Vocab - Summer

Question 1

Fiscal Policy

Answer 1

taxing and spending by the government (Congress/President)

Question 2

Incrementalism

Answer 2

major policy changes effected through small changes over a long period of time

Question 3

Progressive Taxation

Answer 3

a tax by which the government takes a greater share of the income of the rich rather than the poor

Question 4

Flat tax

Answer 4

one tax rate regardless of the amount of income a person makes (also called proportional)

Question 5

Regressive Tax

Answer 5

tax that falls more heavily upon the low income groups than upon wealthy taxpayers

Question 6

Deficit Spending

Answer 6

government spending that exceeds money brought brought in through taxation, requiring borrowing of money

Question 7

National Debt

Answer 7

amount of money owed by the federal government

Question 8

Mandatory Spending

Answer 8

federal programs that by law must be funded (Social Security, interest on national debt)

Question 9

Discretionary Spending

Answer 9

spending on federal programs that can be controlled by Congress and the president (aid to schools, construction of roads/bridges, etc.)

Question 10

Entitlement

Answer 10

a guarantee of access to something, such as welfare benefits, based on established rights or by legislation (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc.)

Question 11

Medicare

Answer 11

a program that provides hospitalization insurance for the elderly and permits older Americans to purchase inexpensive coverage for doctors fees and other medical payments

Question 12

Medicaid

Answer 12

a public assistance program designed to provide health care for poor Americans. Funded by state and national governments

Question 13

Social Security

Answer 13

the Old - Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance federal program (entitlement)

Question 14

Clear Air Act

Answer 14

national mandate to promote and implement policies targeting air pollution

Question 15

Clean Water Act

Answer 15

national mandate to promote and implement policies targeting water pollution

Question 16

Affirmative Action

Answer 16

a policy designed to give special attention to or compensatory treatment to members of some previously disadvantaged group

Question 17

Categorical Grants

Answer 17

federal grants that can be used only for specific purposes of state and local spending. They come with strings attached.

Question 18

Block Grants

Answer 18

federal grants given more or less automatically to states or communities to support broad programs in areas such as community development and social services

Question 19

Mandate

Answer 19

a national policy that states must implement whether they receive money or not

Question 20

Monetary Policy

Answer 20

efforts to control the money supply, mostly by changing interest rates (Federal Reserve)

Question 21

Devolution

Answer 21

the modern conservative belief that the government should transfer responsibility for policies from the federal to state

Question 22

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Answer 22

law that made racial discrimination against any group in hotels, motels , and restaurants illegal and forbade many forms of job discrimination

Question 23

Poll Tax

Answer 23

a requirement that citizens pay a tax in order to register to vote

Question 24

Literacy Test

Answer 24

A requirement that citizens pass a literacy test in order to register to vote

Question 25

Grandfather Clause

Answer 25

A clause in registration laws allowing people who do not meet registration requirements to vote if they or their ancestors had voted before 1867

Question 26

Miranda v Arizona

Answer 26

Supreme Court decision that sets guidelines for police questioning of accused persons to protect them from self incrimination and to protect their right to counsel

Question 27

Plessy v Ferguson

Answer 27

Supreme Court decision from 1896 that states that segregation was constitutional as long as there was equal facilities, which established the separate but equal doctrine.

Question 28

Brown v Topeka BOE

Answer 28

Supreme Court decision that ended racial segregation in public schools (separate can never be equal)

Question 29

Roe v Wade

Answer 29

since a person has a right to privacy, a woman has a right to abortion

Question 30

Buckley v Valeo

Answer 30

Supreme Court decision that stated that federal government can limit an individuals campaign contribution to a candidate, but a candidate cam contribute as much as he/she wants to his/her own campaign

Question 31

Welfare Society

Answer 31

the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well being of its citizens