AP Government duel

independents people who have no party affiliation

Hyperpluralist Theory of Democracy seen as a system of many groups pulling government in many directions at the same time, causing gridlock and ineffectiveness

Anti-Federalists 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

Incrementalism

when the president takes no action on a bill within ten days of Congress adjourning, the bill does not become law

Caucus (congressional) a group of members of Congress who may or may not be from the same party but who share

Dealigning election party loyalty becomes less important to voters, and they vote for the other party candidate or

Logrolling the exchange of political favors for support of a bill; an agreement between two or more members of Congress to vote for each other's bills

pork-barrel legislation legislation giving benefits to constituents through sometimes unnecessary or unwise projects within a state or district, to enhance a member's chance of reelection

Participatory democracy

weakening of ties between the voters and the two major parties

Critical elections sharp changes in the existing patterns of party loyalty due to changing social and economic conditions

Margin of error the percentage that a scientific poll is likely to be off; a margin of error of +/- 3 percent is common

Discrimination

government spending exceeds revenue

election commission a commission delegated to supervise an election

Courts of Appeal federal courts with appellate jurisdiction that review decisions of federal district courts, regulatory commissions, and other federal courts

a rule that says a person can't be tried twice by the same court under the same charges twice; from the 5th amendment

Judicial Review Authority given the courts to review constitutionality of acts by the executive/state/legislature; est. in Marbury v. Madison

complex process by which people get their sense of political identity, beliefs, and values

Checks and balances a system in which each branch of the government has the power to limit the other branches of government so that one is not dominant; each branch of government is subject to restraints by the other two branches

speech plus verbal and symbolic speech used together

Entitlement government benefits provided to Americans who qualify because of their age, income, and/or status

Public opinion a collection of shared attitudes of citizens about government, politics and the making of public policy

Great compromise

Libel false written statements about others that harm their reputation

alliances that develop between bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees or subcommittees

Veto the president's power to reject a bill passed by Congress

identification of the problems and/or issues that require the attention of the government to resolve

Get-out-the-vote

Establishment clause prohibits the establishment of a national religion

a rule that says that four of the nine Supreme Court justices must agree in conference to hear a case

a method for cutting off a filibuster in the Senate; sixteen votes are needed to call for cloture and sixty are needed to end a filibuster

Policy formulation the development of an approach to solving a problem that is on the political agenda

Privileges and Immunities Clause states are prohibited from unreasonably discriminating against residents of other states

Mandatory spending

Political socialization

Dual Federalism

Margin of error

Ratification method of enacting a constitution or amendment into law

a lengthy speech designed to delay the vote on a bill in the Senate; can be ended by a cloture motion and vote

Public policy

when the president takes no action on a bill within ten days of Congress adjourning, the bill does not become law

Deregulation the process of reducing or completely eliminating federal government oversight of an industry so as to allow it to operate more freely; used to encourage competition and reduce costs to consumers

a political system in which power is divided between the national government and state government

a group of private citizens whose goal is to influence and shape public policy

federal funds given to state and local governments for specific programs that usually require the recipient to match the money provided and have other strings attached

Blanket primary a primary election in which candidates from all parties are on the ballot, and a registered voter can vote for the Democratic candidate for one office and the Republican candidate for another

Trustee after listening to constituents, elected representatives vote based on their own opinions

Lemon test test standard set by the Supreme Court in Lemon v. Kurtzman to measure the constitutionality of state laws. Separate, Secular, and Neutral in effect and intent

amount of money owed by the government

joint resolution A formal expression of congressional opinion that must be approved by both houses of congress and by the president; constitutional amendments need not be signed by the president

interest groups compete in the political arena with each promoting its own policy preferences through organized efforts

Exclusionary rule that evidence acquired as a result of an illegal act by police cannot be used against the person from whom it was seized

Federalism

Mass media

Straw Poll

Exit poll

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

standards or guides based on prior decisions that serve as a rule for settling similar disputes

End this game?