Cabinet A decision-making body that forms a key element of the executive. Unlike the British cabinet, there is no convention of collective ministerial responsibility within the United States. Cabinet members are policy specialists and are not united by campaign experience or party loyalty. Members of the Cabinet are widely considered to be a team of rivals.

Capitalism An economic system based on the market forces of supply and demand, private ownership and minimal state intervention. The prevalence of capitalism within the world economy has grown considerably since the end of the cold war, to the extent that there is no real alternative to capitalism. Capitalism and liberal democracy triumphed in the cold war and according to the neo-conservative theorist Francis Fukuyama we have now reached the “end of ideology.”

Categorical grants Where the federal government provides money to the states for a specific purpose. Governors often criticize categorical grants because they limit what they can achieve.

Caucus A local meeting in which party members select a party’s nominee for the general election. A caucus is held during the race for the presidential nomination.

Cert pool A system by which law clerks screen cases that come to the Supreme Court and recommend to the justices which cases should be heard. The Supreme Court can only hear cases relating to the interpretation of the Constitution.

Challenger A politician running for an office that he or she does not hold at the time of the election. The opposite of a challenger is an incumbent.

Checks and balances The system by which each branch of government can exercise power over another branch of government. The aim is to prevent an abuse of power and the tyranny of the majority. Critics however claim that there are too many checks, and not enough bipartisan compromise.

Citizenship The term has a narrow legalistic meaning (usually applicable in the context of immigration) and a broader political context. It alludes to the relationship between the state and the individual which consists of a series of rights and duties on behalf of both parties. The actual details of these rights and responsibilities develop over time.

Civil liberties A series of moral rights pertaining to the liberties and freedoms that are protected and guaranteed by the state on behalf of their citizens. Civil liberties are usually enshrined in a constitution, be it codified or uncodified. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with civil rights. The concept has expanded over time to incorporate the rights of LGBT people.

Civil rights Those rights that guarantee individuals freedom from discrimination, such as the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment. Ordinary legislation may also be considered.

Civil servants Employees of bureaucratic agencies within the government. The term has a more negative connotation in the states than in other liberal democracies.

Civil War amendments The thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth amendments to the Constitution. These amendments marked a significant development in the development of the civil rights movement, principally the equal protection clause of the fourteenth. It also marked the first time that the Constitution had been amended to impose prohibitions on what the states could do.

Civil War The conflict between northern unionists and southern confederalists over the issues of slavery and states’ rights. The Civil War marked an important historical epoch in the development of the United States. Federal forces triumphed and in the same year (1865) the thirteenth amendment was passed to outlaw slavery. Contrary to popular myth the American Civil War was actually about the extension of slavery, not the existence of slavery itself.

Clash of civilizations A description of the modern-day conflict between liberal democracy and Islamic fundamentalism. The clash of civilizations thesis was influential amongst neo-conservative figures in the Bush administration and is associated with the American political scientist Samuel Huntingdon (2002).

Class de-alignment A reversal of traditional class-based voting patterns. Sociologists have routinely argued that divisions within American society center upon race/wealth rather than social class. Due to their electoral importance politicians often emphasize the hard-pressed middle class; a term defined much more widely than other comparable democracies such as the UK. Middle-class wealthy Democrats are sometimes stereotyped as ‘latte liberals.’ In his book ‘What’s the matter with Kansas’ (2004), Thomas Frank argues that poor voters who might be classed as the precariat support the GOP when that might appear contrary to their own self-interest.

Clear and present danger test A benchmark that enables the government to restrict certain types of speech deemed dangerous. It may also be used to justify military action.

Closed primary A primary election in which only those with an official affiliation to that particular party are allowed to vote. It may be contrasted with an open primary. 

Closed rules Where conditions are placed on a legislative debate by the House Rules Committee. Closed rules prevent riders being added to a bill.

Cloture A procedure through which the Senate can effectively stop a filibuster. It requires the support of a supermajority. The party leaders within the upper chamber may also seek an informal agreement in order to deal with the issue of filibustering.

Coalminer’s son argument An argument used against the policy of affirmative action. In this scenario, the son of a white coalminer is discriminated against in favor of the African-American son of a neurosurgeon.

Coattails effect Where candidates from the same political party as the President gain support due to the high standing of the President. Given the loose character of party labels candidates from the same party as the President sometimes emphasize their opposition to the President. The impact of the coattails effect tends to weaken over time.

Codified constitution A Constitution laid down in one written document. The declaration of the US Constitution seeks to “form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense and general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty.”

Coercive federalism A form of federalism in which the federal government seeks to exert pressure upon the states to change their policies by using regulations, mandates and threats to withdraw federal funding. Control of the purse strings always holds political significance.

Commerce clause That part of Article I of the Constitution that gives Congress “the power to regulate Commerce . . . among the several States.” The mandated clause of Obamacare was declared constitutional on the basis of the commerce clause.

Common law That law based on the precedent of previous court rulings rather than on legislation itself. It is used in all federal courts and virtually all state courts.

Compassionate conservatism A term associated with the Bush campaign team during the presidential race in 2000. Compassionate conservatism reflects a moderate or centrist position combined with support for core conservative principles. The compassionate side relates to government spending on education, health care for the elderly and programs designed to combat HIV/AIDS in the third world. Critics of compassionate conservatism claim that it's little more than the meaningless rhetoric of bleeding-heart conservatives. To those on the libertarian right, compassionate conservatism has merely exacerbated federal interference and government borrowing.

