Chapters 16 – 18 American Government – Political Science
This chapter covers American Government & Political Science.
cold war
the period of struggle between the US and the former Soviet Union lasting from the late 1940s to 1990
world bank
an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programs
foreign policy
a government’s strategy in dealing with other nations
defense policy
public policy dealing with international security and the military
isolationism
avoidance in the involvement in the affairs of other nations
Barbary wars
two wars between the United States of America and Barbary States in North Africa in the early 19th century; At issue was the pirates’ demand of tribute from American merchant vessels in the Mediterranean Sea; American naval power attacked the pirate cities and extracted concessions of fair passage from their rulers
manifest destiny
the 19th-century doctrine or belief that the expansion of the US throughout the American continents was both justified and inevitable
expansionism
the policy of territorial or economic expansion
imperialist
supports a policy of extending a country’s power and influence through diplomacy or military force
Gadsden purchase
1853 for 10 million dollars strip of land in present day Arizona and New Mexico
neutrality
the state of not supporting or helping either side in a conflict, disagreement
disarmament
the reduction or withdrawal of military forces and weapons
IMF
International Monetary Fund; international organization created for the purpose of standardizing global financial relations and exchange rates
GATT
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade; multilateral agreement regulating international trade
WTO
World Trade Organization; only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations
NATO
The North American Treaty Organization; Military treaty between U.S. and free Europe; Collective security pact; Opposition was the Warsaw Pact
warsaw pact
A military alliance of communist nations in eastern Europe; Organized in 1955 in answer to NATO; included Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the Soviet Union
Truman doctrine
the principle that the US should give support to countries or peoples threatened by Soviet forces or communist insurrection; 1975, Truman
marshall plan
American initiative to aid Western Europe, in which the United States gave $13 billion in economic support to help rebuild Western European economies after the end of World War II
détente
the easing of hostility or strained relations, especially between countries
containment
a policy designed to curtail the political and military expansion of a hostile power
deterrence
the act or process of deterring; the maintenance of military power for the purpose of discouraging attack
enlargement
Policy implemented during the Clinton administration that the US would actively promote the expansion of democracy and free markets throughout the world
department of defense
the department of the U.S. federal government charged with ensuring that the military capacity of the U.S. is adequate to safeguard the national security
department of state
the department of the U.S. federal government that sets forth and maintains the foreign policy of the U.S., especially in negotiations with foreign governments and international organizations
national security council
the President’s principal forum for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and cabinet officials
department of homeland security
the department of the U.S. federal government charged with protecting U.S. territory from terrorist attacks and providing a coordinated response to large-scale emergencies
embargo act
1807; a general Embargo that made any and all exports from the United States illegal
elite theory
A theory of government and politics contending that societies are divided along class lines and that an upper-class elite will rule, regardless of the formal niceties of governmental organization
bureaucratic theory
a theory that believes that the hierarchical structure and standardized procedures of government allow bureaucrats to hold the real power over public policy; proposed by Max Weber
interest group theory
a theory that believes that many different interests compete to control government policy, and that their conflicting interests can balance out each other to provide good government
hyperpluralist theory
a theory of government and politics contending that groups are so strong that government is weakened
pluralist theory
A theory of government and politics emphasizing that politics is mainly a competition among groups, each one pressing for its own preferred policies
policy making
the act of creating laws or setting standards for a government or business
agenda setting
the power of the media to bring public attention to a particular issue or problem
policy implementation
fourth phase of the policy cycle in which adopted policies are put into effect
policy evaluation
Analysis of a public policy so as to determine how well it is working
budgeting
allow or provide a particular amount of money in a budget
policy adoption
third phase of the policy process in which policies are adopted by government bodies for future implementation
medicare
the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older, certain younger people with disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease
medicaid
A joint federal and state program that helps low-income individuals or families pay for the costs associated with long-term medical and custodial care, provided they qualify; run by the state
public health
the health of the population as a whole, especially as monitored, regulated, and promoted by the state
