interest groups compete in the political arena with each promoting its own policy preferences through organized efforts
Supremacy clause
national laws supersedes all other laws passed by states
Precedent
standards or guides based on prior decisions that serve as a rule for settling similar disputes
Mass media
all forms of communication that reach a large portion of the population
a judicial philosophy that holds that courts have a more expansive role to play in shaping public policy
Open rule
a committee of Congress made up of members of both houses that focuses on issues of general concern but does not propose legislation
Legislative courts
courts courts created by Congress for a specialized purpose with a narrow range of authority; judges serve a fixed term
Political agenda
issues that merit action, as determined by the public or those in power
service casework; assistance to constituents by congressional members
Bench trial
opinion justice or justices who voted in the minority, explaining the reasons for opposing the majority opinion
Federal budget
amount of money the federal government expects to receive and authorizes government to spend for a fiscal year
a system whereby the people rule either directly or by elected representation
Patronage
Split-ticket voting
Free rider
an individual who benefits from the activities of an interest group but does not support the group either financially or through active participation
information provided in an interview that a reported can use but cannot make even an indirect reference to the source
Conference committee
Policy adoption
the approval of a policy by legislation
a consistent set of beliefs about politics and public policy that sets the framework for evaluating government and public policy
democracy citizens meet and make decisions about public policy issues; there are no elected officials; also called participatory democracy
Media event
a speech or photo opportunity staged to give a politician's view on an issue; staged to present the candidate in a good light
Party realignment
a shift in voter loyalty in response to critical events; 1932 election of FD Roosevelt
Interest group
a group of private citizens whose goal is to influence and shape public policy
those opposed to the ratification of the Constitution because it gave too much power to the central government at the expense of the states and the lack of a bill of rights
programs, money, and resources provided by the federal government to state and local governments to be used for specific projects and programs
Limited Government
a governing or controlling body whose power exists only within predefined limits that are established by a Constitution or other source of authority
Enumerated powers
Rule of four
a rule that says that four of the nine Supreme Court justices must agree in conference to hear a case
