AP Government Course Vocabulary

501 (c) groups - Groups that are exempted from reporting their contributions and can receive unlimited contributions. Section 501c of the tax code specifies that such groups cannot spend more than half their funds on political activities. 527 groups - Independent political groups that are not subject to contribution restrictions because they do not directly seek the election of particular candidates. activation - One of three key consequences of electoral campaigns for voters, in which the voter is activated to contribute money or ring doorbells instead of just voting. See also reinforcement and conversion. actual group - The people in the potential group who actually join. Adarand Constructors v. Pena - A 1995 Supreme Court decision holding that federal programs that classify people by race, even for an ostensibly benign purpose such as expanding opportunities for minorities, should be presumed to be unconstitutional. Such programs must be subject to the most searching judicial inquiry and can survive only if they are "narrowly tailored" to accomplish a "compelling governmental interest." administrative discretion - The authority of administrative actors to select among various responses to a given problem. Discretion is greatest when routines, or standard operating procedures, do not fit a case. advertising - According to David Mayhew, one of three primary activities undertaken by members of Congress to increase the probability of their reelection. Advertising involves contacts between members and their constituents between elections. See also credit claiming and position taking. affirmative action - A policy designed to give special attention to or compensatory treatment for members of some previously disadvantaged group. agents of socialization - Families, schools, television, peer groups, and other influences that contribute to political socialization by shaping formal and especially informal learning about politics. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 - A law passed in 1990 that requires employers and public facilities to make "reasonable accommodations" for people with disabilities and prohibits discrimination against these individuals in employment. amicus curiae briefs - Legal briefs submitted by a "friend of the court" for the purpose of raising additional points of view and presenting information not contained in the briefs of the formal parties. These briefs attempt to influence a court's decision