Gag order An aspect of prior restraint that allows the government to prohibit the media from publishing anything related to an ongoing trial.

General election That election in which voters cast ballots for House members, senators and (every four years) a presidential ticket.

General revenue sharing (GRS) A type of grant used in the 1970s and 1980s in which the federal government provided state governments with funds to be spent at each state’s discretion.

Generational re-alignment Where voting behavior demonstrates a striking distinction in terms of age. For instance, during the 1968 election many young voters deserted the Democrats. It has also been claimed that 2008 marked a significant change in voting behavior. Younger voters were certainly energized by Obama. However, support amongst the young remains more fickle than an older demographic.

Gerrymandering An electoral district drawn for the political benefit of the incumbent party or candidate. In many states, constituency boundaries are drawn with the deliberate intention of benefiting the incumbent party. This is linked to the use of majority-minority districts. The recent change in California may change the whole contours of the debate concerning gerrymandering. After a recent proposition, the electorate voted to give an independent Commission the power to draw constituency lines.

Glass ceiling Where marginalized groups such as ethnic minorities and women find it more difficult than white males to gain promotion at work. The glass ceiling is a clear illustration of prejudice and discrimination within society. Affirmative action is one solution to the problem posed by the glass ceiling.

Globalization The process of integrating national economies closer together and thereby making countries increasingly dependent on each other. The main features of globalization are the rapid growth in international trade facilitated by de-regulation and liberalization, a major increase in the mobility of capital and labor, a dramatic increase in the power of multi-national corporations and the ideological victory of capitalism.

Go public Where the Head of State uses speeches and other public communications to appeal directly to citizens about issues the President would like the House and Senate to act on. It is a way of exerting pressure upon members of Congress.

Going native A situation in which political appointments cease to be advocates for the politician who appointed them (such as the President) and instead promote the interests of the government department.

GOTV A campaign’s efforts to ‘get out the vote’ and make sure their supporters vote on the day of an election (also known as the ground game). In order to achieve this, a candidate/party needs to motivate the party base in some manner.

Grandfather clause A type of law enacted in several southern states to allow those who were permitted to vote before the Civil War, and their descendants, to bypass literacy tests and other obstacles to voting, thereby exempting whites from these tests while continuing to disenfranchise African Americans and other people of color. The term no longer holds relevance in the contemporary era.

Grant-in-aid Money derived from the central government for a specific project or scheme. Some level of independence from the central government is maintained, but the money must be used for the intended purpose. The central government may also specify minimum requirements and standards.

Grassroots lobbying A lobbying strategy that relies on participation by group members, such as a protest or a letter-writing campaign.

Great compromise A compromise between the large and small states, proposed by Connecticut, in which Congress would have two chambers: a Senate with two legislators per state and a House of Representatives in which each state’s representation would be based on population (also known as the Connecticut compromise).

Great Society The wide-ranging social agenda promoted by President Lyndon Johnson in the mid-1960s that aimed to improve Americans’ quality of life through governmental social programs. Ronald Reagan once quipped that the government declared war on poverty, and poverty won.

Gridlock The inability to enact legislation because of partisan conflict within Congress or between Congress and the President. Gridlock is exacerbated by the existence of divided government (where the party in control of Congress differs to that of the President) but is by no means unique to divided government. The respected political commentator Larry Sabato argues that “gridlock is not necessarily a bad thing [because] it limits government and party excesses.” His comment is consistent with the broader view of the founding fathers.