | |
| 9852345188 | digital divide | The gap in access to the Internet among democraghic groups based on education, income, age, geographic location, and race/ethnicity | 2 | |
| 9852348027 | niche journalism | News that is targeted towards a specific type of person or group of people. It delivers exactly what certain types of groups want to hear and keeps people within a group of like-minded people. | 3 | |
| 9852350475 | citizen journalism | News reported and distributed by citizens, rather than professional journalists and for-profit organizations | 4 | |
| 9852353346 | selection bias | Refers to the coverage on only a certain aspect of a news story or event. A news report may only provide one angle, and avoid coverage of other sides to the event. In other words, the public is not presented with the whole story, which can affect the way they perceive a certain event or issue. | 5 | |
| 9852355919 | framing | The language and context that the media presents the news in and gives the media the ability to control or alter the public's perception of the news. | 6 | |
| 9852362337 | priming | The process of preparing the public to have a specific idea or belief in mind when talking about different people or ideas. The media does this by calling attention to certain issues while leaving others out. This makes it where when a story airs, the audience already has a certain perception of the person or idea at hand. | 7 | |
| 9852366632 | adversarial journalism | A form of journalism that seeks to uncover wrongdoings of public officials. It can include various methods such as moving away from the agreed-upon interview topic or switching to an embarrassing subject that was agreed to be out-of-bounds. | 8 | |
| 9852371752 | Pentagon Papers | Consisting of over 7,000 pages, is the name given to the classified Department of Defense study of American involvement in Vietnam during the end of WWI until 1967. Daniel Ellsberg, an anti-war military analyst, photocopied these because he thought the US public should be aware of the information and contained information from the CIA. | 9 | |
| 9852376544 | FCC (Federal Communications Commission) | An independent government agency overseen by Congress. Its primary objective is to regulate interstate and international communications by several different outlets such as radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable. | 10 | |
| 9852378905 | fairness doctrine | In 1949, the FCC issued this which required broadcasters to include "controversial issues of public importance" and both sides of those issues. So when discussing politics, the network was required to express the opposing opinions on air. This is over now, ended officially in 2011, because the doctrine continued to be problematic regarding 1st amendment rights. | 11 | |
| 9852378906 | equal time rule | This was set in place by the FCC and ensures that broadcasters on the radio or TV give equal amounts of air time to both political party candidates that are running for office. | 12 | |
| 9852380901 | sound bites | A short extract from a recorded interview, chosen for its pungency or appropriateness. Often used as headlines, they are phrases that have no trouble catching on in the media and often influence how the public sees or remembers an issue. | 13 | |
| 9852536844 | information superhighway | The Internet; due to the amount of information transferred. | 14 | |
| 9852542753 | media monopoly | the ownership and control of the media by a few large corporations | 15 | |
| 9852549681 | non-profit journalism | journalism that operates and serves public good without making a profit | 16 | |
| 9852386827 | government | The formal institutions that are needed to provide the people with public goods they do not have access to individually. An example of such a good is defense against foreign aggression and the enforcement of rights. | 17 | |
| 9852386828 | politics | "the conflict over leadership, structure, and policies of government" (4). Though we mainly think of this concept in terms of government, it can also be used to talk about leadership in businesses or other organizations. | 18 | |
| 9852386829 | citizenship | The informed and active membership in a political community. | 19 | |
| 9852390164 | autocracy | a form of government where a single ruler has power, such as a dictator or king/queen. | 20 | |
| 9852401216 | oligarchy | a small group that controls most of the governing decisions; could be a family, or other wealthy groups in society. | 21 | |
| 9852404181 | democracy | "A system of rule that permits citizens to play a significant part in the governmental process, usually through the election of key public officials" | 22 | |
| 9852404182 | representative democracy | people vote for who will make decisions for them in a higher level of government, someone to speak on their behalf | 23 | |
| 9852406243 | direct democracy | the purest form of democracy, every vote is counted the same, regardless of who they are. | 24 | |
| 9852412892 | authoritarian | Do not allow freedoms of speech, press, and religion, and they do not follow majority rule nor protect minority rights. The government may nontheless be restrained by the power of other social institutions. Their leaders often come from one small group, such as top military officials, or from a small group of aristocratic families. | 25 | |
