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47 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
Divided Government
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when one party controls the White House and another party controls one or both houses of Congress
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Unified Government
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when the same party controls the White House and both houses of Congress
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Gridlock
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the inability of the government to act because rival parties control
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Electoral College
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the people chosen to cast each state’s votes in a presidential election. Each state can cast one electoral vote for each senator and representative it has.
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Pyramid Structure
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a president’s subordinates report to him through a clear chain of command headed by a chief of staff
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Circular Structure
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several of the president’s assistants report directly to him
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Ad Hoc Structure
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several subordinates, cabinet officers, and committees report directly to the president on different matters
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Cabinet
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consists of the heads of the fifteen executive branch departments of the federal government
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bully pulpit
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the president’s use of his prestige and visibility to guide or enthuse the American public
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Veto Message
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a message from the president to congress stating that he will not sign a bill it has passed. Must be produced within ten days of the bill’s passage
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Pocket Veto
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a bill fails to become a law because the president did not sign it within ten days before congress adjourns
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Line-Item Veto
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an executive’s ability to block a particular provision in a bill passed by the legislature
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Legislative Veto
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the authority of congress to block a presidential action after it has taken place. The supreme court has held that congress does not have this power
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Impeachment
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charges against a president approved by a majority of the House of Representatives
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Lame Duck
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a person still in office after he or she has lost a bid for reelection
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Bureaucracy
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a large, complex organization composed of appointed officials
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Laissez-Faire
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an economic theory that government should not regulate or interfere with commerce
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Discretionary Authority
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the extent to which appointed bureaucrats can choose courses of action and make policies that are not spelled out in advance by laws
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Competitive Service
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the government offices to which people are appointed on the basis of merit, as ascertained by a written exam or by applying certain selection criteria
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Name-Request Job
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a job that is filled by a person whom an agency has already identified
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Iron Triangle
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a close relationship between an agency, a congressional committee, and an interest group
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Issue Network
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a network of people in Washington D.C.- based interest groups, or congressional staffs, in universities and think tanks, and in the mass media, who regularly discuss and advocate public policies
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Authorization Legislation
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legislative permission to begin or continue a government program or agency
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Appropriation
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legislative grant of money to finance a government program or agency
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Trust Funds
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funds for government programs that are collected and spent outside the regular government budget
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Committee Clearance
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the ability of a congressional committee to review and approve certain agency decisions in advance and without passing a law
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Legislative Veto
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the authority of congress to block a presidential action after it has taken place. The Supreme Court has held that Congress does not have this power
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Red Tape
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the complex bureaucratic rules and procedures that must be followed to get something done
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Incumbent
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the person already holding an elective office
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Coattails
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he alleged tendency of candidates to win more votes in an election because of the presence at the top of the ticket of a better-known candidate, such as the president
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Political Action Committee (PAC)
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a committee set up by a corporation, labor union, or interest group that raises and spends campaign money from voluntary donations
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malapportionment
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drawing the boundaries of legislative districts so that they are unequal in population
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Gerrymandering
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drawing the boundaries of legislative districts in bizarre or unusual shapes to favor one party
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Sophomore Surge
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an increase in the votes congressional candidates usually get when they first run for reelection
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Positions Issue
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an issue about which the public is divided and rival candidates or political parties adopt different policy positions
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Valence Issue
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an issue about which the public is united and rival candidates or political parties adopt similar positions in hopes that each will be thought to best represent those widely shared beliefs
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General Election
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an election held to choose which candidate will hold office
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Primary Election
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an election to choose candidates for office
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Closed Primary
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a primary election in which voting is limited to already registered party members
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Open Primary
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a primary election in which voters may choose in which party to vote as they enter the polling place
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Blanket Primary
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a primary election in which each voter may vote for candidates from both parties
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Runoff Primary
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a second primary election held when no candidate wins a majority of the votes in the first primary
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Independent Expenditures
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spending by political action committees, corporations, or labor unions that is done to help a party or candidate but is done independently of them
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Soft Money
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funds obtained by political parties that are spent on party activities, such as get-out-the-vote drives, but not on behalf of a specific candidate
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527 Organizations
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organizations that, under section 527 of the internal revenue code, raise and spend money to advance political causes
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Prospective Voting
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voting for a candidate because you favor his or her ideas for handling issues
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Retrospective Voting
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voting for a candidate because you like his or her past actions in office
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