Back to FlashcardsLaw / AP Gov Vocab-All Part 7
incumbents
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Key Terms
Term
Definition
incumbents
Those already holding office. In congressional elections, incumbents usually win.
independent executive agency
The government agencies not accounted for by cabinet departments, independent regulatory commissions, and government corporations. Administrators are ...
independent expenditures
Expenses on behalf of a political message that are made by groups that are uncoordinated with any candidate's campaign.
independent regulatory commission
A government agency with the responsibility for making and enforcing rules to protect the public interest in some sector of the economy and for judgin...
inflation
A rise in price of goods and services.
interdependency
Mutual reliance, as in the economic realm, in which actions in nations reverberate and affect the economic well-being of people in other nations.
Related Flashcard Decks
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
incumbents | Those already holding office. In congressional elections, incumbents usually win. |
independent executive agency | The government agencies not accounted for by cabinet departments, independent regulatory commissions, and government corporations. Administrators are typically appointed by the president and serve at the president's pleasure. NASA is an example. |
independent expenditures | Expenses on behalf of a political message that are made by groups that are uncoordinated with any candidate's campaign. |
independent regulatory commission | A government agency with the responsibility for making and enforcing rules to protect the public interest in some sector of the economy and for judging disputes over these rules. |
inflation | A rise in price of goods and services. |
interdependency | Mutual reliance, as in the economic realm, in which actions in nations reverberate and affect the economic well-being of people in other nations. |
interest group | An organization of people with shared policy goals entering the policy process at several points to try to achieve those goals. Interest groups pursue their goals in many arenas. |
intergovernmental relations | The workings of the federal system-the entire set of interactions among national, state, and local governments, including regulations, transfers of funds, and the sharing of information. |
investigative journalism | The use of in-depth reporting to unearth scandals, scams, and schemes, at times putting reporters in adversarial relationships with political leaders. |
invisible primary | The period before any votes are cast when candidates compete to win early support from the elite of the party and to create a positive first impression of their leadership skills. |
iron triangles | Also known as subgovernments, a mutually dependent, mutually advantageous relationship between bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees or subcommittees. Iron triangles dominate some areas of domestic policy making. |
isolationism | The foreign policy course the United States followed throughout most of its history whereby it tried to stay out of other nations' conflicts, particularly European wars. |
Joint Chiefs of Staff | A group that consists of the commanding officers of each of the armed services, a chairperson, and a vice chairperson, and advises the president on military policy. |
joint committees | Congressional committees on a few subject-matter areas with membership drawn from both houses. |
judicial activism | An approach to decision making in which judges sometimes make bold policy decisions, even charting new constitutional ground. |
judicial implementation | How and whether court decisions are translated into actual policy, thereby affecting the behavior of others. The courts rely on other units of government to enforce their decisions. |
judicial restraint | An approach to decision making in which judges play minimal policy making roles and defer to legislatures whenever possible. |
judicial review | The power of the courts to determine whether acts of Congress and, by implication, the executive are in accord with the U.S. Constitution. Judicial review was established by Marbury v. Madison. |
justiciable disputes | Issues capable of being settled as a matter of law. |
Keynesian economic theory | Named after English economist John Maynard Keynes, the theory emphasizing that government spending and deficits can help the economy deal with its ups and downs. Proponents of this theory advocate using the power of government to stimulate the economy when it is lagging. |
Korematsu v. United States | A 1944 Supreme Court decision that upheld as constitutional the internment of more than 100,000 Americans of Japanese descent in encampments during World War II. |
laissez-faire | The principle that government should not meddle in the economy. |
legislative oversight | Congress's monitoring of the bureaucracy and its administration of policy, performed mainly through hearings. |
legislative veto | A vote in Congress to override a presidential decision. Although the War Powers Resolution asserts this authority, there is reason to believe that, if challenged, the Supreme Court would find the legislative veto in violation of the doctrine of separation of powers. |
Lemon v. Kurtzman | The 1971 Supreme Court decision that established that aid to church-related schools must (1) have a secular legislative purpose; (2) have a primary effect that neither advances nor inhibits religion; and (3) not foster excessive government entanglement with religion. |
libel | The publication of false and malicious statements that damage someone's reputation. |
limited government | The idea that certain restrictions should be placed on government to protect the natural rights of citizens. |
linkage institutions | The political channels through which people's concerns become political issues on the policy agenda. In the United States, linkage institutions include elections, political parties, interest groups, and the media. |
lobbying | According to Lester Milbrath, a 'communication by someone other than a citizen action on his or her own behalf, directed to a government decision maker with the hope of influencing his or her decision.' |
majority leader | The principal partisan ally of the Speaker of the House, or the party's manager in the Senate. The majority leader is responsible for scheduling bills, influencing committee assignments, and rounding up votes on behalf of the party's legislative positions. |