Glossary of Political Terms
Absent Vote
- A vote cast by voters who are out of their division but still within their State or Territory which may be cast at any polling place in that State or Territory. Voters who do this vote on a special form and mail it in.
- (50%+1 vote). A term used to compare the least votes a winning candidate may need in a preferential single member voting system compared with that of first- past-the-post systems of other countries where a “majority” may well be less than 50%. Also a concept used in some parliamentary votes where a simple majority of all members present is not enough.
- The power to send a bill back to the legislature with suggested changes.
- An act of Congress that enables Federal agencies to spend money for specific purposes.
- Assists the minority leader in the Senate, rounds up votes.
- Tormenting or teasing by saying annoying or cruel things.
- A balanced budget occurs when total revenues equal total outlays for a fiscal year.
- A leaning in favor of or against something or someone; partiality or prejudice.
- A legislative proposal that if passed by both the House and the Senate and approved by the President becomes law. Each bill is assigned a bill number. HR denotes bills that originate in the House and S denotes bills that originate in the Senate.
- A legislative act that declares the guilt of an individual and doles out punishment without a judicial trial. The state legislatures and Congress are forbidden by Article 1, sections 9 and 10 of the Constitution to pass such acts. This is an important ingredient of the separation of powers.
- A procedure in the House of Representatives during which each standing committees may bring up for consideration any bill that has been reported on the floor on or before the previous day. The procedure also limits debate for each subject matter to two hours.
- A series of planned actions for getting someone elected.
- A person who seeks, or who has been suggested for an office or award.
- Taking care of constituents' problems; "errand-running" for particular individuals.
- A person who is a member of a country or state; citizens have certain duties and rights.
- A motion generally used in the Senate to end a filibuster. Invoking cloture requires a vote by 3/5 of the full Senate. If cloture is invoked further debate is limited to 30 hours, it is not a vote on the passage of the piece of legislation.
- A committee including all members of the House. It allows bills and resolutions to be considered without adhering to all the formal rules of a House session, such as needing a quorum of 218. All measures on the Union Calendar must be considered first by the Committee of the Whole.
- Provides expert technical and computer services to Congress; analyzes the budget proposal of the office of management and budget; determines the economic consequences of legislation.
- The 435 areas in which the nation is divided for the purpose of electing members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Each district is to be as proportional in population size as practicable within a given state (currently 700,000).
- All of the voters in a particular district.
- Having the right to vote or elect; any of the voters represented by a particular official.
- A type of legislation designated by H Con Res or S Con Res that is often used to express the sense of both chambers, to set annual budget or to fix adjournment dates. Concurrent resolutions are not signed by the President and therefore do not hold the weight of law.
- A member or members that add his or her name formally in support of another members bill. In the House a member can become a co-sponsor of a bill at any point up to the time the last authorized committee considers it. In the Senate a member can become a co-sponsor of a bill anytime before the vote takes place on the bill.
- A list of bills selected by the Speaker of the House in consultation with the Minority leader that will be considered in the House and debated for one hour. Generally, bills are selected because they focus on changing laws, rules or regulations that are judged to be outdated or unnecessary. A 3/5 majority of those present and voting is required to pass bills on the Corrections Calendar.
- Face-to-face discussion of candidates' views on issues.
- Government by the people, through free and frequent elections.
- A petition that if signed by a majority of the House, 218 members, requires a bill to come out of a committee and be moved to the floor of the House.
- In the Senate, a special motion that any Senator may introduce to relieve a committee of consideration of a bill before it.
- The guarantee in the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution that one may not be tried twice for the same crime. For example, an individual declared not guilty of murdering a neighbor cannot be tried again for that murder. The person is not, however, exempt from being tried for the murder of another individual.
- Expressed opinions intended to persuade viewers and listeners by taking a side.
- The process whereby eligible persons vote to determine who will hold a political office.
- The day reserved for people to vote. In general elections, it is by tradition the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Primary elections are also usually held on Tuesdays.
- The voters, or electors, of each state that formally elect the United States President and Vice President. Each state has as many electoral college votes as it does U.S. Representatives and U.S. Senators in Congress.
- A form of government that has free, fair, and frequent elections.
- A law that requires the paying of monetary benefits to some person or persons who meet the eligibility requirements established by the law; a binding obligation of the government (i.e. Social Security).
- The claimed right of executive officials to refuse to appear before, or to withhold information from, the legislature or courts on the grounds that the information is confidential and would damage the national interest. For example, President Nixon refused, unsuccessfully, to surrender his subpoenaed White House tapes by claiming executive privilege.
- This critical instrument of active presidential power is nowhere defined in the Constitution but generally is construed as a presidential directive that becomes law without prior congressional approval.
- Powers which are directly specified in the Constitution.
- A law that makes criminal an act that was legal when it was committed, or that increases the penalty for a crime after it has been committed, or that changes the rules of evidence to make conviction easier; a retroactive criminal law. A Latin term meaning "after the fact." The state legislatures and Congress are forbidden to pass such laws by Article I, section 9 and 10 of the Constitution.
- Of or describing a union of states having a central government or pertaining to that government.
