AP Government Midterm Review Vocab Study online at quizlet.com/_jtx4e 1. 527 A type of U.S. tax-exempt organization organized under Section 527 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.* 2. Advice and Consent the power vested in the US Senate by the Constitution (Article II, Section 2) to give its advice and consent to the president on treaties and presidential appointments. 3. Agenda Setting determining which public policy questions will be debated or considered. 4. Amicus Curiae Brief 5. Appointment Power a brief filed by a third party, or amicus curiae, who is not directly involved in the litigation but who has an interest in the outcome of the case. the authority vested in the president to fill a government office or position. Positions filled by presidential appointment include those in the executive branch and the federal judiciary, commissioned officers in the armed forces, and members of the independent regulatory commissions. 6. Appropriation The passing, by congress, of a spending bill, specifying the amount of authorized funds that actually will be allocated for an agency's use. 7. Bias an inclination or a preference that interferes with impartial judgement. 8. Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002/ McCain- Feingold Law restriction of the use of soft money for federal elections. 9. Boycott The form of pressure or protest--an organized refusal to purchase a particular product or deal with particular business. 10. Budget and Impoundment Act 1974 governs the procedures by which Congress annually adopts a budget resolution, a concurrent resolution that is not signed by the President, which sets fiscal policy for the Congress.* 11. Bundling Tying two or more pieces of legislation into one bill. * 12. Casework personal work for constituents by members of congress. 13. Caucus a closed meeting of party leaders to select party candidates or to decide on policy, a meeting of party members designed to select candidates and propose policies 14. Chief Diplomat the role of the president in recognizing foreign governments, making treaties, and making executive agreements. 15. Chief Executive 16. Chief Legislator 17. Christmas Tree Bill 18. Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission the role of the president as head of the executive branch of the government. the role of the president in influencing the making of laws. a political term referring to a bill that attracts many, often unrelated, floor amendments. (Wikipedia) a case in which the US Supreme Court upheld the principle of the 1st Amendment's restriction on the federal government from interfering with independent political expenditures by corporations. This was caused by Citizens United trying to air a critical documentary of Hillary Clinton. 19. Civil Service a collective term for the body of employees working for the government. Generally, the term is understood to apply to all of those who gain employment through a merit system. 20. Climate Control 21. Closed Primary The use of public relations techniques to create favorable public opinion toward an interest group, industry, or corporation. a type of primary in which the voter is limited to choosing candidates of the party of which he or she is a member. 22. Cloture a procedure for ending a debate and taking a vote. 23. Coattails the influence or pulling power of a popular movement or person. (MW) 24. Commander in Chief 25. Conference Committee 26. Congressional Budget Office 27. Conservative Coalition the role of the president as supreme commander of the military forces of the United States and of the state National Guard units when they are called into federal service. a special joint committee appointed to reconcile differences when bills pass the two chambers of congress in different forms. a federal agency within the legislative branch of the United States government that provides economic data to Congress. (Wikipedia) an alliance of Republicans and Southern Democrats in the House or the Senate to oppose liberal legislation and support conservative legislation. 28. Constituent one of the people represented by a legislator or other elected or appointed official. 29. Constitutional Power a power vested in the president by Article II of the Constitution.
