Vocab Pt.1
The redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the census, to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population.
What is Redistricting?
Through different grant programs into many different pieces, it makes it even more difficult to differentiate the functions of the levels of government.
What is Fiscal Federalism?
Elections in which voters elect officeholders.
What is a General Election?
The rule of precedent, whereby a rule or law contained in a judicial decision is commonly viewed as binding on judges whenever the same question is presented.
What is Stare Decisis?
An official (especially the president) in the final period of office, after the election of a successor.
What is the Lame Duck Period?
Governance is divided between the parties, especially when one holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of Congress.
What is Divided Government?
The process by which we develop our political attitudes, values, and beliefs.
What is Political Socialization?
Elections held midway between presidential elections.
What is a Midterm Election?
Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling the money supply and thus interest rates.
What is Monetary Policy?
Spending for entitlement programs and certain other payments to people, businesses, and state and local governments.
What is Mandatory Spending?
Directive issued by a president or governor that has the force of law.
What is Executive Order?
An impartial adviser, often voluntary, to a court of law in a particular case.
What is Amicus Curiae?
Powers that grow out of the very existence of government.
What are Inherent Power?
Individuals, groups with a common concern, or small businesses, and can include a problem, grievance, question of eligibility, need, or other tangible interest or benefit to these groups.
What is casework?
A Senate procedure that limits further consideration of a pending proposal to thirty hours in order to end a filibuster.
What is a Motion for Cloture?
Constitutional arrangement in which power is distributed between a central government and subdivisional governments.
What is Federalism?
What is a Super PAC?
Programs such as unemployment insurance, disability relief, or disability payments that provide benefits to all eligible citizens.
What are Entitlement Programs?
Federal grants given to state and local governments to encourage their cooperation in implementing specific purposes and programs.
What are Categorical Grants?
The review, monitoring, and supervision of federal agencies, programs and policy implementation
What is Oversight?
These are broad state grants to states for prescribed activities—welfare, child care, education, social services, preventive health care, and health services—with only a few strings attached.
What is Block Grants?
An organization that seeks political power by electing people to office so that its positions and philosophy become public policy.
What is a Political Party?
Philosophy proposing that judges should interpret the Constitution to reflect current conditions and values.
What is Judicial Activism?
The ability to send mail by one's signature rather than by postage
What is Franking Privilege?
The divergence of political attitudes away from the centre, towards ideological extremes.
What is Political polarization?