Political Science Vocabulary 2

Question 1

incumbent

Answer 1

a person already holding office

Question 2

coattails

Answer 2

the 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

Question 3

political action committee (PAC)

Answer 3

a committee set up[ by a corporation, labor union, or interest group that raises and spends campaign money from voluntary donations

Question 4

malapportionament

Answer 4

drawing the boundaries of legislative districts so that they are unequal in population

Question 5

gerrymandering

Answer 5

drawing the boundaries of legislative districts in a bizarre or unusual shapes to favor one party

Question 6

sophomore surge

Answer 6

an increase in the votes congressional candidates usually get when they first run for reelection

Question 7

position issues

Answer 7

an issue about which the public is divided and rival candidates or political parties adopt different policy positions

Question 8

valence issue

Answer 8

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

Question 9

general election

Answer 9

an election held to choose which candidate will hold office

Question 10

primary election

Answer 10

an election held to chose candidates for office

Question 11

closed primary

Answer 11

a primary election in which voting is limited to already registered party members

Question 12

open primary

Answer 12

a primary election in which voters may choose in which party to vote as they enter the polling place

Question 13

blanket primary

Answer 13

a primary election in which each voter may vote for candidates from both parties

Question 14

runoff primary

Answer 14

a second primary election held when no candidate wins a majority of the votes in the first primary

Question 15

independent expenditures

Answer 15

spending by political action committees, corporations, or labor unions that is done to help a party or candidate but is done independently of them

Question 16

soft money

Answer 16

funds obtained by political parties that are spent on party activities, but not on behalf of a specific candidate

Question 17

527 organizations

Answer 17

organizations that, under section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code, raise and spend money to advance political causes

Question 18

prospective voting

Answer 18

voting for a candidate because you favor his or her ideas for handling issues

Question 19

retrospective voting

Answer 19

voting for a candidate because you like his or her past actions in office

Question 20

the person already holding an elective office

Answer 20

incumbent

Question 21

the 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

Answer 21

coattails

Question 22

a committee set up by a corporation, labor union, or interest group that raises and spends campaign money from voluntary donations

Answer 22

political action committee (PAC)

Question 23

drawing the boundaries of legislative districts so that they are unequal in population

Answer 23

malapportionment

Question 24

drawing the boundaries of legislative districts in bizarre or unusual shapes to favor one party

Answer 24

gerrymandering

Question 25

an increase in the votes congressional candidates usually get when they first run for reelection

Answer 25

sophomore surge

Question 26

an issue about which the public is divided and rival candidates or political parties adopt different policy positions

Answer 26

position issue

Question 27

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

Answer 27

valence issue

Question 28

an election held to choose which candidate will hold office

Answer 28

general election

Question 29

an election held to choose candidates for office

Answer 29

primary election

Question 30

a primary election in which voting is limited to already registered party members

Answer 30

closed primary

Question 31

a primary election in which voters may choose in which party to vote as they enter the polling place

Answer 31

open primary

Question 32

a primary election in which each voter may vote for candidates from both parties

Answer 32

blanket primary

Question 33

a second primary election held when no candidate wins a majority of the votes in the first primary

Answer 33

runoff primary

Question 34

spending by political action committees, corporations, or labor unions that is done to help party or candidate but is done independently of them

Answer 34

independent expenditures

Question 35

funds obtained by political parties that are spent on party activities, but not on behalf of a specific candidate

Answer 35

soft money

Question 36

organizations that, under section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code, raise and spend money to advance political causes

Answer 36

527 organizations

Question 37

voting for a candidate because you favor his or her ideas for handling issues

Answer 37

prospective voting

Question 38

voting for a candidate because you like his or her past actions in office

Answer 38

retrospective voting

Question 39

interest groups

Answer 39

an organizations of people sharing a common interest or goal that seeks to influence the making of public policy

Question 40

incentive

Answer 40

something of value one cannot get without joining the organization

Question 41

solidary incentives

Answer 41

the social rewards (sense of pleasure, status, or companionship) that lead people to join political organizations

Question 42

material incentives

Answer 42

money or things valued in monetary terms

Question 43

purposive incentive

Answer 43

a benefit that comes from serving a cause or principle

Question 44

ideological interest groups

Answer 44

political organizations that attract members by appealing to their political convictions or principles

Question 45

public-interest lobby

Answer 45

a political organization whose goals will principally benefit nonmenbers

Question 46

social movement

Answer 46

a widely shared demand for change in some aspect of the social or political order

Question 47

political cue

Answer 47

a signal telling a legislator what values are at stake in a vote, and how that issue fits into his or her own political views on party agenda

Question 48

ratings

Answer 48

assessments of a representative's voting record on issues important to an interest group

Question 49

an organization of people sharing a common interest or goal that seeks to influence the making of public policy

Answer 49

interest group

Question 50

something of value one cannot get without joining an organization

Answer 50

incentive

Question 51

the social rewards (sense of pleasure, status, or companionship) that lead people to join political organizations

Answer 51

solidary incentives

Question 52

money or things valued in monetary terms

Answer 52

material incentives

Question 53

a benefit that comes from serving a cause or principle

Answer 53

purposive incentive

Question 54

political organizations that attract members by appealing to their political convictions or principles

Answer 54

ideological interest groups

Question 55

a political organization whose goals will principally benefit nonmembers

Answer 55

public-interest lobby

Question 56

a widely shared demand for change in some aspect of the social or political order

Answer 56

social movement

Question 57

a signal telling a legislator what values are at stake in a vote, and how that issue fits into his or her own political views on party agenda

Answer 57

political cue

Question 58

assessments of a representative's voting record on issues important to an interest group

