Terms : Hide Images
| 63447126 | 527 group | a tax-exempt organization, named after a section of the US tax code, that can engage in election activities on behalf of causes or issues. | 0 | |
| 63447127 | advice and consent | the power of congress to confirm or deny presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts and for the approval of international treaties. | 1 | |
| 63447128 | affirmative action | a policy aimed at helping those previously discriminated against receive extra advantage and opportunities such as economic, educational, and political positions | 2 | |
| 63447129 | Aid to Families with Dependent Children | the main form of individual welfare payments until the mid-1990s | 3 | |
| 63447130 | American Bar Association | the organization that ranks judicial nominees as well qualified, qualified, or not qualified | 4 | |
| 63447131 | amicus curiae brief | summary case arguments given by interested parties who may be affected by the outcome of a case. this "friend of the court" summary is supposed to give judges more information about the arguments and the possible outcomes. | 5 | |
| 63447132 | Anti-Federalists | members of the opposition to the new Constitution who lost the vote, but forced the promises of a set of rights to be added as amendments by the new government | 6 | |
| 63447133 | apportionment | the division of representative seats according to population | 7 | |
| 63447134 | appropriation | legislation that concerns the raising of revenues by the government | 8 | |
| 63447135 | appropriation bill | a bill that provides funding for a program that has been authorized, usually for one year at a time | 9 | |
| 63447136 | approval rating | a measurment of how popular, or unpopular, a leader or program is among the public | 10 | |
| 63447137 | back-bencher | a nickname given to newer members of Congress who have few important positions or those more senior members who tend to avoid positions of power or controversy | 11 | |
| 63447138 | balanced budget | the goal of the federal government to spend only the amount of money collected from tax revenue | 12 | |
| 63447139 | ballot initiative | a form of direct democracy that allows citizens to petition for issues that will be decided by a direct ballot and not by the legislative branch | 13 | |
| 63447140 | beltway | a critical term referencing to the highway loop that surrounds the greater Washington D.C. area and seems to isolate the leaders of the country | 14 | |
| 63447141 | bicameral | the "two chambers" of Congress: the House of Representatives and the Senate | 15 | |
| 63447142 | bilateral agreement | the resulting agreement when two nations create a joint policy | 16 | |
| 63447143 | bill | a proposed law debated in Congress | 17 | |
| 63447144 | bipartisan | a label given if support for something comes from members of both parties | 18 | |
| 63447145 | bloc | a voting group that tends to include those with common interests and views | 19 | |
| 63447146 | block grants | monies given to communities and states for general programs, such as social services and development projects | 20 | |
| 63447147 | blog | a media outlet (most often on the Internet) that presents rumors, opinions, and some news | 21 | |
| 63447148 | blue states | the label given to states where the Democratic Party wins the electoral votes | 22 | |
| 63447149 | Boll Weevils | southern democratic members of Congress who openly voted for conservative issues and with the republican party in the 1980s. | 23 | |
| 63447150 | brief | a summary of case arguments given to the judges and justices before a hearing to outline the parameters of the case | 24 | |
| 63447151 | budget resolution | a congressional resolution binding the legislature to a specific total budget amount for the fiscal year | 25 | |
| 63447152 | bully pulpit | an idea, named for Teddy Roosevelt's use of the term bully that means presidents can gather national public support more easily than the numerous members of congress. with this national support, congress is pushed to follow the priorities of the president | 26 | |
| 63447153 | capitation | a head count for tax purposes as part of a census | 27 | |
| 63447154 | categorical grants | grants given to communities and states for very specific programs that require certain conditions or rules to be applied by the agencies spending the federal monies | 28 | |
| 63447155 | caucus | the arena in which some states select delegates as party candidate representative through meetings where only party members are allowed to particpate | 29 | |
| 63650808 | caucuses | informal meetings in the Congress of groups with similar interests or constituencies | 30 | |
| 63650809 | charter school programs | a conservative reform where struggling public schools are replaced by more privately run academies with the hopes that these charter campuses will be more efficient and hold higher standards than publicly run systems | 31 | |