30. Continuing Resolution 31. Continuing resolutions 32. Diplomatic Recognition 33. Direct Primary 34. Direct Technique 35. Discharge Petition 36. Double Tracking a temporary law that congress passes when an appropriations bill has not been decided by the beginning of the new fiscal year beginning October 1st. a temporary law that congress passes when an apporopriations bill has not been decided by the beginning of the new fiscal year on October 1. the formal acknowledgement of a foreign government as legitimate. an intra-party election in which voters select the candidates who will run on a party's ticket in the subsequent general election. An interest group activity that involves interaction with governments officials to further the group's goals. a procedure by which a bill in the House of Representatives may be forced out of a committee that has refused to report it for consideration by the House. The discharge petition must be signed by an absolute majority (218) of representatives and is used only on rare occasions. a procedure to keep the Senate going during a filibuster in which the disputed bill is shelved temporarily so that the Senate can get on with other business. 37. Earmarking a legislative (especially congressional) provision that directs approved funds to be spent on specific projects, or that directs specific exemptions from taxes or mandated fees. 38. Electoral College 39. Electronic Media 40. Enumerate Power 41. Equal Time Rule a group of persons called electors selected by the voters in each state and Washington, DC; this group officially elects the president and vice president of the United States. The number of electors in each state is equal to the number of each state's representatives in both chambers of Congress. The Twenty-third Amendment to the Constitution permits Washington, DC, to have as many electors as the smallest state. communication channels that involve electronic transmissions, such as radio, television and, to an increasing extent, the internet. powers specifically granted to the national government by the constitution. specifies that U.S. radio and television broadcast stations must provide an equivalent opportunity to any opposing political candidates who request it. 42. Executive Agreement 43. Executive Budget an international agreement made by the president, without senatorial ratification, with the head of a foreign state. the budget prepared and submitted by the president to Congress. 44. Faction a group or bloc in a legislature or political party acting together in pursuit of some special interest or position. 45. Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) a law passed in 1971 that limits the financing of campaigns for federal elections. The law requires that candidates and their political committees let the public know who gives them money and how they spend that money. 46. Filibuster the use of the senate's tradition of unlimited debate as a delaying tactic to block a deal. 47. First Budget Resolution 48. Fiscal Year (FY) 49. Focus Group a resolution passed by congress in May that sets overall revenue and spending goals for the following fiscal year. a twelve-month period that is used for bookkeeping or accounting or accounting purposes. Usually, the fiscal year does not coincide with the calendar year. For example, the federal government's fiscal year runs from October 1st through September 30th. a small group of individuals who are led in discussion by a professional consultant in order to gather opinions on and responses to candidates and issues. 50. Franking a policy that enables members of congress to send material through the mail by substituting their facsimile signature (frank) for postage. 51. Free Rider Problem 52. Frontloading The difficulty interest groups face in recruiting members when the benefits they achieve can be gained without joining the group. the practice of moving presidential primary elections to the early part of the campaign to maximize the impact of these primaries on the nomination. 53. Gatekeeper a manager in a large organization who controls the flow of information, esp to parent and subsidiary companies.
54. Gerrymandering the drawing of legislative district boundary lines for the purpose of obtaining partisan or factional advantage. A district is said to be gerrymandered when its shape is manipulated by the dominant party in the state legislature to maximize electoral strength at the expense of the minority party. 55. Head of State in the United States, the role of the president as ceremonial head of the government. 56. Hold An informal practice by which a senator informs his or her floor leader that he or she does not wish a particular bill or other measure to reach the floor for consideration. 57. Impound seize and take legal custody of (something, esp. a vehicle, goods, or documents) because of an infringement of a law or regulation.* 58. Indirect Technique 59. Instructed Delegate A strategy employed by interest groups that uses third parties to influence government officials. a legislator who is an agent of the voters who elected him or her and who votes according to the views of constituents regardless of personal assessments. 60. Interest Group an organized group of individuals sharing common objectives who actively attempt to influence policymakers. 61. Interest Group An organized group of individuals sharing common objectives to actively attempt to influence policymakers. 62. Iron Triangle The three-way alliance among legislators, bureaucrats, and interest groups to make or preserve policies that benefit their respective interests. 63. Issue Advocacy A political process by an individual or group which aims to influence publicpolicy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions. 64. Issue Framing the careful use of language or other symbols in public discourse. 65. Issue Network A group of individuals or organizations-- which may consist of legislators or legislative staff members, interest group leaders, bureaucrats, the media, scholars, and other experts--that supports the particular policy position on a given issue, such as one on the environment, taxation, or consumer safety. 66. Joint Committee a legislative committee composed of members from both chambers of congress. 67. Justiciable Question a question that may be raised and reviewed in court. 68. Labor Movement Generally, the full range of economic and political expression of working class interests; politically, the organization of working class interests. 69. Lame duck an official (esp. the president) in the final period of office, after the election of a successor.* 70. Latent interests Public policy interests that are not recognized but were addressed by a group at a particular time. 71. Line-Item Veto the power of an executive to veto individual lines or items within a piece of legislation without vetoing the entire bill. 72. Loaded Language wording that attempts to influence an audience by using appeal to emotion or stereotypes. 73. Lobbyist An organization or individual that in attempts to influence the passage, defeat, or contents of legislation in the administrative decisions of government. 74. Lobbyist an organization or individual that attempts to influence the passage, defeat, or contents of legislation and the administrative decisions of government. 75. Logrolling the practice of exchanging favors, esp. in politics by reciprocal voting for each other's proposed legislation. 76. Majority Leader of the House 77. Majority Minority District a legislative position held by an important party member in the House of Representatives. The majority leader is selected by the majority party and caucus or conference to foster cohesion among party members and to act as spokesperson for the majority party in the House. a district where a minority group usually constitutes the majority of voters and can control the outcome of elections. 78. Malapportionment any system where one group has significantly more influence than another, such as when voting districts are unevenly spread out across a population (compare gerrymandering).
