| Terms |
Definitions |
|
democracy
|
an element of the american view of the political system, in which americans believe that government officials should be accountable to the people
|
|
conditions of aid
|
a condition which state government must fulfill for taking federal funds
|
|
republic
|
the form of government intended by the framers that operates through a system of representation
|
|
pocket veto
|
one of two ways for a president to disapprove a bill sent to him by congress. if the president does not sign the bill within ten days of receiving it, and congress has adjourned within that time, the bill does not become law
|
|
inalienable rights
|
rights thought to be based on nature and providence rather than on the preferences of people
|
|
amendment
|
a change in, or addition to, a constitution. amendments are proposed by a two-thirds vote of both houses of congress or by a convention called by congress at the request of two-thirds of the state legislatures and ratified by approval of three-fourths of the states.
|
|
routine stories
|
a type of news story that involves a public event regularly covered by reporters. these stories are related in almost exactly the same way by all the media. the political opinions of journalists have the least effect on these stories.
|
|
conservative coalition
|
a vote in congress in which conservative democrats join with republicans
|
|
impoundment
|
the refusal of the president to spend money appropriated by congress. the constitution is silent on this power, but the budget reform act of 1974 limits the president's ability to impound funds
|
|
article VI
|
a provision of the constitution that makes the laws and treaties of the federal government the "supreme law of the land"
|
|
ratings
|
a type of cue supplied by some interest groups that ranks legislators on their degree of support for a particular cause, such as unions or the environment. these can be helpful sources of information, but are often biased
|
|
president pro tempore
|
a position created in the constitution to serve as presiding officer of the senate in the absence of the vice president
|
|
congress
|
a meeting place of representatives of local constituencies who can initiate, modify, approve, or reject laws. it also shares supervision of government agencies with the executive
|
|
executive privilege
|
a claim by the president entitling him to withhold information from the courts or congress. in 1973, the supreme court ruled that such a claim is valid when sensitive military or diplomatic matters are involved, but it refused to recognize an "absolute unqualified" presidential privilege of immunity.
|
|
elite
|
people with a disproportionate amount of valued resource
|
|
interest group
|
an organization that seeks to influence public policy
|
|
impeachment
|
a form of indictment voted on by the house or representatives. it can be brought against the president, the vice president, and all "civil officers" of the federal government. to be removed from his or her position, the impeached officer must be convicted by a 2/3 vote of the senate
|
|
political party
|
a group that seeks to elect candidates to public office by supplying them with a label by which they are known to the electorate.
|
|
senatorial courtesy
|
the tradition observed in the senate in which that body refuses to confirm an appointment to a federal office when the candidate is personally obnoxious to either senator from the candidate's state
|
|
supply-side theory
|
a conservative economic theory that maintains that sharp tax cuts increase the incentive for people to work, save, and invest. the greater productivity of the economy stimulated by these increased investments would produce more revenue for the government despite the tax cut
|
|
confederation (confederal system)
|
a form of government in which sovereignty is wholly in the hands of the states and local governments, so the national government is dependent on their will
|
|
cue (political)
|
a signal, frequently provided by interest groups, that tells a politician what values are at stake in an issue and how that issue fits into his or her own set of political beliefs
|
|
conference committee
|
a special type of joint committee appointed to resolve differences in house and senate versions of a piece of legislation
|
|
ex post facto law
|
a law which makes criminal an act that was legal when it was committed, or that increases the penalty for a crime after it has been committed, or that changes the rules of evidence to make conviction easier. the state legislatures and congress are forbidden to pass such laws by article I, sections 9 and 10, of the constitution
|
|
incumbent
|
person currently in office
|
|
federal system
|
a form of government in which sovereignty is shared, so that on some matters the national government is supreme and on others the states are supreme.
|
|
lame duck
|
a politician whose power has been diminished because he or she is about to leave office as a result of electoral defeat or statutory limitation
|
|
straight-ticket voting
|
voting for candidates who are all of the same party for different branches of government
|
|
institutional interests
|
individuals or organizations representing other organizations
|
|
whip
|
a member of the party leadership in each house who helps the party leader stay informed about what party members are thinking, rounds up memebers when important votes are to be taken, and attempts to keep a nose count of house the voting on a controversial issue is likely to go
|
|
ad hoc structure
|
a method in which the president organizes his personal staff that employs task forces, committees, and informal groups of friends dealing directly with him
|
|
federalist No. 10
|
an essay composed by james madison which argues that liberty is safest in a large republic because many factions exist. such diversity makes tyranny by the majority more difficult since ruling coalitions will always be unstable.