| 63650810 | checks and balances | the policy allowing each of the three branches of government to "check" the power division of the other two and limit that power, if necessary, to maintain balance | 32 | |
| 63650811 | civil liberties | the limits of governmental powers over citizens, or the level of freedom citizens have from government | 33 | |
| 63650812 | class action suits | a lawsuit involving numerous defendants afflicted by the same law or action who are represented as a group | 34 | |
| 63650813 | clear and present danger test | the policy limiting the rights of free speech if the government deems certain forms of speech as a clear and present danger to the public | 35 | |
| 63650814 | client politics | policies developed to help specific, smaller groups, where the actions will be supported by the nation as a whole | 36 | |
| 63650815 | closed primary system | the regulation that voters must preregister with a party to cast ballots on primary day, or the system where voters can only vote in one party's primary | 37 | |
| 63650816 | closed rule | a procedure used by the House of Representatives to prohibit amendments from being offered in order to speed consideration of the bill | 38 | |
| 63650817 | cloture | procedures developed in the Senate to end filibuster through votes | 39 | |
| 63650818 | coattail | a concept allowing congressional and other candidates to ride the popularity of a leader such as the president, especially at election time | 40 | |
| 63650819 | Code of Federal Regulations | a series of volumes representing a list of rules for the various departments and bureaucracies | 41 | |
| 63650820 | commerce clause | article 1, section 8, clause 3 equals congress's power to "regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states..." | 42 | |
| 63650821 | commercial speech | a form of speech regulated and restricted to uphold "truth in advertising" | 43 | |
| 63650822 | community standards | the ability of communities to ban certain language, art, or actions based on what they deem obscene and appropriate for their citizens | 44 | |
| 63650823 | comparable worth | a guide for decisions concerning the pay scales of employees of different sexes | 45 | |
| 63650824 | concurrent opinion | a document drafted by court justices who voted with the majority to explain how they differ in beliefs about the meaning of the majority vote | 46 | |
| 63650825 | consent of the governed | a government that derives its powers from the governed and does not force its power on the citizens | 47 | |
| 63650826 | constant campaign | the manner in which presidential candidates and members of the House, who must face re-election every other year, continually campaign to the public to uphold their positions. | 48 | |
| 63650827 | constituent | voters from the district or state that elected that leader | 49 | |
| 63650828 | containment | the effort to control the spread of opposing groups or influences, as in the attempts to limit the spread of communism | 50 | |
| 63650829 | continuing resolution | an action allowing the government to continue to be funded for temporary times if Congress is unable to complete the new federal budget by the October 1 deadline | 51 | |
| 63650830 | continuous body | all of the seats in the Senate are never up for election at one time | 52 | |
| 63650831 | Contract with America | a list and book used during the Congressional elections of 1994 by conservatives led by Newt Gingrich; the effort was to define the basic goals of a new Republican majority if, and when, Republicans gained control of the House of Representatives; a list of items that Republicans promised to bring to discussion | 53 | |
| 63650832 | convention | a summer gathering where the partisan parties elect their nominee, establish the party issue platform, and approve the vice-presidential nominee | 54 | |
| 63650833 | cooperative federalism | the act of federal and state governmental units working together to shape, fund, and enforce policy | 55 | |
| 63650834 | cost-benefit analysis | a financial guide used by many agencies to check the cost of a project with the potential benefits | 56 | |
| 63650835 | C-SPAN | the development of cable television in the late 20th century created news-only television outlets | 57 | |
| 63650836 | de-alignment | the trend for fewer citizens to claim loyal support of the major parties | 58 | |
| 63650837 | debt/public debt | the combined deficits of the federal government owed in the form of bonds sold to US citizens, foreign investorsm, countries, and parts of government | 59 | |
| 63650838 | de facto segregation | the segregation and discrimination perpetuated by factions of society through patterns of residence and economic conditions. the segregation is private and difficult to correct with legislation | 60 | |
| 63650839 | deficit | the amount of money created and loaned to the federal government in a given year if it spends more than it collects in revenues | 61 | |
| 63650840 | de jure segregation | a form of discrimination that occurs when laws are created to segregate citizens based on religion, ethnicity, or other grounds | 62 | |