| 9852417396 | totalitarian | Political system in which the government uses political, economic and ideological control to exercise power and dominate all aspects of public and private life. It eliminates all other social instituions that might challenge it. | 26 | |
| 9852424735 | republican | Also known as a representative democracy, it is a government style in which the population elects representatives and top government officials. In order words, the power resides within the people and the candidates they elect who then influence governmental decision making. However, the people do not have the authority to vote directly on laws and legislation. | 27 | |
| 9852431354 | constitutional/limited government | A government whose powers are limited by a constitution | 28 | |
| 9852434338 | political culture | The political traits that are characteristic of a society. It is formed through the values, beliefs, and attitudes that people hold about the way a government works. While it has remained relatively constant in the US throughout time, it can shift and change slightly over time due to to major events such as war, social issues or revolutions, or times of economic crisis. | 29 | |
| 9852442861 | popular sovereignty | The principle that the authority of a state and its government is created and sustained by the consent of its people, through their elected representatives, who are the source of all political power. This applies to federalism in which the federal government's power is balanced with those of the states. | 30 | |
| 9852445097 | pluralism | It is the view that in democracies, power should be shared among a pressure group of people with differing backgrounds. This means that minorities should be represented. Varying backgrounds include people of different cultures, religions, economic backgrounds and more. The pressure groups should not consist mainly of elites. Diversity is essential to an accurate representation of society. This system is said to increase sense of community by representation of more than one background. | 31 | |
| 9852452542 | Second Treatise of Civil Government | This is a document written by John Locke on government. It addresses the reasons for establishing and abolishing a government. This influences the Declaration of Independence's placing the power of the government in the people as well as, the reasons for dissolving a government. | 32 | |
| 9852452543 | natural rights | The rights every person is born with and entitled to. In the Declaration of Independence, these rights are defined as "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." These ideas were originally from the Enlightenment; however, they were quickly incorporated into American society. | 33 | |
| 9852455624 | unalienable rights | Rights that every human is born with. These rights are stated in the natural rights clause (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness). Since a government does not give these to a people, they have no right to take them away. | 34 | |
| 9852462885 | consent of the governed | Giving the power to the people. The people vote and have a say in the government, which limits the power of the governing body. The people, or the governed, are seen as the ones who have the power. In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson puts a large emphasis on this. He states that if the government begins to ignore the power of the people or abuse them, the governed can overthrow the corrupt governing body. | 35 | |
| 9852462886 | Shay's Rebellion | From 1786 to 1787, Daniel Shay, a farmer from Massachusetts, led an armed rebellion of farmers to a federal arsenal in Springfield, Massachusetts. The group raided the arsenal to rebel against the imprisonment of debtors and other economic injustices towards farmers. Since the Articles of Confederation said the federal government could not raise a national army, they could not put down the rebellion. This event exposed a major flaw in the Articles of Confederation. | 36 | |
| 9852468572 | NJ Plan | Designed to protect the states with smaller populations, the plan called for equal representation | 37 | |
| 9852468573 | VA Plan | Designed to allow the voices of the bigger states to be heard, the plan called for proportional representation | 38 | |
| 9852468574 | Connecticut Compromise | The decision the Constitutional Convention made in 1787 that regarded the legislative system Decided to incorporate the New Jersey Plan and the Virginia Plan Both of these together created Congress. | 39 | |
| 9852471254 | Bicameral | The legislative structure which is made up of two branches or houses. This is seen in the Congress of the United States, which is composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. | 40 | |
| 9852473068 | 3/5 Compromise | When the Constitution was being drafted in 1787, determining the number of seats for each state in the House of Representatives became an issue. The compromise states that all slaves of a particular state are to be counted as 3/5 of a white person | 41 | |
| 9852484587 | federalists | Those who favored a strong national government and supported the Constitution proposed at the American Constitutional Convention of 1787 | 42 | |