|
|
closed primary
|
a type of primary in which the voter must be a registered member of a political party to vote in that party's primary
|
|
parliament
|
an assembly of party representatives which chooses a government and discusses major national issues. tight party discipline usually regulates the voting behavior of memebers
|
|
office of management and budget
|
created as the bureau of the budget in 1921 and made part of the executive office in 1939, its chief functions are to prepare estimates of the amount that will be spent by federal agencies, to negotiate which departments on the size of their budgets, and to make sure departmental and agency proposals are in accord with the president's agenda
|
|
office of management and budget
|
created as the bureau of the budget in 1921, the OMB was reorganized in 1970. it assembles and analyzes the national budget submitted to congress by the president. additional duties include studying the organization and operation of the executive branch, devising plans for reorganizing departments and agencies, developing ways of getting better information about government programs, and reviewing proposals that cabinet departments want included in the president's legislative program
|
|
adversarial press
|
the suspicious nature of the national press toward public officials
|
|
inherent powers
|
powers not specified in the constitution which the president claims. these powers are asserted by virtue of office
|
|
speaker of the house
|
the constitutionally mandated presiding officer of the house of representatives. the speaker is chosen in the caucus of the majority party and is empowered to recognize members to speak on the floor, to rule whether a motion is germane, to assign bills to committee, to appoint house members to select and joint committees, and to appoint the majority members of the rules committee
|
|
coattails (political)
|
the tendency of lesser-known or weaker candidates to profit in an election by the presence of a more popular candidate on the ticket
|
|
marginal districts
|
a congressional district in which the winner of the general election gets less than 55 percent of the vote. such districts could easily switch to the other party in the next election
|
|
new jersey plan
|
a plan of government proposed by william patterson as a substitute for the virginia plan in an effort to provide greater protection for the interests of small states. it is recommended that the articles of confederation should be amended, not replaced, with a unicameral congress, in which each state would have an equal vote.
|
|
solidary incentive
|
an inducement to join a mass-membership organization based on the sense of pleasure, status, or companionship derived from membership
|
|
judicial review
|
the power of courts to declare an act of congress unconstitutional. it is also a way of limiting the power of popular majorities.
|
|
bicameral legislature
|
a legislative assembly composed of two separate houses, such as the U.S. congress, which consists of the house of representatives and the senate
|
|
natural rights
|
a philosophical belief expressed in the declaration of independence that certain rights are ordained by god, are discoverable in nature and history, and are essential to human progress. the perception that these rights were violated by great britain contributed to the american revolution
|
|
solidary incentive
|
an inducement that attracts people out of gregarious or game-loving instincts. it is one reason why people become involved in a state or local party organization.
|
|
liberal
|
a political ideology that favors government efforts to ensure that everyone has a job, strong federal action to desegregate schools and increase hiring opportunities for minorities, tolerance toward protest demonstrations, legalizing marijuana and protecting the rights of criminals.
|
|
coalition
|
part of a theory espoused by james madison that hypothesized that different interests must come together to form a an alliance in order for a republican government to work. he believed that alliances formed in a large republic, unlike small ones, would be moderate due to the greater variety of interests that must be accommodated.
|
|
electoral college
|
the body that formally selects the president. each state is allotted electoral votes equal to the number of its representatives and senators in congress. it can decide how its electors are to be chosen and under what method they cast their votes for president. the candidate for the presidency who receives a majority of these votes wins. if no candidate obtains a majority, the house of representatives chooses from the top three electoral votes
|
|
political ideology
|
a comprehensive set of political, economic, and social views or ideas concerned with the form and role of government
|
|
ideological interest group
|
an organization that attracts members by appealing to their interest on a coherent set of controversial principles
|
|
filibuster
|
a prolonged speech or series of speeches made to delay action on legislation in the senate. the purpose is to kill the measure by talking it to death
|
|
executive agencies
|
federal agencies that are part of the executive branch but outside the structure of cabinet departments. their heads typically serve at the pleasure of the president and can be removed at the president's discretion
|
|
political action committee
|
a committee set up by a special-interest group representing a corporation, labor union, or other special interest
|
|
christmas tree bill
|
a bill that has lots of riders
|
|
committee of the whole
|
a device used in the house of representatives to expedite the passage of legislation. the quorum is reduced from 218 members to 100, and the speaker appoints a member of the majority party as chair. time allotted for debating the bill in question is split equally between its proponents and opponents. the committee cannot itself pass legislation but may debate and propose amendments.