| 63650841 | delegates | members of a political party selected by party caucuses, primary votes, or other party rules | 63 | |
| 63650842 | democracy | a form of government where rule is established by all citzens through votes | 64 | |
| 63650843 | demography | the study of population patterns for polling | 65 | |
| 63650844 | detente | the policy of working with opposing nations in an attempt to avoid open conflicts | 66 | |
| 63650845 | devolution | the late-20th century movement to reduce the influence of the federal government and other governments for a return to a simpler form of governmental controls | 67 | |
| 63650846 | discharge | a petition rule in the House that could allow some bills to be released from committee without committee approval | 68 | |
| 63650847 | discretionary spending | the programs that Congress can choose to fund. | 69 | |
| 63650848 | divided government | the times when one party controls the majority of one or both chambers of Congress and the other party controls the executive | 70 | |
| 63650849 | domino theory | the idea that allowing countries to fall under the influence of communism would topple nearby democracies | 71 | |
| 63650850 | dual federalism | a reality where federal and state governments are relatively equal and separate in areas of authority | 72 | |
| 63650851 | earmarks | the official term used in Congress for bills that contain pork legislation | 73 | |
| 63650852 | Earned Income Tax Credit | credits calculated by the Internal Revenue Service to provide financial assistance to the poor that can be a form of payment at tax time in April, or eligibility guidelines for items like food stamps | 74 | |
| 63650853 | elastic clause | article 1, section 8, clause 18: Congress's power "To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper..." continues to a basis of Congress adapting to the needs of the time | 75 | |
| 63650854 | Electoral College | the process by which electors are selected by states and are "directed" by the popular vote to select the president | 76 | |
| 63650855 | elitist theory of government | the general belief that governments will come to be ruled by those with elite status, usually determined by wealth, educational levels, or other methods | 77 | |
| 63650856 | Emily's List | a 2004 campaign movement to give soft money to improve women's voter turnouts and support women's issues | 78 | |
| 63650857 | eminent domain | the power of the government to seize private property for the public good; the property owner must receive "just compensation" for the loss | 79 | |
| 63650858 | emolument | a gift given to a government official, which must be limited to avoid bribes | 80 | |
| 63650859 | entitlements | spending that Congress has promised for the future and is obligated to fund | 81 | |
| 63650860 | environmental impact statements | a statement showing the possible adverse effects of work by government agencies or private industry receiving government assistance that affects the air, land, or water | 82 | |
| 63650861 | espionage | the practice of using spies or secret agents to recieve secret information from foreign countries or other companies in a similar industry | 83 | |
| 63650862 | establishment clause | a law based on the 1st Amendment's section about the status of religion. "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion..." Government cannot lead citizens in the practices of certain religions, thus giving preference to those religions or sects | 84 | |
| 63650863 | exclusionary rule | the idea that evidence obtained in some illegal manner cannot be used in court against the defendant | 85 | |
| 63650864 | exclusive jurisdiction | powers given solely to the federal government | 86 | |
| 63650865 | exit poll | polls taken directly after voters are finished to develop an early prediction of the outcome | 87 | |
| 63650866 | ex post facto | a law barring government agencies from inflicting punishment for events that occurred when something was legal but has since been made illegal | 88 | |
| 63650867 | fast-track authority | pieces of legislation that must be voted on "as is" without amendment attempts | 89 | |
| 63650868 | federalism | the distribution of governmental power between federal, state, and local groups | 90 | |
| 63650869 | Federalist | one who supported the new Constitution and the ultimate name of the party in power under Washington, Adams, and Hamilton | 91 | |
| 63650870 | Federalist Number 10 | Madison's essay on "factions" or the influence of political parties and interest groups is used today to discuss access and control | 92 | |
| 63650871 | Federalist Number 51 | Madison's essay on the proper structure of power within the constitution is used to understand the balance of powers | 93 | |
| 63650872 | Federalist Number 78 | Hamilton's discussion of the federal judiciary and the powers of such courts is used to debate the role of the courts | 94 | |
| 63650873 | Federalist Papers | a book of essays from the Federalists that explain the hows and whys of the federal system of the Constitution | 95 | |