79. Managed News information generated and distributed by the government in such a way as to give government interest priority over candor. 80. Material Incentive 81. McGovern- Fraser Commission The reason or motive having to do with the economic benefits for opportunities. a commission created in response to the 1968 DNC due to demands for reform by minority groups and others who wanted better representation. 82. Media Access the public's right of access to the media. The Federal Communications Commission and the courts gradually have taken the stance that citizens do have a right to media access. 83. Media Framing the process by which an issue is portrayed in the news media. 84. Minority Leader of the House the party leader elected by the minority party in the House. 85. Motor Voter a legislative attempt to expand the number of locations and opportunities for people to register to vote. When you go to get your driver's license, you are offered an opportunity to register to vote. 86. Narrowcasting broadcasting that is targeted to one small sector of the population. 87. Near v. Minnesota, (1931) a landmark United States Supreme Court decision that recognized the freedom of the press by roundly rejecting prior restraints on publication, a principle that was applied to free speech generally in subsequent jurisprudence. 88. Ombudsperson a person who hears and investigates complaints by private individuals against public officials or agencies. 89. Open Primary a primary in which any registered voter can vote (but must vote for candidates of only one party). 90. Oversight the responsibility congress has for following up on laws it has enacted to ensure that they are being enforced and administered in the way congress intended. 91. PAC (Political Action Committee) A committee set up by and representing a corporation, labor union, or special interest group. PACs raise and give campaign donations on behalf of the organizations or groups they represent. 92. Pardon the granting of a release from the punishment or legal consequences of a crime; a pardon can be granted by the president before or after a conviction. 93. Party Platform a document drawn up by the platform committee at each national convention, outlining the policies, positions, and principles of the party; it is then submitted to the entire convention for approval. 94. Patronage rewarding faithful party workers and followers with government employment and contracts. 95. Plurality the total votes cast for a candidate who receives more votes than any other candidate but not necessarily a majority. Most national, state, and local electoral laws provide for winning elections by a plurality vote. 96. Pocket Veto a special veto power exercised by the chief executive after a legislative body has adjourned. Bills not signed by the chief executive die after a specified period of time. If congress wishes to reconsider such a bill, it must be reintroduced in the following session of congress. 97. Podcasting a method of distributing multimedia files, such as audio or video files for downloading onto mobile devices or personal computers. 98. Political Efficacy 99. Pork Barrel Legislation Citizen's belief that he or she can understand and influence political affairs the appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district. 100. POTUS President Of The United States 101. President Pro Tempore 102. Press Secretary 103. Prior Restraint 104. Public Agenda 105. Public Interest 106. Public opinion the temporary presiding officer of the senate in the absence of the vice president. the individual responsible for representing the White House before the media. The Press Secretary writes news releases, provides background info, sets up press conferences and generally handles communication for the White House. restraining an action before it has actually occurred. In relation to the press, prior restraint means censorship. issues that are commonly perceived by members of the political community as meriting public attention and governmental action. The media play an important role in setting the public agenda by focusing attention on certain topics. If the best interests of a collective, overall community; the national good, rather than the narrow interests of a self serving group. The aggregate of individual attitudes or beliefs shared by some portion of the adult population. There is no one public opinion, because there are many different "publics."