| 9852484588 | anti-federalists | Do not trust the system of central government and therefore did not support the ratification of the Constitution in 1789 Had a fear of strong national governments and favored strong state governments | 43 | |
| 9852486895 | James Madison | Known as the "Father of the Constitution" for his role in drafting the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights, along with promoting it through The Federalist Papers | 44 | |
| 9852492034 | Federalist Papers | A series of 85 essays on the Constitution of the US. Established by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in order to persuade New York to support the ratification of the Constitution. Defended the federal system and a central argument is that the Articles of Confederation is deeply flawed, and the Constitution would fix the Articles of Confederation's many weaknesses without taking away the people's democracy | 45 | |
| 9852561002 | John Stuart Mill | Wrote "On Liberty"; believed in absolute freedom of opinions to be protected | 46 | |
| 9852573944 | Federalist No. 10 | Written by James Madison who argued that factions are natural but their effects must be controlled | 47 | |
| 9852581068 | Federalist No. 51 | Written by James Madison who argued for a republican government with a system of checks and balances | 48 | |
| 9852588278 | Bill of Rights | First ten amendments | 49 | |
| 9852596857 | Federalism | A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments | 50 | |
| 9852600325 | Preamble | Introduction to the Constitution; explains purpose of Constitution | 51 | |
| 9852603312 | Electoral College | the body of electors from each state who formally elect the president and vice-president | 52 | |
| 9852605529 | Checks and Balances | a system in which each branch of government is able to check, or restrain, the power of the others | 53 | |
| 9852617393 | Baron de Montesquieu | Created the theory of separation of powers | 54 | |
| 9852626671 | Delegated/Enumerated Powers | The powers that belong to the federal government | 55 | |
| 9852629080 | Implied Powers | Not expressed but can be considered through the use of the Necessary and Proper (elastic) Clause | 56 | |
| 9852629081 | Strict vs Loose Constuction | ___________ ________________believes in a literal interpretation of the Constitution while _______________ ___________________believes that the constitution should be interpreted in light of changing conditions | 57 | |
| 9852632893 | Reserved Powers | Powers given to the state government alone; 10th amendment | 58 | |
| 9852668943 | Concurrent Powers | Powers held jointly by the national and state governments | 59 | |
| 9852668944 | Denied Powers | Powers that neither state or national governments are allowed to have | 60 | |
| 9852676693 | Supremacy Clause | Constitution is the supreme law of the land; federal over state | 61 | |
| 9852681524 | Preemption | the federal government's ability to take over a state government function | 62 | |
| 9852684471 | Unwritten Constitution | customs, traditions, and practices not written in constitution that are part of our system of government | 63 | |
| 9852696042 | Police Power | state power to enact laws promoting health, safety, and morals | 64 | |
| 9852706266 | Full Faith and Credit Clause | States are required to recognize the laws and legal documents of other states | 65 | |
| 9852710169 | Privileges and Immunities Clause | States are prohibited from unreasonably discriminating against residents of other states | 66 | |
| 9852716125 | Commerce Clause | Clause stating that Congress can regulate interstate and international commerce | 67 | |
| 9853111261 | dual federalism | layer cake federalism; clear division of governing authority between national and state governments | 68 | |
| 9853111262 | cooperative federalism | marble cake federalism; system in which both federal government and state governments cooperate in solving problems | 69 | |
| 9853111263 | creative federalism | system in which states received federal grants to achieve national goals | 70 | |
| 9853111264 | regulated federalism | congress imposes legislation on states and localities, requiring them to meet national standards | 71 | |
| 9853111265 | new federalism | attempts by presidents Nixon and Reagan to return power to the states through block grants | 72 | |
| 9853111266 | fiscal federalism | Federal government using money (grants) to influence & control states | 73 | |
| 9853111267 | devolution | the transfer of powers and responsibilities from the federal government to the states | 74 | |
| 9853111268 | grants-in-aid | money given by the national government to the states | 75 | |
| 9853111269 | block grants | Federal money given to the states with few restrictions about how it should be spent | 76 | |
| 9853111270 | categorical grants | Federal money given to the states for a specific purpose | 77 | |
| 9853111271 | project grants | Grants given for specific purposes and awarded on the basis of the merits of applications | 78 | |
| 9853111272 | formula grants | Grants in which a formula is used to determine how much money each state receives | 79 | |
| 9853111273 | revenue sharing | the distribution of a portion of federal tax revenues to state and local governments | 80 | |