| 63650874 | Federal Register | the official publication of executive orders and the rules and regulations of the various executive agencies. these are codified in the "code of federal regulations" (CFR) volumes | 96 | |
| 63650875 | filibuster | a strategy used in the Senate to speak a bill to death by delaying votes, stopping other legislation, etc., until the bill sponsors give up the bill | 97 | |
| 63650876 | fiscal | the budget and the budget year (October 1 to September 30) | 98 | |
| 63650877 | flat tax | a concept that calls for a movement to create a national tax level that is the same for all income groups or to replace the IRS system with a national sales tax system | 99 | |
| 63650878 | floor | open, full debates by either the House members or the Senate members that can occur after a committee has referred a bill to the full chamber | 100 | |
| 63650879 | fourth branch | an informal name given to the US bureaucracy because many agencies have powers of creating rules, administering rules, and judging those who must follow those rules | 101 | |
| 63650880 | franking | a traditional privilege allowing mail information to be sent to constituents for free | 102 | |
| 63650881 | Freedom of Information Act | a law created by Congress to help ensure that agencies were acting in the most open manner available | 103 | |
| 63650882 | frontloading | the process of determining candidates earlier in the presidential campaign because of more key primaries and caucuses in early March | 104 | |
| 63650883 | full faith and credit | the practice of states giving the different laws of other states credit | 105 | |
| 63650884 | gender gap | a trend in US voting where women have given a slight majority edge to Democrats and men to Republicans | 106 | |
| 63650885 | general jurisdiction | a label for the law allowing states the right to decide which cases will be heard in their courts | 107 | |
| 63650886 | General Schedule Rating | the salaries of members of the civil service are set in levles, ranging from GS1 to GS18, thus eliminating pay disparities in different parts of government | 108 | |
| 63650887 | gerrymandering | the division of voting districts with the goal of making one party stronger in electoral votes | 109 | |
| 63650888 | glass ceiling | the difficulty women have had in gaining positions of high authority, power, and pay in industry and government | 110 | |
| 63650889 | good faith exception | the concept that evidence collected by police can still be used in court, even if it is based on incorrect procedures, false testimony , or has other possible flaws, but was collected by the police in "good faith." the key is often based on whether or not the police knew of the evidence's problems or were themselves misled by someone lying | 111 | |
| 63650890 | graduated income tax | the progressive ideal that people with higher levels of income should pay higher percentages of tax | 112 | |
| 63650891 | grassroots | local efforts to raise money, raise awareness of certain issues, or influence political leaders | 113 | |
| 63650892 | Great Compromise | the plan that created the modern Congress where the House is dominated by populated states and the Senate is divided equally for all states | 114 | |
| 63650893 | gridlock | a collapse of cooperation between the House and Senate or between Congress and the president | 115 | |
| 63650894 | government corporations | governmental agencies that create revenue and are expected to run like businesses | 116 | |
| 63650895 | hold | a request for a delay in the discussion of a bill in the Senate | 117 | |
| 63650896 | honeymoon | the general tradition that Congress, and the public, will be very supportive of a president during the first 100 days of the first term | 118 | |
| 63650897 | House of Un-American Activities Committee | the investigative committee that gained notoriety during the late 1940s for its hunts of communists in the United States | 119 | |
| 63650898 | hyper-pluralist theory | the general contention that strong groups within societies will weaken the overall control of governments | 120 | |
| 63650899 | impeach | the act of charging a public official with criminal acts or misconduct while in office | 121 | |
| 63650900 | inalienable rights | the goals and duties of government and society to provide things such as "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," according to Jefferson | 122 | |
| 63650901 | incite | the illegal action of causing violence or dangerous commotion through language | 123 | |
| 63650902 | incorporation | the ability of Constitutional rights to be applied to state governments through the requirements of the 14th amendment | 124 | |
| 63650903 | incumbent | a person already holding an office that is trying ot get re-elected | 125 | |
| 63650904 | indictment | to bring charges in court in front of a grand jury when sufficient evidence has been presented | 126 | |
| 63650905 | inflation | the overall rising of price levels in the economy | 127 | |