|
|
monetary policy
|
an attempt to use the amount of money and bank deposits and the price of money (interest rate) to affect the economy
|
|
conservative
|
political ideology that does not favor government efforts to ensure that everyone has a job, does not favor strong federal action to desegregate schools and increase hiring opportunities for minorities and does not favor tolerance toward protest demonstrations, legalizing marijuana and protecting the rights of criminals.
|
|
select committee
|
congressional committee appointed for a limited time period and purpose
|
|
articles of confederation
|
the document establishing a "league of friendship" among the american states in 1781. the government proved too weak to rule effectively and was replaced by the current constitution.
|
|
writ of habeas corpus
|
a court order directing a police officer, or warden who has a person in custody to bring the prisoner before a judge to show sufficient cause for his or her detention. the purpose of the order is to prevent illegal arrests and unlawful imprisonment. under the constitution, the writ cannot be suspended, except during invasion or rebellion.
|
|
scorekeeper
|
the role played by the national media in keeping track of and helping make political reputations
|
|
cloture rule
|
rule 22 of the senate, providing for the end of debate on a bill if 3/5 of the members agree. a cloture motion is brought to the floor if sixteen senators sign a petition. the purpose is typically to terminate a filibuster and to force a vote on a bill.
|
|
economic planning
|
a somewhat socialistic economic theory that holds that the government should plan at least a part of the country's economic activity by wage and price controls or through industrial policy
|
|
tenth amendment
|
an amendment to the constitution which defines the powers of the states, stipulating that the states (or the people) retain all powers not specifically delegated to the national government by the constitution.
|
|
descriptive representation
|
a term coined by hannah pitkin to refer to the statistical correspondence of the demographic characteristics of representatives with those of their constituents
|
|
rider
|
a nongermane amendment to an important bill. it is added so the measure will "ride" to passage through the congress. when a bill has lots of riders, it is called a christmas tree bill
|
|
keynesianism
|
a liberal economic theory developed by english economist john maynard keynes, who believed that economic health depends on the proportions of income which are saved and spent. the government's task is to create the right level of demand. when demand is too low, the government should pump money into the economy through spending on its programs. when demand is too great, the government should take money out of the economy by increasing taxes or cutting spending.
|
|
political machine
|
a political party organization that recruits its members by the use of tangible incentives and is characterized by a high degree of leadership control over members' activities. largely extinct today.
|
|
plurality system
|
an electoral system in which the winner is that person who gets the most votes, even if they do not constitute a majority of the votes
|
|
quorum call
|
a calling of the roll in either house of congress to see whether the number of representatives in attendance meets the minimum number required to conduct official business
|
|
pure liberalism
|
ideology that is liberal on economic and personal conduct
|
|
sophomore surge
|
an increase in the number of votes candidates receive between the first time elected and their first time reelected
|
|
25th amendment
|
a constitutional amendment ratified in 1967 which deals with presidential disability. it provides that the vice president is to serve as acting president whenever the president declares he is unable to discharge the duties of the office or whenever the vice president and a majority of the cabinet declare the president incapacitated. if the president disagrees, a 2/3 vote of congress is needed to confirm that the president is unable to execute his duties. the amendment also deals with a vacancy in the vice presidency by allowing the president to nominate a new vice president subject to confirmation by a majority vote of both houses.
|
|
incentive
|
something of value offered by mass-membership organizations to get people to join, it is a benefit exclusive to members
|
|
federal regulation of lobbying act of 1946
|
a law which required groups and individuals seeking to influence legislation to register with the secretary of the senate and the clerk of the house of representatives. quarterly financial reports on expenses were also to be filed. note new reform legislation (1995) was more stringent.
|
|
17th amendment
|
a constitutional amendment ratified in 1913 requiring the popular election of u.s. senators. senators were previously chosen by state legislatures
|
|
primary election
|
the first election in a campaign that determines a party's nominee for an office
|
|
budget reform act of 1974
|
a congressional effort to control presidential impoundments. it requires, among other things, that the president spend all appropriated funds unless he first tells congress which funds he wishes not to spend and congress, within 45 days, agrees to delete the items. if he wishes to simply delay spending money, he need only inform congress, but congress in turn can refuse the delay by passing a resolution requiring immediate release of the funds
|
|
libertarianism
|
political ideology that is conservative on economic matters and liberal on social ones. the ideology's goal is the creation of a small, weak government.
