Concurrent jurisdiction
Mass media
all forms of communication that reach a large portion of the population
government corporation
corporation a corporation that may receive part of its funding from Congress and is managed by a board appointed by the president; the function it performs could be carried out by private enterprise; an example is the US Postal service
a division of governmental powers between the national government and the states
Split-ticket voting
conformity
to social norms and values, tough on criminals
Closed convention
Realigning election
Sound bite
a very brief excerpt from a political speech aired on television or radio
Lemon test
Ex post facto law
Joint committee
a committee of Congress made up of members of both houses that focuses on issues of general concern but does not propose legislation
Line item veto
stare decisis
let the decision stand; court decisions are based on precedent from previous cases
carrying out a policy through government agencies and courts
a speech or photo opportunity staged to give a politician's view on an issue; staged to present the candidate in a good light
De facto segregation
segregation that results from living patterns rather than law
the warning that an individual must be read at the time of arrest and questioning, letting him know his 5th and 6th amendment rights
Platform
a statement of a political party on the issues facing the country, adopted at the national convention; each issue position is known as a plank
Regressive tax
a tax that is assessed on everyone at the same rate and, therefore, impacts the poor more than it impacted wealthy; sales tax is regressive
Electoral College
representatives from each state who formally cast ballots for the president and vice president
Casework
franking privilege
allows members of Congress to mail letters and other materials to constituents free of charge
General election
voters choose office holder from among all the candidates nominated by political parties or running as independents
Pure speech
verbal communication of ideas and opinions
Subsidy
a sum of money granted by the government or a public body to assist an industry or business so that the price of a commodity or service may remain low or competitive
Hyperpluralist Theory of Democracy
responsible for interpreting and applying the laws; in the federal government it consists of the US district
Prospective voting
a method of evaluating candidates in which voters focus on candidates' positions on issues important to them and vote for the candidates who best represent their views
Pluralist theory of democracy
interest groups compete in the political arena with each promoting its own policy preferences through organized efforts