| 63650906 | informal amendments | an adjustment to one of the amendments to the constitution without actually formally passing the change. this concept also covers important changes in powers of parts of the government that occur through acts of congress or other branches that are not challenged or incorporated into amendments | 128 | |
| 63650907 | interest group | people who support a cause and work together for that cause or political interests | 129 | |
| 63650908 | interest payments on the debt | the payments required each budget year for at least the owned interest on the public debt by the United States | 130 | |
| 63650909 | Jim Crow | the various laws and practices of segregation used primarily in the south installed after reconstruction. ended in 1876-1877 | 131 | |
| 63650910 | judicial review | the power of the Supreme Court to evaluate the constitutional status of laws and lower court rulings, established as a result of the case Marbury v. Madison, 1803 | 132 | |
| 63650911 | junkyard function | media attacks that expose flaws, secrets, and scandals and are used to keep an eye on government leaders and sell stories | 133 | |
| 63650912 | jurisdiction | powers of the court set within the limits of certain specific areas of law or location | 134 | |
| 63650913 | lame duck | a person that has been defeated in a recent election or has announced that he/she is retiring and has not yet been replaced. his/her power usually becomes severely limited | 135 | |
| 63650914 | lapdog function | the idea that the press is at the mercy of the news sources such as the white house staff. news is parceled out to those who want the story but will give it the requested emphasis | 136 | |
| 63650915 | leaks | intentional slipping of information of key pieces of news to supportive members of the press | 137 | |
| 63650916 | Lemon Test | a test for the level of financial involvement of government agencies in religious schools based on Lemon v. Kurtzman | 138 | |
| 63650917 | libel | any malicious or false content written about a person with the intention of causing ridicule and public derision | 139 | |
| 63650918 | limited government | the notion that government can only use certain powers, and these powers must be given by the people | 140 | |
| 63650919 | limited jurisdiction | the federal government has those powers given to it by the Constitution | 141 | |
| 63650920 | linkage institutions | the groups and agencies that connect the average citizens with the political leadership | 142 | |
| 63650921 | litigation | presenting a lawsuit in court | 143 | |
| 63650922 | litmus test | issues such as abortion, gay rights, and gun control that are important enough to determine where voters will give their support or how certain elected officials will vote | 144 | |
| 63650923 | lobby | registered professionals who work at political centers on behalf of interest groups | 145 | |
| 63650924 | New Hampshire primary | traditionally, these are the first of the public votes for the new presidential election. it occurs in February of the election year | 146 | |
| 63650925 | New Jersey Plan | the smaller states' counter to the Virginia Plan; it gave the unicameral Congress equal representation for all states | 147 | |
| 63650926 | Nuclear Test Ban Treaty | a document signed to limit the above-ground testing of nuclear weapons. the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union were the main signers | 148 | |
| 63650927 | off the record | information given to journalists with the understanding that the information is not for publication | 149 | |
| 63650928 | omnibus | legislation that has covered many different parts of government, subjects, or law in one bill | 150 | |
| 63650929 | open primary system | the ability of a voter to decide on primary day which party list to select. some states also allow voters to go to primaries for more than one party | 151 | |
| 63650930 | open seat | the relatively rare event when no incumbent is running for a post | 152 | |
| 63650931 | original jursidiction | rare court cases "affecting Ambassaidors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a state shall be Party, " where only the federal Supreme Court hears issue | 153 | |
| 63650932 | patronage | the act of doling out political postions to supporters of a party and its candidates, often used as incentive to gain that support | 154 | |
| 63650933 | penumbra rights | rights not clearly defined but existing in the "shadow" of formal constitutional rights. an example would be privacy rights in the shadow of 1st amendment rights | 155 | |
| 63650934 | per curium decisions | supreme court decisions that are announced without legal explanation or without a majority opinion | 156 | |
| 63650935 | petition for redress | the right to request that the government restore the rights of the governed | 157 | |
| 63650936 | platform | a list of issues that each state party group and the national parties draw up, outlining all the issues they wold like to address if voted into office | 158 | |
