Political Science Concepts

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Caucus

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A system for selecting convention delegates used in about a dozen states where voters attend an open meeting to express their presidential preference.

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Closed primaries

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Elections to select party nominees in which only registered party members can vote for that party's candidates, encouraging greater party loyalty.

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Actual group

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The people in the potential group who actually join.

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Block grants

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Federal grants given more or less automatically to states or communities to support broad programs in areas like community development and social services.

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Civic duty

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The belief that to support democratic government, a citizen should vote.

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Critical election

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An electoral "earthquake" where new issues emerge, new coalitions replace old ones, and the majority party is often displaced by the minority party.

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Democracy

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A system of selecting policymakers and organizing government so that policy represents and responds to the public's preferences.

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Devolution

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Transferring responsibility for policies from the federal government to state and local governments.

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Amicus curiae brief

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Legal briefs submitted by a "friend of the court" to raise additional points of view and present information not contained in the briefs of the formal parties.

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Blue Dog Democrats

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Fiscally conservative Democrats mostly from the South and/or rural parts of the United States.