Habeas corpus The ancient right that no person shall be detained without some form of trial, or jury. The Supreme Court strives to uphold habeas corpus. Two recent examples to consider are Rumsfeld v. Padilla (2004) and Hamdi v. Rumsfeld (2004). In the former, the Supreme Court ruled that habeas corpus petition had been improperly filed. In the latter, the Supreme Court ruled that Yaser Esam Hamdi had been detained indefinitely as an enemy combatant. Whilst the Court acknowledged the ability of the government to detain enemy combatants, it said that detainees who are US citizens should have the ability to challenge the verdict before an impartial judge.

Hactivism Cyber-attacks by outsider groups such as Anonymous against those believed to be abusing their power. In 2013, the New York Times website was infiltrated by hackers called the Syrian Electronic Army. It was in response to Obama’s willingness to take action against the Assad regime.

Hard money Donations used to help elect or defeat a specific candidate. Hard money may be contrasted with soft money.

Hard news Media coverage focused on facts and issues of substance.

Hastert rule Where the Speaker of the House will not allow a vote in the lower chamber on a bill unless a majority of GOP members supports the measure. This informal rule is one illustration of the trend towards ideological polarization.

Hawkish Where a politician adopts a ‘tough’ stance on matters of foreign policy. Those who adopt a contrary view are termed doves.

Head of State That person who represents the country symbolically and politically.

Horse race A description of the type of election coverage that focuses more on poll results and speculation about a likely winner than on substantive ideological differences between the candidates.

Horse-trading A situation in which members of Congress trade their support on different bills in order to gain the safe passage of measures that benefit each member’s district or state. This is an integral element of pork-barrel politics. It is sometimes called log-trading and reflects Aristotle’s observation tat politics is the “art of compromise.”

Hostile media phenomenon The idea that supporters of a candidate or issue tend to feel that media coverage is biased against their position, regardless of whether coverage is actually unfair. For instance, those on the right often complain about the liberal ‘lame-stream’ media.

Human rights Those rights to which we are entitled based on our shared humanity regardless of social background. They are universal, inalienable and absolute. In ideological terms, human rights are closely associated with liberalism. Human rights are deeply embedded within the American system (particularly the Bill of Rights and the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment).

Hyde amendment A legal amendment designed to prevent federal money being used to fund abortions. It is part of a broader strategy intended to undermine the right of a woman to perform an abortion. The pro-life movement has employed these ‘stealth tactics’ as any chance of a complete overturn of Roe v. Wade (where the issue would be returned to state jurisdiction) appear slim. Some states get around the Hyde amendment by enabling Medicaid programs to fund an abortion. The Hyde amendment was recently reaffirmed by Obama.

Hyper-pluralism A term used to highlight the negative impact of pressure group activity upon the political process. Hyper-pluralism implies that having such a high number of pressure groups within the states makes the task of governance more complex. Legislation is therefore made more cumbersome by the numerous access points available to pressure groups.

Hyphenated society A term used to reflect the sheer cultural diversity of the United States. Many people describe themselves in terms of Irish-American, Cuban-American, Italian-American, Polish-American, etc. Interlinked to this observation is the notion of a ‘melting-pot’ in which people from all over the world come to the land of opportunity to live out the American Dream.