Answer 58

ratings

Question 59

institutional interests

Answer 59

individuals or organizations representing other organizations

Question 60

membership interests

Answer 60

organizations supported by the activities and contributions of individual citizens

Question 61

Official Secrets Act

Answer 61

British legislation to punish officials who divulge private government business

Question 62

Freedom of Information Act

Answer 62

U.S. legislation guaranteeing citizens access to certain government documents

Question 63

Gatekeeper

Answer 63

role of the media which involves influencing what subjects become national political issues and for how long

Question 64

"yellow journalism"

Answer 64

sensational news reporting

Question 65

visuals

Answer 65

filmed stories for evening television news

Question 66

FCC

Answer 66

The government agency charged with regulating the electronic media

Question 67

blog

Answer 67

a series, or log, of discussion items on a page of the World Wide Web

Question 68

on the record

Answer 68

information given by a government official that can be quoted by name

Question 69

off the record

Answer 69

information from an official that cannot be printed

Question 70

on background

Answer 70

information from an official that can be printed but not attributed to the official by name

Question 71

on deep background

Answer 71

information from an official that can be printed but not attributed at all

Question 72

adversarial press

Answer 72

the tendency of the national media to be suspicious of officials and eager to reveal unflattering stories about them

Question 73

reckless disregard

Answer 73

a court standard for finding the media guilty of libeling officials

Question 74

community needs

Answer 74

an official criterion for the renewal of broadcast licenses

Question 75

fairness doctrine

Answer 75

a principle that formerly obligated broadcasters to present both sides of an issue

Question 76

equal time rules

Answer 76

an obligation for broadcasters to give all candidates equal access to the media

Question 77

market (television)

Answer 77

an area easily reached by one television signal

Question 78

selective attention

Answer 78

the tendency of people to see what they like and ignore what they do not like

Question 79

White House Press Corps

Answer 79

reporters regularly assigned to cover the president

Question 80

Scorekeeper

Answer 80

role of the media which concerns the making of political reputations by providing coverage and mentioning candidates

Question 81

routine stories

Answer 81

public events regularly covered by reporters

Question 82

feature stories

Answer 82

public events not regularly covered by reporters

Question 83

insider stories

Answer 83

events that become public only if revealed to reporters

Question 84

canned news

Answer 84

press releases or other news items prepared for repoters

Question 85

attack journalism

Answer 85

journalism that seizes on information might question the character or qualifications of a public official

Question 86

loaded language

Answer 86

words that reflect a value judgement used to persuade the listener without making the arguement

Question 87

sound bite

Answer 87

a brief statement no longer than a few seconds used on a radio or television broadcast

Question 88

trial balloon

Answer 88

information provided ti the media by an anonymous source as a way of testing the reaction to a potential policy or appoitment

Question 89

Telecommunication Act of 1996

Answer 89

Allows one company to own as many as eight radio stations in large markets (five in smaller ones) and as many as it wishes nationally

Question 90

British legislation to punish officials who divulge private government business

Answer 90

Official Secrets Act

Question 91

U.S. legislation guaranteeing citizens access to certain government documents

Answer 91

Freedom of Information Act

Question 92

role of the media which involves influencing what subjects become national political issues and for how long

Answer 92

Gatekeeper

Question 93

sensational news reporting

Answer 93

"yellow journalism"

Question 94

filmed stories for evening television news

Answer 94

visuals

Question 95

The government agency charged with regulating the electronic media

Answer 95

FCC

Question 96

a series, or log, of discussion items on a page of the World Wide Web

Answer 96

blog

Question 97

information given by a government official that can be quoted by name

Answer 97

on the record

Question 98

information from an official that cannot be printed

Answer 98

off the record

Question 99

information from an official that can be printed but not attributed to the official by name

Answer 99

on background

Question 100

information from an official that can be printed but not attributed at all

Answer 100

on deep background

Question 101

the tendency of the national media to be suspicious of officials and eager to reveal unflattering stories about them

Answer 101

adversarial press

Question 102

a court standard for finding the media guilty of libeling officials

Answer 102

reckless disregard

Question 103

an official criterion for the renewal of broadcast licenses

Answer 103

community needs

Question 104

a principle that formerly obligated broadcasters to present both sides of an issue

Answer 104

fairness doctrine

Question 105

an obligation for broadcasters to give all candidates equal access to the media

Answer 105

equal time rules

Question 106

an area easily reached by one television signal

Answer 106

market (television)

Question 107

the tendency of people to see what they like and ignore what they do not like

Answer 107

selective attention

Question 108

reporters regularly assigned to cover the president

Answer 108

White House Press Corps

Question 109

role of the media which concerns the making of political reputations by providing coverage and mentioning candidates

Answer 109

Scorekeeper

Question 110

public events regularly covered by reporters

Answer 110

routine stories

Question 111

public events not regularly covered by reporters

Answer 111

feature stories

Question 112

events that become public only if revealed to reporters

Answer 112

insider stories

Question 113

press releases or other news items prepared for repoters

Answer 113

canned news

Question 114

journalism that seizes on information might question the character or qualifications of a public official

Answer 114

attack journalism

Question 115

words that reflect a value judgement used to persuade the listener without making the arguement

Answer 115

loaded language

Question 116

a brief statement no longer than a few seconds used on a radio or television broadcast

Answer 116

sound bite

Question 117

information provided ti the media by an anonymous source as a way of testing the reaction to a potential policy or appoitment

Answer 117

trial balloon

Question 118

Allows one company to own as many as eight radio stations in large markets (five in smaller ones) and as many as it wishes nationally

Answer 118

Telecommunication Act of 1996