- A system in which the states and national government share responsibilities. When people talk about the federal government, they generally mean the national government, although the term often refers to the division of powers between the state and national governments.
- An informal term for extended debate or other procedures used to prevent a vote on a bill in the Senate.
- Grants given to anyone who meets certain guidelines (grants such as those for school lunches, airports or highways).
- The constitutional right to vote.
- Checks to see that government spending is proper and reasonable; headed by the Comptroller General who is appointed by the President, with the Senate's approval, for a 15 year term.
- Relevant to the bill or business either chamber is addressing. The House requires an amendment to meet a standard of relevance, being germane, unless a special rule has been passed.
- Letters that stand for Grand Old Party, the nickname of the Republican party.
- The involvement of common citizens.
- The selection of a governor by a state's voters.
- A court order directing a police officer, sheriff, or warden who has a person in custody to bring the prisoner before a judge and show sufficient cause for his or her detention. Designed to prevent illegal arrests and unlawful imprisonment. A Latin term meaning "you shall have the body".
- Box on House Clerk's desk where members deposit bills and resolution to introduce them.
- A list of all the public bills that do not address money and may be considered by the House of Representatives.
- Slang for political ads. e.g. slick short TV commercials.
- A formal accusation against a public official by the lower house of a legislative body. Impeachment is merely an accusation and not a conviction. Two presidents have been impeached, Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998. Neither was convicted. In the case of Johnson, the Senate failed by one vote to obtain the necessary two-thirds vote required for conviction. In the case of Clinton, fifty senators voted for conviction, again missing the two-thirds requirement.
- Powers which are not explicitly stated in the constitution, but which are implied through the "necessary and proper" clause in Article I, Section 8.
- A person now holding an office.
- A candidate not belonging to one of the major political parties.
- Powers which the national government naturally has to represent the country in relations with other countries.
- An electoral procedure whereby citizens can propose legislation or constitutional amendments and refer the decision to a popular vote by obtaining the required number of signatures on a petition.
- Problems, ideas to be talked about, questions, decided upon and voted on.
- A type of legislation designated by H J Res or S J Res that is treated the same as a bill unless it proposes an amendment to the Constitution. In this case, 2/3 majority of those present and voting in both the House and the Senate and 3/4 ratification of the states are required for the Constitutional amendment to be adopted.
- An election in which one candidate defeats the other by a very large margin.
- An act of Congress that has been signed by the President or passed over his veto by Congress. The two digits before the hyphen correspond to the Congress, and the one or more digits after the hyphen refer to the numerical sequence in which the bills were signed by the President during that Congress.
- A form of government that has free, fair and frequent elections while also providing civil rights and liberties to its citizens.
- The power of a governor to veto particular lines (items) in budget appropriations bills.
- A hierarchically organized, centrally led state or local party organization that rewards members with material benefits (patronage).
- Leads the majority party in Congress. There is a majority and minority leader for each house of Congress.
- Assists the leader, rounds up votes for the majority party, heads group of deputy whips. There is one in each house of Congress.
- A requirement set by the national government to force states to perform a particular action.
- In the House, assists the minority leader, rounds up votes, heads large forum of deputy and assistant whips.
- A motion that requests a bill be send back to committee for further consideration. Normally, the motion is accompanied by instructions concerning what the committee should change in the legislation or general instructions such as that the committee should hold further hearings.
- A motion that is not debatable and that can be made by any Senator or Representative on any pending question. Agreement to the motion is equivalent to defeating the question tabled.
- Negative, often personal, frequently inaccurate or exaggerated attacks of the opposition.
- The person that a political party chooses to represent it in a general election. This is called nomination.
- Not supporting or controlled by a group or a cause.
- A ballot listing all candidates for a given office under the name of that office; also called a "Massachusetts" ballot.
- An advisory body that prepares the national budget and reviews agency requests for congressional appropriations. The OMB prepares the national budget, supervises and controls the administration of the budget, and helps the President propose legislation dealing with the budget. In addition, the OMB assists in the preparation of proposed executive orders and keeps the President informed of all overall activities of the government. The Director of the OMB is appointed by the President with Senate approval.
- A strong, often emotional supporter of a person or cause; can apply to a group as well as individuals.
- A group of people who join together because they share many ideas about what the government should do.
- A ballot listing all candidates of a given party together under the name of that party; also called an "Indiana" ballot.
- One person who oversees the activities of a legislative house. A presiding officer can have either a major or minor leadership role in his or her house.
- A public statement of the principles, objectives, and policy of a political party, a plan.
- An organization created to raise money in support or opposition of a particular candidate or candidates. A PAC must be registered with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), and may be formed by any group, including businesses, labor unions, and special interest groups.
- A bill that is introduced on behalf of a specific individual and that if enacted into law only applies to the specific person or organization the bill concerns. Often, private bills address immigration or naturalization issues.
- A list of all the private bills that are to be considered by the House. It is called on the first and third Tuesday of every month.
- Grants given to those who make special requests for aid.
- A tax where people with higher incomes pay a higher percentage of taxable income in state taxes.