| 9853111274 | federal overreach | the federal government stepping in on state issues and powers; ex. gun laws in school zones | 81 | |
| 9853225122 | First Amendment | freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition | 82 | |
| 9853225123 | Establishment Clause | Clause in the First Amendment that says the government may not establish an official religion | 83 | |
| 9853225124 | Fourteenth Amendment | Guarantee all citizens "equal protection of the laws" | 84 | |
| 9853225125 | incorporation doctrine | the adding of the Bill of Rights protections to the states | 85 | |
| 9853225126 | due process clause | part of the 14th amendment which guarantees that no state deny basic rights to its people; civil liberty | 86 | |
| 9853225127 | equal protection clause | prohibits government actions from unreasonably discriminating between different groups of people; civil right | 87 | |
| 9853299098 | 14th amendment | equal protection under the law | 88 | |
| 9853299099 | de jure v. de facto segregation | de facto means "in fact" or "in reality" while de jure means "by law." After Brown v. Board was decided, there was de jure desegregation but de facto segregation in the South. | 89 | |
| 9853299100 | Civil Rights Act of 1957 | The first Civil Rights Bill passed since Reconstruction; focused on voting rights and desegregation | 90 | |
| 9853299101 | Civil Rights Act of 1960 | Enacted penalties on anyone who obstructed anyone's right to vote | 91 | |
| 9853299102 | Civil Rights Act of 1964 | made discrimination based on race, religion, sex, national origin, and other characteristics illegal in employment and public facilities or accommodations. | 92 | |
| 9853299103 | Title VII | Portion of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibits employment discrimination | 93 | |
| 9853299104 | Equal Pay Act 1963 | Illegal in the United States to pay men and women working in the same place different salaries for similar work | 94 | |
| 9853299105 | Voting Rights Act 1965 | Prohibits racial discrimination in voting Designed to enforce the voting rights guaranteed by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution Outlawed literacy tests | 95 | |
| 9853299106 | Title IX | No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. | 96 | |
| 9853299107 | Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 | Prohibits discrimination based on disability Requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities, and imposes accessibility requirements on public accommodations | 97 | |
| 9853299108 | affirmative action | Policy that gives special consideration to women and minorities to make up for past discrimination; schools cannot have a set quota but can take race into consideration | 98 | |
| 9853299109 | DACA | Immigration policy that allows some individuals who were brought to the United States illegally as children to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and become eligible for a work permit in the U.S Does not provide a path to citizenship for recipients | 99 | |
| 9853299110 | Dream Act (Dreamers) | A legislative proposal for a process to qualify alien minors in the United States that would first grant conditional residency to alien minors and, upon meeting further qualifications, permanent residency | 100 | |
| 9853525271 | impeachment | charges against a president approved by a majority of the House of Representatives; Senate declares final decision | 101 | |
| 9853525272 | conference committees | temporary committees formed to decide differences in House and Senate versions of a bill | 102 | |
| 9853525273 | constituent | supporter; voter | 103 | |
| 9853525274 | standing committees | permanent committees responsible for legislation in particular policy areas | 104 | |
| 9853525275 | select committees | Congressional committees appointed for a limited time and purpose | 105 | |
| 9853525276 | joint committees | Congressional committees on a few subject-matter areas with membership drawn from both houses | 106 | |
| 9853525277 | congressional oversight | congress's authority to monitor the activities of agencies and administrators | 107 | |
| 9853525278 | reapportionment | the process of reassigning representation based on population; occurs after every census | 108 | |
| 9853525279 | gerrymandering | Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power | 109 | |
| 9853525280 | logrolling | vote trading; voting to support a colleague's bill in return for a promise of future support | 110 | |
| 9853525281 | pork-barrel legislation | laws passed by Congress that appropriate money for local federal projects | 111 | |
| 9853525282 | filibuster | a tactic for delaying or obstructing legislation by making long speeches; used in Senate | 112 | |
| 9853525283 | cloture | a procedure used in the Senate to limit debate on a bill | 113 | |
| 9853525284 | regulatory policy | a set of rules that places restrictions on the activities of individuals or groups | 114 | |
| 9853525285 | incumbents | those already holding office In congressional elections, they usually win | 115 | |
| 9853525286 | gridlock | A situation in which government is incapable of acting on important issues | 116 | |