107. Purposive Incentive A reason or motive having to do with ethical beliefs or ideological principles. 108. Realignment a process in which a substantial group of voters switches party allegiance, producing a long-term change in the political landscape. 109. Reapportionment the allocation of seats in the House of Representatives to each state after each census. 110. Redistricting the redrawing of the boundaries of the congressional districts within a state. 111. Reprieve postponing the execution of a sentence imposed by a court of law; usually done for humanitarian reasons or to await new evidence. 112. Revolving Door Used to refer to a situation in which someone moves from an influential government position to a position in a private company, or vice versa. * 113. Riders an attachment, schedule, amendment, or other writing that is annexed (added) to a document in order to modify it. 114. Right of Reply Rule the right to defend oneself against public criticism in the same venue where it was published. 115. Rules Committee a standing committee of the House of Representatives that provides special rules under which specific bills can be debated, amended, and considered by the house. 116. Safe Seat a district that returns the legislator with 55% of the vote or more. 117. Select Committee a temporary legislative committee established for a limited time period and for a special purpose. 118. Selective Attentiveness 119. Senate Majority Leader 120. Senate Minority Leader Paying attention only to those parts of a newspaper or broadcast story in which on agrees. Studies suggest that this is how people view political ads on television. the chief spokesperson of the Majority party in the Senate who directs the legislative program and party strategy. the party officer in the Senate who commands the Minority party's opposition to the policies of the Majority party and directs the legislative program and strategy of his or her party. 121. Seniority System a custom followed in both chambers of Congress specifying that the member of the Majority party with the longest term of continuous service will be given preference when a committee chairperson is selected. 122. Service Sector The sector of the economy that provides services, not products or goods. 123. Shaw v. Reno, 1993 124. Signing statements 125. Social Movement 126. Socioeconomic Status 127. Socioeconomic Status a United States Supreme Court case argued on April 20, 1993. The ruling was significant in the area of redistricting and racial gerrymandering. a written declaration that a president may make when signing a bill into law. Usually, such statements point out sections of the law that the president deems unconstitutional. A group of people with a common ideology who try together to achieve certain general goals. The value assigned to a person due to occupation or income. An upper class person, for example, has a high socioeconomic status. the value assigned to a person due to occupation or income. an upper-class person, for example, has a high socioeconomic status. 128. Soft Money campaign contributions unregulated by federal or state law, usually given to parties and party committees to help fund general party activities. 129. Solidary Incentive A reason or motive having to do with the desire to associate with others and to share with others a particular interest or hobby. 130. Sound Bite a brief memorable comment that easily can be fit into news broadcasts. 131. Speaker of the House the presiding officer in the House of Representatives. The Speaker is always a member of the majority party and is the most powerful and influential member of the House. 132. Spin an interpretation of campaign events or election results that is most favorable to the candidate's campaign strategy. 133. Spin Doctor a political campaign adviser who tries to convince journalists of the truth of a particular interpretation of events. 134. Splinter Party a new party formed by a dissident faction within a major political party. Usually, splinter parties have emerged when a particular personality was at odds with the major party.
135. Standing Committee 136. State of the Union Message 137. Straight- Ticket Voting 138. Swing Voters 139. Ticket Splitting a permanent committee in the House or Senate that considers bills within a certain subject area. an annual message to Congress in which the president proposes a legislative program. The message is addressed not only to Congress but also the american people and to the world. It offers the opportunity to dramatize policies and objectives and to gain public support. voting exclusively for the candidates of one party. voters who frequently swing their support from one party to another. voting for candidates of two or more major political parties for different offices. For example, a voter splits her ticket is she votes for a Republican presidential candidate and for a Democratic congressional candidate. 140. Tipping A phenomenon that occurs when a group that is growing in population becomes large enough to change the political balance in a district, state, or country. 141. Trustee in regard to a legislator one who acts according to his or her conscience and the broad interest on the entire society. 142. Twelfth Amendment 143. Two-Party System provides the procedure for electing the President and Vice President.* a political system in which only two parties have a reasonable chance of winning. 144. Unit Rule a rule by which all of a state's electoral votes are cast for the presidential candidate receiving a plurality of the popular vote in that state. 145. Veto Message 146. War Powers Resolution 147. Ways and Means Committee the president's formal explanation of a veto when legislation is returned to congress. a law passed in 1973 spelling out the conditions under which the president can commit troops without congressional approval. a permanent committee of the United States House of Representatives that makes recommendations to the US House on all bills that would raise revenue. 148. Whip a member of Congress who aids the majority or minority leader of the House or the Senate. 149. White House Press Corps a group of reporters assigned full time to cover the presidency. 150. Yellow Journalism a term for sensationalistic, irresponsible journalism. Reputedly, the term is an allusion to the cartoon "The Yellow Kid" in the old New York World, a newspaper especially noted for its sensationalism.