|
|
mcculloch v. maryland (1819)
|
a supreme court decision that settled two issues. first, congress can exercise pwoers not specifically mentioned in the constitution if the power can be implied from an enumerated one. this authority is conferred by the "necessary and proper" clause. Second, the federal government is immune from taxation by the states.
|
|
culture war
|
a split in the united states on people's beliefs about private and public morality and what stnadards ought to govern individual behavior and social arrangements.
|
|
restrictive rule
|
consent from the rules committee of the house of representatives which permits certain amendments to a piece of legislation but not others
|
|
unitary system
|
a system in which sovereignty is wholly in the hands of the national government, so that subnational units are dependent on its will.
|
|
two-party system
|
an electoral system with two dominant parties that compete in state or national elections. third parties have little chances of winning.
|
|
prior restraint
|
government censorship by forbidding publication of the information
|
|
divided government
|
a government in which one party controls the white house and a different party controls one or both houses of congress
|
|
categorical grants
|
grants given by the federal government to state and local authorities for a specific purpose defined in a federal law
|
|
standing committees
|
permanent committees of each house with the power to report bills
|
|
veto message
|
a statement the president sends to congress accompanying a refusal to sign a bill passed by both houses. it indicates the president's reasons for the veto. a 2/3 vote of both houses overrides the veto
|
|
superdelegates
|
elected officials and party leaders represented at the national convention of the democratic party. such representation was provided for by a recent party reform to ensure that an electable presidential candidate is selected.
|
|
federal reserve board
|
a federal agency created in 1913 composed of seven "governors" who control the federal reserve system. the "fed" is independent of both the president and congress. its most important function is to regulate the supply of money and therefore its value
|
|
roll-call vote
|
a method of voting used in both houses in which members answer yea or nay when their names are called. these votes are recorded and occur in the house at the request of 20% of its members
|
|
closed rule
|
limitation imposed by the rules committee of the house of representatives on the amount of debate time allotted to a bill on the introduction of amendments from the floor (or of any amendments other than those from the sponsoring committee)
|
|
representative democracy
|
a form of government in which the people elect representatives to act on their behalf
|
|
presidential coattails
|
the charismatic power of a president which enables congressional candidates of the same party to ride into office on the strength of his popularity. this influence has declined in recent elections
|
|
caucus (congressional)
|
an association of members of congress created to advocate a political ideology, a constituency, or regional or economic interests. almost a hundred of these groups now exist, and they rival political parties as a source of policy leadership.
|
|
federalist papers
|
a series of 85 essays written by alexander hamilton, james madison, and john jay that were published in new york newspapers to convince new yorkers to adopt the newly proposed constitution.
|
|
solidary group
|
a political party organization based on gregarious or game-loving instincts. it survives on the basis of a friendship network.
|
|
price and wage controls
|
the means of economic planning which reflect the belief that the government should intervene in inflationary times by regulating the maximum prices that can be charged and the wages that can be paid. such controls would be imposed only on the largest industries
|
|
populism
|
a political ideology that is liberal on economic matters and conservative on social ones. it believes the government should reduce economic inequality but regulate personal conduct.
|
|
bill of attainder
|
a law that declares a person, without trial, to be guilty of a crime. the state legislatures and congress are forbidden to pass such acts Article 1, Sections 9 and 10 of the constitution.
|
|
prime minister
|
the head of government in a parliamentary system. chosen by the legislature, this official selects the other ministers of government from among the members of seats in the legislature, as long as the assembled coalition holds together, or until the next scheduled election
|
|
necessary-and-proper clause
|
the final paragraph of article I, section 8, of the constitution, which authorizes congress to pass all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out the enumerated powers.
|
|
congressional budget office
|
created in 1974 to advise congress on the economic effects of spending programs and to provide information on the cost of proposed policies.
|
|
religious tradition
|
values associated with the major religious denominations in america: protestant, catholic, and jewish. in general, catholic families are somewhat more liberal on economic issues that white protestant ones, while jewish families are much more liberal on both economic and social issues than families of either christian religion.