| 63650937 | Plum Book | the list of federal positions, published by Congress, that are open to presidential appointments. the list includes about 400 upper-policy making positions and about 2,500 assistant positions. | 159 | |
| 63650938 | pluralism | the guiding principle that acess to government should be open and widespread | 160 | |
| 63650939 | plurality | winning an election by finishing first, without regard to the percentage of vote won | 161 | |
| 63650940 | political action committee | a registered group that raises funds for candidates and campaigns | 162 | |
| 63650941 | poll | a sampling of opinions, political affiliations, or voting patterns used to predict outcomes or trends | 163 | |
| 63650942 | majority | the requirement that the winner of any vote must have 50 percent of the vote plus one more to win | 164 | |
| 63650943 | majority opinion | the decision written by the majority justices of the Supreme Court describing the meaning of the announced decision for the legal community | 165 | |
| 63650944 | mandatory spending | budget items that Congress is required to fund | 166 | |
| 63650945 | margin of error | a positive or negative percentage attached to all polls to determine their levels of accuracy. | 167 | |
| 63650946 | markup | the action made when correcting or revising a bill | 168 | |
| 63650947 | means testing | the proof of need, usually based on low income levels, provided to the government for special program funding | 169 | |
| 63650948 | midterm elections | the period of elections for all members of the House of Representatives and one-third of the senators when the presidency is not up for election | 170 | |
| 63650949 | minority opinion | when the one-to-four justices who did not vote with the majority give their reasons for opposing the majority opinion | 171 | |
| 63650950 | Miranda warning | an advisement of one's rights that must take place before police can question someone they intend to arrest | 172 | |
| 63685295 | muckraking | the practice of journalists to expose the inappropriate actions of public officials, government organizations, or corporations | 173 | |
| 63685296 | narrowcasting | the mailing lists and email campaigning of certain demographics to gain support in congress for specific issues. the term also describes the rise of media outlets that focus only on specific political events or target specific audiences. examples include cable channels and internet sites | 174 | |
| 63685297 | NASCAR dads | conservative male voters, often from the South, named after the racecar organization because of its popularity in that faction of society | 175 | |
| 63685298 | national chairperson | the director of the party organization; the leader can be critical in the development of party issues, advertisements, and reactions to other party actions | 176 | |
| 63685299 | national committee | the committee group for a political party that focuses on elections, money-raising activities, party building, and the development of party platforms | 177 | |
| 63685300 | natural rights | John Locke's idea that all societies are given basic rights by God, and that these cannot be removed by governments | 178 | |
| 63685301 | naturalization | the process of becoming a citizen for someone born outside of the country | 179 | |
| 63685302 | New Federalism | a conservative movement designed to return more power and control of money to the states | 180 | |
| 63685303 | pork-barrel | legislation that is often local and intended to help districts with contracts and money | 181 | |
| 63845225 | poverty line | the amount of income a family in the United States needs to earn annually to maintain only an "austere" standard of living | 182 | |
| 63845226 | press corps | the journalists invited to represent their news companies at presidential press conferences and other events | 183 | |
| 63845227 | price controls | the efforts led by the Nixon administration in the 1970s to freeze prices of producers and try to keep inflation to a minimum | 184 | |
| 63845228 | primary | a public election of delegates for party candidates run by states | 185 | |
| 63845229 | probable cause | the requirement that police must have sufficient proof of evidence or suspicion of criminal acts before searching a suspect's personal property or possessions | 186 | |
| 63845230 | Publius | the name used by Alexander Hamilton as a pseudonym for the Federalist Papers essays, derived from the name of a famous Roman consul | 187 | |
| 63845231 | pure speech | spoken or printed words and the extent of freedom involved | 188 | |
| 63845232 | quorum | the number of members needed to hold an official meeting or conduct binding votes | 189 | |
| 63845233 | random polling | polling conducted by selecting people from random phone and address lists | 190 | |
| 63845234 | realignment | the major regrouping of support within political parties | 191 | |
| 63845235 | reapportionment | the law created by Congress in 1929 that banned the addition of new seats to Congress, adding a cap of 435 seats | 192 | |