| 9853525287 | Majority Leader | The elected leader of the majority party; The lead speaker for the majority party during floor debates; Develops the calendar; Assists the president or speaker with program development, policy formation and policy decisions | 117 | |
| 9853525288 | Minority Leader | Leader of the minority party; Holds same duties as majority leader; most likely to become Speaker of the House if majority party switches | 118 | |
| 9853525289 | Whips | Assistant to the Majority and Minority Leaders; keeps a head count of votes; rounds up members for important votes | 119 | |
| 9853525290 | Speaker of the House | Leading officer in the House of Representatives, chosen by the majority party | 120 | |
| 9853525291 | President Pro Tempore | Serves as president of the Senate in the absence of the VP; chosen by the majority party | 121 | |
| 9853525292 | Contract with America | Republican plan for political reform | 122 | |
| 9853893798 | bully pulpit | the president's use of his prestige and visibility to guide or enthuse the American public; F.D. Roosevelt and his fireside chats | 123 | |
| 9853893799 | Executive Office of the President | an organization of several agencies staffed by the President's closest advisors | 124 | |
| 9853893800 | Executive Order | A rule issued by the president that has the force of law | 125 | |
| 9853893801 | Executive Agreement | An agreement between the president and the leader of another country; doesn't have to go through Congress | 126 | |
| 9853893802 | Executive Privilege | the power that allows a president to refuse to release information to Congress or a court | 127 | |
| 9853893803 | Cabinet | group of officials who head government departments and advise the President | 128 | |
| 9853893804 | White House Staff | The president's personal assistants and advisers | 129 | |
| 9853893805 | veto | Chief executive's power to reject a bill passed by a legislature; if vetoed, bill goes back to Congress and if they override with 2/3 vote, the bill is passed | 130 | |
| 9853893806 | line-item veto | power of president to veto only a specific part of a bill; now unconstitutional | 131 | |
| 9853893807 | pocket veto | indirect veto of president by refusing to sign it before 10 day period; automatically gives up ability to be overruled by Congress | 132 | |
| 9853893808 | riders | Unrelated amendments added to a bill | 133 | |
| 9853893809 | National Security Council | Organization within the EOP that advises the president on national security | 134 | |
| 9853893810 | Office of Management and Budget | organization within the EOP that oversees the budgets of departments and agencies | 135 | |
| 9853893811 | Council of Economic Advisors | Organization within the EOP that advises the president on economic policy | 136 | |
| 9853893812 | State of the Union Address | Annual speech by the President about issues in the country | 137 | |
| 9853893813 | War Powers Resolution | President can send troops without congressional approval for up to 60 days; if Congress does not approve within those 60 days, the troops must retreat | 138 | |
| 9854469851 | Marbury v. Madison | Established judicial review | 139 | |
| 9854469852 | standing | the right of an individual or an organization to initiate a court case | 140 | |
| 9854469853 | appellate jurisdiction | Power of court to review a decision of a lower court | 141 | |
| 9854469854 | original jurisdiction | Power of a court to hear a case first, before any other court | 142 | |
| 9854469855 | writ of certiorari | A formal writ used to bring a case before the Supreme Court | 143 | |
| 9854469856 | in forma pauperis | a method in which a poor person can have his or her case heard in federal court without charge | 144 | |
| 9854469857 | judicial activism | philosophy that the courts should take an active role in solving problems | 145 | |
| 9854469858 | judicial restraint | philopsophy that the courts should limit the exercise of their power | 146 | |
| 9854469859 | precedent | an example that is used to justify similar occurrences at a later time | 147 | |
| 9854469860 | stare decisis | "Let the decision stand"; decisions are based on precedents from previous cases | 148 | |
| 9854469861 | amicus curiae briefs | "Friend of the court"; Briefs submitted to the court by outside parties to influence the decision | 149 | |
| 9854469862 | oral argument | the phase in a Supreme Court case when attorneys from both sides present their views on the case | 150 | |
| 9854469863 | majority opinion | a statement that presents the views of the majority of supreme court justices regarding a case | 151 | |
| 9854469864 | dissenting opinion | a signed opinion in which one or more justices disagree with the majority view | 152 | |
| 9854469865 | minority opinion | A written explanation of why one or more of the justices voted against the majority | 153 | |
| 9854469866 | concurring opinion | An opinion that agrees with the majority in a Supreme Court ruling but differs on the reasoning. | 154 | |
| 9854469867 | judiciary committee | Nominates and votes on appointees and pending legislation | 155 | |
| 9854469868 | Marshall Court | the Supreme Court during John Marshall's term as Chief Justice 1801 to 1835 | 156 | |
| 9854469869 | Warren Court | Supreme Court during Chief Justice Earl Warren whose decisions supported civil rights 1953-1969 | 157 | |