|
|
budget
|
a document that announces how much the government will collect in taxes and spend in revenues and how those expenditures will be allocated among various programs
|
|
purposive incentive
|
an incentive to join a mass-membership organization based on the appeal of group's goal
|
|
membership interests
|
a type of interest group that represents the interest of its members
|
|
monetarism
|
a conservative economic theory that holds that inflation occurs when too much money is chasing too few goods. since the federal government has the power to create money, it should increase the money supply at a rate about equal to the growth in the economy's productivity; beyond that, it should leave matters alone and let the free market operate
|
|
block grants
|
grants given by federal government to state and local authorities for general purpose
|
|
lobbyist
|
a person attempting to influence government policy on behalf of a lobby
|
|
substantive representation
|
a term coined by hannah pitkin to refer to the correspondence between representatives' opinions and those of their constituents
|
|
federalism
|
the division of power between a national government and regional/state governments
|
|
majority leader
|
legislative leader elected by party members holding the majority of seats in the house of representatives or the senate
|
|
rules committee
|
in the house of representatives, the committee that decides which bills come up for a vote, in what order, and under what restrictions on length of debate and on the right to offer amendments. the senate rules and administration committee, by contrast possesses few powers
|
|
partisanship
|
identification with a political party
|
|
attitudinal view of representation
|
the theory of congressional voting behavior which assumes that members vote on the basis of their own beliefs because the array of conflicting pressures on members cancel each other out
|
|
reaganomics
|
the economic program instituted by president ronald reagan in 1981 which combined the theories of monetarism, supply side tax cuts, and domestic budget cutting. the goal was to reduce the size of the federal government, to stimulate economic growth, and to increase american military strength
|
|
pure conservatism
|
ideology that is conservative on economic and personal conduct
|
|
checks and balances
|
the power of the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government to block some acts by the other two branches.
|
|
circular structure
|
a method in which the president organizes his personal staff that has cabinet secretaries and assistants reporting directly to the president
|
|
organizational view of representation
|
theory of congressional voting behavior which assumes that members make voting decisions to please fellow members and obtain their goodwill. such behavior is possible since constituents seldom know how their representatives vote. members vote by following cues provided by colleagues.
|
|
open primary
|
a type of primary in which the voter can decide upon entering the voting booth in which party's primary to participate
|
|
line-item veto
|
the power of an executive to veto some provisions in an appropriations bill while approving others. the president doesn't have this right and must approve or reject an entire appropriations bill.
|
|
unified government
|
a government in which the same party controls the presidency and both houses of congress
|
|
party vote
|
extent to which members of a party vote together in the house and senate. by any measure, the extent of such voting has fluctuated and is lower now than at the turn of the century, although a slow but steady increase has developed since 1972.
|
|
material incentive
|
something tangible, such as money or services, which attracts people to join mass-membership organizations
|
|
budget deficit
|
a situation in which the government spends more than it takes in, thus pumping more money into the economy
|
|
winner take all system
|
an element of the electoral system used in the us which requires that only one member of the house of representatives can be elected from each congressional district
|
|
faction
|
a term employed by james madison to refer to interests that exist in society, such as farmers and merchants, northerners and southerners, debtors and creditors. Madison postulated that each interest would seek its own advantage and that the pulling and hauling among them would promote political stability on a national basis.
|
|
congressional budget act of 1974
|
the law that altered the procedure by which congress enacts the national budget. the congressional budget office was established as a nonpartisan congressional agency. budget committees were created in both houses, which then submit to each house a resolution proposing a total budget ceiling and a ceiling for each of several spending areas. once these resolutions are adopted, individual appropriations are decided. congress then adopts a second resolution reconciling the budget ceiling with individual appropriations bills
|
|
franking privilege
|
the ability of members of congress to mail letters to their constituents free of charge by substituting their facsimile signature (frank) for postage
|
|
antifederalists
|
opponents to the ratification of the constitution who valued liberty above all else and believed it could be protected only in a small republic. they emphasized states' rights and worried that the new central government was too strong.
|
|
political ideology
|
a coherent and consistent set of beliefs about who ought to rule, what principles rulers ought to obey, and what policies rulers ought to pursue.
|
|
federalists
|
a term used to describe supporters of the constitution during ratification debates in state legislatures
|
|
loaded language
|
the use of words to persuade people of something without actually making a clear argument for it
|
|
lobby
|
a group that attempts to influence legislation through direct contact with members of the legislative or executive branches
|
|
minority leader
|
head of the minority party in each house of congress chosen by the caucus of the minority party. this person formulates the minority party's strategy program
|
|
great compromise
|
the agreement that prevented the collapse of the constitutional convention because of friction between large and small states. it reconciled their interests by awarding states representations in the senate on a basis of equality and in the house of representatives in proportion to each state's population.