| 63845236 | recess appointments | the ability of the president to fill vacant federal positions, such as federal court judges, without senatorial approval if the Senate is in recess | 193 | |
| 63845237 | reciprocity | the pattern of collecting vote promises from other members of Congress in exchange for vote support for their bills and projects | 194 | |
| 63845238 | red states | states where the Republican Party won the electoral votes during a presidential election and those that have a tendency to support the conservative position | 195 | |
| 63845239 | red tape | the general label of paperwork and procedures often required for actions to be completed in bureaucracies | 196 | |
| 63845240 | reprieves and pardons | the powers of the president to set a sentence aside or even declare that the crime is fully erased | 197 | |
| 63845241 | republic | the preffered form of government for the Founding Fathers because the public would guide in the selection of some of the leaders who would make the laws | 198 | |
| 63845242 | restraining order | a court order restricting the actions and movements of persons or the press toward other individuals and their premises | 199 | |
| 63845243 | revenue bills | legislation from taxation or the use of tax dollars is a primary duty | 200 | |
| 63845244 | revolving door | the practice of major lobby groups hiring recently retired members of Congress for high-paying lobby positions | 201 | |
| 63845245 | rider | the name of an amendment, usually not of national import, attached to a larger and more important bill, to allow it to pass more easily | 202 | |
| 63845246 | safe seat | a term used when a representatitive appears to have an overwhelming level of local support in the home district | 203 | |
| 63845247 | safety net | a term that describes the idea of giving the elderly, jobless, and poor some assistance in order to avoid economic catastrophe | 204 | |
| 63845248 | sample polling | polls that recruit specific groups that have certain ethnic, economic, or voting patterns to see how these groups react toward new issues or candidates | 205 | |
| 63845249 | search warrant | an element of the 4th Amendment requiring that citizens be given a court-ordered document telling them what the police are searching for and the area being searched | 206 | |
| 63845250 | self-incrimination | an element of the 5th Amendment giving citizens protection from testifying against themselves | 207 | |
| 63845251 | senatorial courtesy | the tradition that the president is expected to gather names of potential nominees from the senators of the states involved | 208 | |
| 63845252 | seniority | those with the longest amount of service in Congress get the committee chairperson positions | 209 | |
| 63845253 | separation of power | the powers specific to the different branches of government | 210 | |
| 63845254 | session | the annual meetings of Congress, starting in January and now usually ending in late fall | 211 | |
| 63845255 | school voucher programs | the reform initiaitive by conservative groups to allocate tax funds normally given to large school systems, to parents in the form of refunds | 212 | |
| 63845256 | shield laws | laws passed by state governments giving the press protection from revealing sources of information | 213 | |
| 63845257 | Silent Majority | the term used by the Nixon administration for the large groups of citizens who preferred traditional values, supported the US government, and would not openly criticize leaders the way radicals were doing during the Vietnam War | 214 | |
| 63845258 | slander | spoken words that are intended to injure a party or are knowingly false and purport a negative attribute to an individual | 215 | |
| 63845259 | spin | the manner in which a news story is emphasized or explained, often by administrative representatives, to attain a certain interpretation of information or accusations | 216 | |
| 63845260 | split-ticket voting | a trend where voters select different candidates of different parties for various offices from the same long ballot | 217 | |
| 63845261 | soccer moms | a label given to stay-at-home moms who tend to vote more conservatively and usually base their opinions on family issues and religious affiliations | 218 | |
| 63845262 | social contract | an idea from Rousseau and Locke stating that the government's powers are given in agreement with the citizens, and the government is required to follow only these powers | 219 | |
| 63845263 | stare decisis | major precedent-setting cases in the Supreme Court where the decisions were made with strong majority votes | 220 | |
| 63845264 | statutory law | fixed laws determined as such based on a certain statute or recognized rule | 221 | |
| 63845265 | straight-ticket voting | the ability of voters to choose all of the members of the same party with only one vote | 222 | |
| 63845266 | Strategic Arms Limitations Talks Treaties | a set of agreements that began the process of reducing the numbers of missile and nuclear weapons held in the United States and the Soviet Union | 223 | |