Competitive federalism A form of federalism in which states compete to attract businesses and jobs through the policies they adopt. This may lead to lower taxation, lower levels of environmental regulation and so on. For instance, the sunbelt states have managed to attract businesses away from the rustbelt due to lower levels of taxation.

Concurrent powers Responsibilities for particular policy areas that are shared by federal, state, and local governments. Federalism entails a sharing of power between the federal and local level. Concurrent powers can be contrasted to implied powers.

Conditional party government The assumption that lawmakers from the same party will cooperate to develop a policy program.

Confederal government A form of government in which states hold power over a limited national government. During the Civil War, southern states fought under the banner of the confederacy.

Confederation A loose association of independent states. Some of the founding fathers – such as Alexander Hamilton – believed that the Articles of Confederation created a system that was too decentralized. The US Constitution established a federation, rather than a confederation.

Conference committees Those congressional committees created on a temporary basis to negotiate differences between the House and Senate versions of a piece of legislation that has passed through both chambers. A conference committee seeks to break the deadlock.

Congress The legislative branch of the federal government consisting of two chambers; the House of Representatives and the Senate. Congressional districts are reapportioned every ten years in response to the national census. As the total number of House representatives is fixed it is inevitable that some states will gain whereas others lose seats. In recent times, there has been a population shift from the rustbelt to sunnier climates. In 2010 those states which gained congressional districts were mainly in the south.

Congressional caucus A group of Congressional members who meet regularly to pursue shared objectives. Such groups may be formed on the basis of ideology, policy, ethnic background, etc. The number of caucus members is often indicative of the ideological balance within a party. For instance, the largest congressional caucus amongst Democrats is the progressive caucus. Similarly, the Tea party caucus within the GOP has become a notable feature of recent times.

Connecticut compromise The agreement reached between the New Jersey plan (which advocated strengthening the Articles of Confederation) and the Virginia plan (which favored a more radical approach). The Connecticut compromise is sometimes known as the great compromise and is associated with a figure from Connecticut called Roger Sherman. The smaller states agreed to join a greater whole in return for a number of guarantees relating to their independence. A new constitution was created at the Philadelphia convention chaired by George Washington.

Consent of the governed The idea that government gains its legitimacy through regular elections in which the people living under that government participate to elect their leaders. The consent of the governed is enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. In the 2012 referendum, the people of Puerto Rico declared that the US government no longer had their consent. As such, the US now governs without the consent of the governed for the first time since the Civil War.

Conservative revolution A series of policies – and other measures – implemented by conservative figures during the 1980s and 90s. By the time of the Reagan presidency, the defensiveness of previous generations had been replaced by an assertive and muscular form of conservatism. The conservative revolution should more accurately be called a counter-revolution against the prevalence of liberal mores. It entailed a reduction in the role of the federal government, an emphasis upon traditional values and a revival in the role of the states both in a fiscal and institutional sense.

Conservative Those who support the ideology or mindset of conservatism. The two main categories of conservatism are social and fiscal (the latter are sometimes dubbed budget hawks). Conservatives tend to the found in the GOP, although there are a small number of Blue Dog Democrats.

Constitutional authority Powers derived from the provisions of the Constitution that outline the President’s role in government.

Constitutional interpretation The process of determining whether a piece of legislation or governmental action is permissible under the Constitution. The Supreme Court is the ultimate authority on this matter.

Constitutional revolution A significant change in the Constitution that may be accomplished through amendments or a shift in the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Constitution (such as the Rehnquist revolution).

Constitutional rights Those fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution. The most important relate to the Bill of Rights. Several pressure groups seek to uphold civil liberties in the United States such as the ACLU and ADA.

Constitutionalism A belief in the centrality and importance of abiding by the framework of the Constitution. Liberal in origin, the concept of constitutionalism holds relevance to the contract between the citizen and the government.

Containment An important feature of our cold war policy in which the United States used diplomatic, economic and military strategies in an effort to prevent the Soviet Union from expanding its Empire. Containment derived from a famous article written by George Kennan.

Cooperative federalism A form of federalism in which national and state governments work together to provide services as efficiently as possible. This stage of federalism emerged in the 1930s as a result of the New Deal and a consequence of activist judgments made by the Supreme Court.

Credit claiming The acceptance of credit by a member of Congress for laws that specifically benefits their constituents. It is often claimed that ‘success has many fathers’ – and there is much veracity to this statement.

Crosscutting A term describing issues that raise disagreements within a party coalition between political parties about what government should do.

Cross-over voting Where Republican voters can participate in Democrat primaries and vice-versa. This occurs in open primaries and is reflective of the pluralist character of American elections.

Culture wars A term used to describe the clash of ideas between conservatives and liberals within American society over a range of moral and political issues such as abortion, gay rights, affirmative action and the role of religion within society. The culture wars have resonance beyond the beltway, contested everyday on the shop-floors and neighborhoods of America. The sociologist James Davison Hunter argues that the major cultural cleavage within society is between progressives from the orthodox. Neither camp is willing to compromise because there is too much at stake.