- A bill that applies to the general public, if enacted into law.
- If the President disapproves a bill and sends it back to Congress with his objections, Congress may try to override his veto and enact the bill into law. Neither house is required to attempt to override a veto. The override of a veto requires a recorded vote with a two-thirds majority in each chamber. The question put to each house is: "Shall the bill pass, the objections of the President to the contrary notwithstanding?"
- A place where votes are cast; also refers to a survey to assess public opinion or to forecast an election.
- A person or company that researches public opinion.
- An administrative division of voters by neighborhood; smallest political unit in U.S. politics. Cities and counties are divided into precinct polling districts that have varying numbers of registered voters based on State law.
- Of or having to do with the people as a whole.
- The number of Representatives or Senators that must be present before business can begin. In the House 218 members must be present for a quorum. In the Senate 51 members must be present however, Senate can conduct daily business without a quorum unless it is challenged by a point of order.
- Formal approval by voters or other persons.
- The legal process of submitting to the voters for their approval or rejection of proposed state or rejection of proposed state of local laws or constitutional amendments.
- A type of legislation (H Res or S Res) that is adopted only by the house that introduces it, and deals with issues concerning the operation of that house only.
- The ability to use language effectively. The undue use of exaggeration or display. The art of influencing others through the use of words.
- An informal term for an amendment or provision that is not relevant to the legislation where it is attached.
- A type of legislation designated by H Res or S Res that is used primarily to express the sense of the chamber where it is introduced or passed. It only has the force of the chamber passing the resolution. A simple resolution is not signed by the President and cannot become Public Law.
- Voting for candidates of different parties for various offices in the same election. For example, voting for a Republican for senator and a Democrat for president.
- The original member who introduces a bill.
- Voting candidates who are all of the same party. For example, voting for Republican candidates for senator, representative, and president.
- An amendment that would replace existing language of a bill or another amendment with its own.
- Legislation that has a specific expiration or renewal date. Sunset legislation can be used in several situations.
- It can be used to persuade legislators who do not strongly support a particular measure. When the legislation lasts only a set length of time, the "on the fence" legislators are more likely to vote for it because of its "temporary" nature.
- Some issues change rapidly (e.g., technology-related issues), and therefore legislation pertaining to these issues must be updated periodically.
- A vote which takes a quantity greater than the majority, usually 2/3 or 3/4, to pass.
- A procedure in the House that limits debate on a bill to 40 minutes, bars amendments to the legislation and requires a 2/3 majority of those present and voting for the measure to be passed.
- A limit on the number of consecutive terms an elected official can serve.
- Without favor or blame, objective.
- When the federal government sets regulations for the states to follow and does not provide the states with funds to carry them out.
- A list of all bills that address money and may be considered by the House of Representatives. Generally, bills contained in the Union Calendar can be categorized as appropriations bills or bills raising revenue.
- A power that allows the President, a governor or a mayor to refuse approval of a piece of legislation. Federally, a President returns a vetoed bill to the Congress, generally with a message. Congress can accept the veto or attempt to override the veto by a 2/3 majority of those present and voting in both the House and the Senate.
"Government 101: The Budget." Project Vote Smart - American Government, Elections, Candidates and Voting. Project Vote Smart, n.d. Web. 14 July 2015. <http://votesmart.org/education/budget#.VaVxR65Viko>.
"Government 101: The Constitution." Project Vote Smart - American Government, Elections, Candidates and Voting. Project Vote Smart, n.d. Web. 16 June 2015. <https://votesmart.org/education/constitution#.VYAuHDBViko>.
"Government 101: Elections." Project Vote Smart - American Government, Elections, Candidates and Voting. Project Vote Smart, n.d. Web. 14 July 2015. <http://votesmart.org/education/elections#.VaVuIq5Viko>.
"Government 101: State Governments." Project Vote Smart - American Government, Elections, Candidates and Voting. Project Vote Smart, n.d. Web. 14 July 2015. <http://votesmart.org/education/states#.VaV4pq5Viko>.
"Political Glossary." Project Vote Smart - American Government, Elections, Candidates and Voting. Project Vote Smart, n.d. Web. 16 June 2015. <https://votesmart.org/education/vocabulary#.VYAigDBViko>.
"Government 101: The Constitution." Project Vote Smart - American Government, Elections, Candidates and Voting. Project Vote Smart, n.d. Web. 16 June 2015. <https://votesmart.org/education/constitution#.VYAuHDBViko>.
"Government 101: Elections." Project Vote Smart - American Government, Elections, Candidates and Voting. Project Vote Smart, n.d. Web. 14 July 2015. <http://votesmart.org/education/elections#.VaVuIq5Viko>.
"Government 101: State Governments." Project Vote Smart - American Government, Elections, Candidates and Voting. Project Vote Smart, n.d. Web. 14 July 2015. <http://votesmart.org/education/states#.VaV4pq5Viko>.
"Political Glossary." Project Vote Smart - American Government, Elections, Candidates and Voting. Project Vote Smart, n.d. Web. 16 June 2015. <https://votesmart.org/education/vocabulary#.VYAigDBViko>.