| 63845267 | Strategic Defense Initiative | the policy of the Reagan administration to begin a series of plans to place antimissile weapons in space orbit | 224 | |
| 63845268 | street level | the government employees who work directly with the public in the implementation of federal and local programs | 225 | |
| 63845269 | subsidies | money assistance given to farmers and businesses aimed at protecting against monopolies, helping struggling companies, and providing sufficient resources for future growth | 226 | |
| 63845270 | suffrage | the constitutional term, coined during the Women's Rigths Movement, for the right to vote | 227 | |
| 63845271 | summit diplomacy | a series of efforts made in the Cold War period to have the leaders of major powers sit down together and work on issues and conflicts | 228 | |
| 63845272 | super delegates | the members of Congress and members of the national committee given a certain set of votes at the Democratic National Convention | 229 | |
| 63845273 | Superfund | gasoline and chemical tax revenues set aside by the federal government in 1980 for a special trust fund used to clean up toxic waste sites around the country | 230 | |
| 63845274 | super majority | a proposal that any legislation to increase taxes would need a vote percentage of two-thirds, or 66 percent, to pass | 231 | |
| 63845275 | surplus | the amount of money left over in the budget when the government spends less than it collects in taxes | 232 | |
| 63845276 | swing voters | key voters that tend to be independent or less loyal to the party system and have a significant influence on close elections | 233 | |
| 63845277 | symbolic speech | other forms of speech outside of spoken or written words that have political meaning, such as flag burning or sit-in protests | 234 | |
| 63845278 | talking heads | the name given to press shows dedicated to media representatives analyzing events or leaders | 235 | |
| 63845279 | term | the amount of time an elected official serves in that position | 236 | |
| 63845280 | think tank | a group or company whose main purpose is to research, develop, propose, and lobby for types of policies that favor liberal or conservative causes | 237 | |
| 63845281 | Three-Fifths Compromise | the compromise over slavery in Philadelphia in which a federal ban was placed on interference in slave cases before 1808 and the counting of slaves as only part of the population for census and representation numbers | 238 | |
| 63845282 | transfers | the economic term used to describe the movement of tax money from those who pay to those who need | 239 | |
| 63845283 | trial balloons | a tactic of giving information about possible decisions of policy and checking the reaction of the public and other governmental groups; if the reaction is extremely positive or negative, then further plans can be developed | 240 | |
| 63845284 | unilateral policies | a term defining the efforts of a single country to change policies and aligning those changes with their relations with other countries | 241 | |
| 63845285 | vested | the power held by an authority | 242 | |
| 63845286 | Virginia Plan | an outline of a constitution drafted by Madison before the formal meetings began; it proposed a bicameral legislature but gave populated states the most representation in both houses | 243 | |
| 63845287 | wall of separation | a phrase used by Jefferson in 1802 in a letter to describe his opinion about the relation between church and state | 244 | |
| 63845288 | war chest | the amount of money a candidate has created for the next campaign | 245 | |
| 63845289 | watchdog function | the idea that it is a duty of the media to keep the public informed of political events and to ensure that the rules of government are being followed | 246 | |
| 63845290 | whip | a traditional name of the assistant to the House Majority and Minority Leaders | 247 | |
| 63845291 | Whip Inflation Now | a program by the Ford administration to curb inflation and dramatic price increases by putting pressure on businesses to lower prices and deter consumers from hording goods | 248 | |
| 63845292 | whistleblowers | a name given to government emploess who reveal waste or fraud within their own agencies | 249 | |
| 63845293 | white collar | a term denoting careers and jobs in business and office management | 250 | |
| 63845294 | workfare | a reform initiative of the welfare system to require recipients to find employmet in order to receive governmental assistance | 251 | |
| 63845295 | writ of mandamus | the power given to federal courts to require action by citizens or governmental agencies | 252 | |
| 63845296 | writ of habeus corpus | a decree that laws cannot be created to have persons seized by authorities and held without charges being presented; the accused has the right to defend himself against all charges | 253 | |
| 63845297 | Yellow Journalism | a late 1800s trend of sensationalist news, often centered in New York, that helped influence policy | 254 |