| 9854469870 | Burger Court | Supreme Court during Chief Justice Warren Burger whose decisions tended to be more conservative 1969-1986 | 158 | |
| 9854469871 | Rehnquist Court | Supreme Court during Chief Justice William Rehnquist who wanted even more rights for the states 1986-2005 | 159 | |
| 9854469872 | Roberts Court | Supreme Court during Chief Justice John Roberts 2005-present | 160 | |
| 9854712955 | bureaucracy | System of managing government through departments run by appointed officials | 161 | |
| 9854712956 | red tape | Complex bureaucratic rules and procedures that must be followed to get something done | 162 | |
| 9854712957 | civil service reform | Effort in the 1880s to end the spoils system and reduce government corruption | 163 | |
| 9854712958 | Pendleton Act | Legislation that began the federal merit system and stopped the spoils system | 164 | |
| 9854712959 | Hatch Act | A federal law prohibiting government employees from active participation in partisan politics | 165 | |
| 9854712960 | Government Corporation | A business owned and operated by the federal government | 166 | |
| 9854712961 | Independent Executive Agency | A federal agency that is not part of a cabinet department but reports directly to the president | 167 | |
| 9854712962 | Independent Regulatory Agencies | Federal regulatory agencies that are independent, thus not fully under the power of the president | 168 | |
| 9854712964 | Iron Triangle | The mutually advantageous relationship among Congress, the beauracracy, and a special interest group |  | 169 |
| 9854712965 | monopolistic bureaucracies | A model of bureaucracy that lacks competition and exclusively controls everything No incentive to save costs or to use resources productively | 170 | |
| 9854712966 | spoils system | A system of public employment based on rewarding party loyalists and friends | 171 | |
| 9854870397 | two-party system | A political system dominated by two major parties | 172 | |
| 9854870398 | party era | Historical period in which a majority of voters cling to the party in power | 173 | |
| 9854870399 | Democratic Party | A political party formed by supporters of Andrew Jackson after the presidential election of 1824 | 174 | |
| 9854870400 | Republican Party | A political party formed to oppose the expansion of slavery | 175 | |
| 9854870401 | Socialist | One who believes that land and resources should be owned by the community | 176 | |
| 9854870402 | third political parties | Any political party that is not one of the two major parties | 177 | |
| 9854870403 | party realignment | Dramatic shifts in partisan preferences that drastically alter the political landscape | 178 | |
| 9854870404 | party dealignment | Dradual disassociation of people from the two parties, as seen in shrinking party identification | 179 | |
| 9854870405 | Solid South | The tendency of the southern states to vote Democratic after the Civil War until the 1950's | 180 | |
| 9854870406 | religious right | Those who hold conservative views because of their religious beliefs | 181 | |
| 9854870407 | New Democrat | term used to describe Clinton and his supporters during his two terms in office; party leaned more right in order to please more people | 182 | |
| 9854870408 | Reagan Democrats | Traditional Democratic middle-class voters turning to Ronald Reagan during the 1980s | 183 | |
| 9854870409 | Reform Party | A moderate, centrist and populist party started by Roos Perot that sits in the center of the political spectrum | 184 | |
| 9854870410 | Tea Party | A Conservative political movement in the US that opposes government spending and taxes | 185 | |
| 9854870411 | Alt-Right | Reserving and protecting the white race in the United States in addition to other traditional conservative positions | 186 | |
| 9854870412 | Antifa | Autonomous, self-styled anti-fascist militant groups | 187 | |
| 9854870413 | party machine | A centralized party organization that dominates local politics by controlling elections | 188 | |
| 9854870414 | linkage institutions | A structure within a society that connects the people to the government or centralized authority | 189 | |
| 9855109551 | open primary | Primary election in which any voter, regardless of party, may vote | 190 | |
| 9855109552 | closed primary | Primary election in which only registered members of a particular political party can vote | 191 | |
| 9855109553 | invisible primary | The time leading up until the primary | 192 | |
| 9855109554 | preferential primary | When voters choose delegates who are bound to vote for the winning primary candidate | 193 | |
| 9855109555 | non-preferential primary | When voters choose delegates who are not bound to vote for the winning primary candidate | 194 | |
| 9855109556 | caucus | A private meeting of party leaders to choose candidates for office | 195 | |
| 9855109557 | Democratic National Committee | The formal governing body for the United States Democratic Party; job is to attract voters to their party | 196 | |
| 9855109558 | Republican National Committee | The formal governing body for the United States Republican Party; job is to attract voters to their party | 197 | |
| 9855109559 | National Conventions | The meetings at which the delegates vote to pick the presidential and VP candidates | 198 | |
