15 Flashcards Preview

Countries: US Political Terms > 15 > Flashcards

Flashcards in 15 Deck (20)
Loading flashcards...
1
Q

lobbying

A

Attempting to persuade government officials through direct contact via persuasion and the provision of material benefits; also known as the inside game.

2
Q

logrolling

A

A practice in Congress where two or more members agree to support each other’s bills.

3
Q

loophole

A

A part of a tax code that allows individuals or businesses to reduce their tax burden.

4
Q

loose constructionism

A

A judicial philosophy that believes the Constitution should be interpreted in an open way, not limited to things explicitly stated.

5
Q

machine

A

A very strong party organization that turns favors and patronage into votes.

6
Q

Madisonian Model

A

A structure of government proposed by James Madison that avoided tyranny by separating power among different branches and building checks and balances into the Constitution.

7
Q

majority leader

A

(1) In the House, the second-ranking member of the majority party; (2) in the Senate, the highest-ranking member of the majority party.

8
Q

majority opinion

A

A court opinion that reflects the reasoning of the majority of justices.

9
Q

majority party

A

In a legislative body, the party with more than half of the seats.

10
Q

majority rule

A

The idea that the government should act in accordance with the will of the majority of people.

11
Q

malapportionment

A

An apportionment of seats in Congress that is unfair due to population shifts.

12
Q

mandate

A

When the federal government requires states to do certain things.

13
Q

mandatory retirement

A

An employment policy that states that when an employee reaches a certain age, he or she must retire.

14
Q

marble-cake federalism

A

A term used to describe federalism for most of the twentieth century (and into the twenty-first), where the federal government and the states work closely together and are intertwined; also known as cooperative federalism.

15
Q

markup

A

When a Congressional committee revises a bill in session.

16
Q

material incentive

A

The lure of a concrete benefit, usually money, that attracts people to join a group.

17
Q

McCain-Feingold bill

A

The popular informal name for the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002; it is named after its sponsors, Republican John McCain and Democrat Russell Feingold.

18
Q

McCulloch v. Maryland

A

A Supreme Court case that granted the federal government extensive power to carry out its enumerated powers.

19
Q

means-testing

A

Basing benefits from a policy on a person’s wealth so that poor people get more benefits than rich people.

20
Q

media

A

Information and the organizations that distribute that information to the public.