a contributory welfare program into which working Americans contribute a percentage of their wages and from which they receive cash benefits after retirement or if they become disabled
means tested
a procedure by which potential beneficiaries of public-assistance program establish their eligibility by demonstrating a genuine need for the assistance
contributory programs
social programs financed in whole or in part by taxation or other mandatory contributions by their present or future recipients
non-means tested
Provide cash assistance to qualified beneficiaries; Regardless of income; to be eligible, must make contributions
non-contributory programs
social programs that provide assistance to people on the basis of demonstrated need rather than any contribution they have made
SSI
Supplemental Security Income; provides stipends to low-income people who are either aged (65 or older), blind, or disabled
TANF
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; program provides temporary financial assistance for pregnant women and families with one or more dependent children
SNAP
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; largest nutrition assistance program administered by the USDA, serving more than 46 million low-income Americans per year, at a cost of more than $75 billion; improve participants’ food security and their access to a healthy diet
indexing
periodic process of adjusting social benefits or wages to account for increases in the cost of living
food stamp
a voucher issued by the government to those on low income, exchangeable for food
Obama care
a federal law providing for a fundamental reform of the U.S. healthcare and health insurance system, signed by President Barack Obama in 2010
COLAs
Cost-of-Living Adjustment; adjustment made to Social Security and Supplemental Security Income to adjust benefits to counteract the effects of inflation
entitlement
a legal obligation of the federal government to provide payments to individuals, or groups of individuals, according to eligibility criteria or benefit rules
in-kind benefits
noncash goods and services provided to needy individuals and families by the federal government
securities act
1933; A federal piece of legislation enacted as a result of the market crash of 1929
securities exchange act
1934; a law governing the secondary trading of securities (stocks, bonds, and debentures) in the United States of America
work progress administration
largest and most ambitious American New Deal agency, employing millions of unemployed people (mostly unskilled men) to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads
civilian conservation corps
public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families as part of the New Deal
personal responsibility and work opportunity reconciliation act
federal law considered to be a major welfare reform; cornerstone of the Republican Contract with America
national defense education act
1957; provided funding to United States education institutions at all levels
education amendment
1972, title IX; prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity
no child left behind act
reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which included Title I, the government’s flagship aid program for disadvantaged students
civil rights act
1964; landmark piece of civil rights legislation in the United States that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin
patient protection and affordable care act
aka “ObamaCare”; federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010
TARP
troubled asset relief program; a program of the United States government to purchase assets and equity from financial institutions to strengthen its financial sector that was signed into law by President Bush in 2008
deficit spending
government spending, in excess of revenue, of funds raised by borrowing rather than from taxation
laissez faire
abstention by governments from interfering in the workings of the free market
Keynesian theory
economic theory of total spending in the economy and its effects on output and inflation
“trickle down” theory
a populist political term used to characterize economic policies as favoring the wealthy or privileged
progressive era
a period of social activism and political reform in the United States that flourished from the 1890s to the 1920s
income tax
tax levied by a government directly on income, especially an annual tax on personal income
1929-1939; deepest and longest-lasting economic downturn in the history of the Western industrialized world; began soon after the stock market crash of October 1929, which sent Wall Street into a panic and wiped out millions of investors
interventionist
a person who favors intervention, especially by a government in its domestic economy or by one country in the affairs of another
new deal
A group of government programs and policies established under FDR in the 1930s; designed to improve conditions for persons suffering in the Great Depression
social regulation
rules aimed at restricting behaviors that directly threaten public health, safety welfare or well being
socially conscious era
the time after the great depression and during the new deal
deregulation
a policy of reducing or eliminating regulatory restraints on the conduct of individuals or private institutions
fiscal policy
the government’s use of taxing, monetary, and spending powers to manipulate the economy
public policy
a law, rule, statue, or edict that expresses the government’s goals and provides for rewards and punishments to promote those goals’ attainment
policy analysis
a systematic evaluation of the technical and political implications of alternatives proposed to solve public problems