|
|
pyramid structure
|
a method in which the president organizes his personal staff that has most assistants reporting through a hierarchy to a chief of staff
|
|
majority-minority districts
|
congressional districts designed to make it easier for minority citizens to elect minority representatives. these districts are drawn so that the majority of their voters are minorities
|
|
feature stories
|
a type of news story that involves a public event not routinely covered by reporters and that requires a reporter to take initiative to select the story and persuade an editor to run it
|
|
grants-in-aid
|
federal funds provided to states and localities.
|
|
open rule
|
consent from the rules committee of the house of representatives which permits amendments from the floor on a particular piece of legislation
|
|
insider stories
|
a type of news story that involves information not usually made public which requires investigative work on the part of a reporter or a leak by some public official
|
|
fiscal policy
|
an attempt to use taxes and expenditures to affect the economy
|
|
civic duty
|
the belief citizens have an obligation to participate in civic and political affairs. this belief is part of the american political tradition.
|
|
virginia plan
|
a plan submitted to the constitutional convention which proposed a new form of government, not a mere revision of the articles of confederation. the plan envisioned a much stronger national government structured around three branches. james madison prepared the initial draft.
|
|
22nd amendment
|
a constitutional amendment ratified in 1951 which limits presidents to two terms of office
|
|
constitutional convention
|
a meeting of delegates in 1878 to revise the articles of confederation, which produced a totally new constitution still in use today
|
|
gender gap
|
difference between political views of men and women
|
|
porl-barrel legislation
|
a bill introduced by a member of congress that gives tangible benefits, like a highway or bridge, to constituents in the hopes of winning votes in return
|
|
political efficacy
|
the sense that citizens have the capacity to understand and influence political events
|
|
gatekeeper
|
the role played by the media in influencing what subjects become national political issues and for how long
|
|
direct democracy
|
a form of democracy in which the people legislate for themselves
|
|
bill of rights
|
the first ten ammendments of the u.s. constitution, containing a list of individual rights and liberties, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press.
|
|
watchdog
|
the role played by the national media in investigating political personalities and exposing scandals
|
|
public finance law
|
a federal law providing funds to candidates seeking the presidency. in primaries, only matching funds are available after eligibility requirements are fulfilled. in the general election, the federal government gives candidates of major parties the option of complete financing. the section of the law imposing spending limits on congressional candidates was voided by the supreme court.
|
|
separation of powers
|
an element of the constitution in which political power is shared between the branches of government to allow self-interest to check self-interest.
|
|
shay's rebellion
|
a rebellion in 1787 by ex-revolutionary war soldiers who feared losing their property over indebtedness. the former soldiers prevented courts in western Massachusetts from sitting. the inability of the government to deal effectively with the rebellion showed the weakness of the political system at the time and led to support for revision of the articles of confederation.
|
|
public interest lobby
|
an interest group whose principal purpose is to benefit nonmembers
|
|
cabinet
|
by custom, the heads of the fourteen major executive departments who meet to discuss matters with the president. these "secretaries" receive their positions by presidential nomination and confirmation by the senate. they can be removed at the will of the president
|
|
mandates
|
requirements imposed against state and local governments to perform. the requirements may have nothing to do with the receipt of federal funds and may originate from court orders.
|
|
gerrymandering
|
drawing congressional district lines in a bizarre or unusual shape to make it easy for a candidate of one party to win elections in that district
|
|
representational view of representation
|
theory of congressional voting behavior that assumes that members make voting decisions based on their perception of constituents' wishes to ensure their own reelection. a correlation between district attitudes and members' votes has been found on issues of importance to constituents (e.g., civil rights and social welfare) but not on issues of remote concern to constituents (foreign policy)
|
|
budget surplus
|
a situation in which the government takes in more money than it spends, thus draining money out of the economy
|
|
split-ticket voting
|
an election result in which a congressional district votes for the presidential candidate of one party and the congressional candidate of the other party.
|
|
malapportionment
|
creation of congressional districts in a state which are of unequal size. the supreme court in 1964 eliminated the practice by requiring that all districts in a state contain about the same number of people
|
|
political action committee
|
an organization which finances candidates and may lobby. such organizations can contribute no more than 5,000 to a federal candidate in any election
|