| 9855109560 | delegates | Elected national party leaders who must vote for the candidate voted on at a state's primary or caucus | 199 | |
| 9855109561 | super-delegates | Elected national party leaders who are free to vote for any candidiate regardless of party afiliation | 200 | |
| 9855109562 | party platforms | List of policy positions a party endorses and pledges its elected officials to enact | 201 | |
| 9855109563 | keynote address | Speech given at the national convention to set the tone for the convention and the campaign to come | 202 | |
| 9855109564 | battleground/swing states | States in which any major candidate could win and the outcome is too close to call | 203 | |
| 9855109565 | Super Tuesday | Day when several states hold their presidential primaries (usually the second Tuesday in March) | 204 | |
| 9855109566 | McGovern-Fraser Commission | A commission formed at the 1968 Democratic convention in response to demands for reform by minority groups and others who sought better representation | 205 | |
| 9855109567 | congressional campaign committees | Elected officials that recruit candidates, raise money, and provide services | 206 | |
| 9855109568 | spin doctors | People who positively publicize the words and actions of politicians | 207 | |
| 9855109569 | gender gap | A distinctive pattern of voting behavior reflecting the differences in views between women and men | 208 | |
| 9855109570 | campaign finance reform | Limits on the amount individuals may contribute to candidates and campaigns | 209 | |
| 9855109571 | dark horse candidate | A candidate who receives unexpected support for the nomination of a political convention | 210 | |
| 9855109572 | favorite son | A candidate that receives the backing of his home state rather than of the national party | 211 | |
| 9855344841 | conservative | Favoring traditional views; against change | 212 | |
| 9855344842 | liberal | Open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values | 213 | |
| 9855344843 | libertarian | Favors a free market economy and no governmental interference in personal liberties | 214 | |
| 9855344844 | socialist | Supports community ownership of property and the sharing of all profits | 215 | |
| 9855344845 | moderate | Person whose views are between conservative and liberal and may include some of both ideologies | 216 | |
| 9855344846 | independent | Person who does not identify with a political party | 217 | |
| 9855344847 | political socialization | Process by which outside forces influence one's political views | 218 | |
| 9855344849 | public opinion | What the public thinks about a particular issue or set of issues at any point in time | 219 | |
| 9855904387 | faction | A group with a distinct political interest | 220 | |
| 9855904388 | interest groups | Private organizations whose members share certain views and work to shape public policy | 221 | |
| 9855904389 | lobbyists | People hired by private groups to influence government decision makers | 222 | |
| 9855904390 | PACs | Groups that can collect political donations and make campaign contributions to candidates for office; limited to $5,000 donation per person and no groups | 223 | |
| 9855904391 | SuperPACS | Groups that can raise unlimited amounts of money, but they cannot communicate with the parties or candidates | 224 | |
| 9855904392 | soft money | Money given to state and local party organizations for voting-related activities | 225 | |
| 9855904393 | hard money | Campaign funds donated directly to candidates; amounts are limited by federal election laws | 226 | |
| 9855904394 | Freedom of Information Act | Guarantees citizens access to certain government documents | 227 | |
| 9855904396 | group theory | The balance that is achieved between competing interests in public policy | 228 | |
| 9855904397 | majoritarian theory | A theory of democracy that states "what the majority wants the majority gets"; does not take minority opinion into consideration | 229 | |
| 9855904398 | elite theory | A theory of democracy that states that a group of wealthy, educated individuals wields most political power | 230 | |
| 9855904401 | Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission | Cannot limit campaign donations of corporations | 231 | |
| 9856126749 | public policy | The course of action the government takes in response to an issue or problem | 232 | |
| 9856126750 | fiscal policy | Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling taxing and spending | 233 | |
| 9856126752 | entitlement programs | Government benefits that certain qualified individuals are entitled to by law, regardless of need | 234 | |
| 9856126753 | The Federal Reserve | The central banking system of the United States | 235 | |
| 9856126754 | Consumer Price Index | An index of the cost of all goods and services to a typical consumer | 236 | |
| 9856126755 | Gross Domestic Product | The sum total of the value of all the goods and services produced in a nation | 237 | |
| 9856126756 | regulation | Government intervention in a market that affects the production of a good | 238 | |
| 9856227581 | deregulation | The removal of some government intervention over a market | 239 | |
| 9856126757 | deficit spending | Government practice of spending more than it takes in from taxes | 240 |