reconciliation bill
a bill containing changes in law recommended pursuant to reconciliation instructions in a budget resolution
general bill
a bill that applies to all people and/or property in the state
local bill
a bill affecting only units of local government, such as a city, county, or special district
spending resolution
a budget resolution used to determine spending limits for twelve regular appropriations bills
continuing resolution
a piece of legislation that extends funding for federal agencies – typically at the same rate that they had been previously funded – into a new fiscal year until new appropriations bills become law
Kyoto protocol
an international treaty among industrialized nations that sets mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions
superfund
a US federal government program designed to fund the cleanup of toxic wastes
acid rain
rainfall made sufficiently acidic by atmospheric pollution that it causes environmental harm, typically to forests and lakes; main cause: industrial burning of coal and other fossil fuels, the waste gases from which contain sulfur and nitrogen oxides, which combine with atmospheric water to form acids
monetary policies
efforts to regulate the economy through the manipulation of the supply of money and credit
most powerful monetary policy; central banking system of the US
federal fund rates
“the interest rate” at which depository institutions (banks and credit unions) actively trade balances held at the Fed
open market operations
methods by which the open market committee of the Fed buys and sells government securities and other investment instruments to help finance government operations and to reduce or increase the total amount of money circulating in the economy
tariff
tax on imported goods
progressive taxation
taxation that hits upper income brackets more heavily
regressive taxation
taxation that hits lower income brackets more heavily
redistribution
a policy whose objective is to tax or spend in such a way as to reduce the disparities of wealth between the lowest and the highest income brackets
loopholes
incentives to individuals and businesses to reduce their tax liabilities by investing their money in areas the government designates
mandatory spending
federal spending that is made up of “uncontrollables”
uncontrollables
budgetary items that are beyond the control of budgetary committees and can be controlled only by substantive legislative action in congress
discretionary spending
federal spending on programs that are controlled through the regular budget process
subsidies
government grants of cash or other valuable commodities, such as land, to an individual or an organization
contracting power
the power of government to set conditions on companies seeking to sell goods or services to government agencies
temporary assets relief program
aka: “troubled asset relief program”; a program of the United States government to purchase assets and equity from financial institutions to strengthen its financial sector that was signed into law by President Bush in 2008
American recovery and reinvestment act
a stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama
interstate commerce commission
a regulatory agency in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887
Sherman anti-trust act
landmark federal statute in the history of United States antitrust law passed by Congress in 1890
pure food and drug act
An Act for preventing the manufacture, sale, or transportation of adulterated or misbranded or poisonous or deleterious foods, drugs, medicines, and liquors, and for regulating traffic therein, and for other purposes
clayton anti-trust act
An amendment passed by the U.S. Congress in 1914 that provides further clarification and substance to the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890; attempts to prohibit certain actions that lead to anti-competitiveness
federal deposit insurance corporation
an independent agency of the US federal government that preserves public confidence in the banking system by insuring deposits
glass-stegall act
four provisions of the U.S. Banking Act of 1933 that limited commercial bank securities, activities, and affiliations within commercial banks and securities firms
national labor relations act
act to protect the rights of employees and employers, to encourage collective bargaining, and to curtail certain private sector labor and management practices, which can harm the general welfare of workers, businesses and the U.S. economy
fair labor standards act
act that establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and youth employment standards affecting employees in the private sector and in Federal, State, and local governments; minimum wage of $7.25 per hour
clean air act
US federal law designed to control air pollution on a national level; one of the United States’ first and most influential modern environmental laws, and one of the most comprehensive air quality laws in the world
national environmental policy act
1970; environmental law that promotes the enhancement of the environment and established the President’s Council on Environmental Quality
clean water act
the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution
resource conservation and recovery act
1976; the principal federal law in the United States governing the disposal of solid waste and hazardous waste
comprehensive environmental response, compensation and liability act
1980; federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances as well as broadly defined “pollutants or contaminants”
safe drinking water act
the principal federal law in the United States intended to ensure safe drinking water for the public