Where everything is bipartisan until it is not.
A brief legislative meeting with no real business conducted, held solely to prevent the chamber from officially adjourning and thus blocking recess appointments or pocket vetoes. It's political theater where everyone admits they're just going through the motions.
Government funding allocated to projects that benefit a specific constituency primarily to boost a politician's re-election chances—because nothing says 'I care about you' like a bridge to nowhere.
An arrangement where two legislators on opposite sides of an issue agree to abstain from voting, canceling each other out, allowing one or both to miss the vote. It's the gentleman's agreement of parliamentary procedure.
Government spending allocated specifically to regional projects designed to curry favor with voters, regardless of actual merit or necessity. It's taxpayer money masquerading as economic stimulus, usually strategically timed before elections.
An official ban on something people definitely still want to do, proving that making things illegal just makes them more expensive and exciting. It's the formal act of forbidding specific activities or substances, most famously applied to alcohol in the 1920s with predictably chaotic results. The government's way of saying 'trust us, we know what's best for you.'
A political commentator who confidently predicts outcomes they have no special knowledge about, generating outrage and ratings in equal measure.
A voting system where voters rank candidates by preference, ensuring second and third choices count if no one wins outright—democracy's way of saying 'we'll count what you really want, not just your first impulse.' Common in progressive jurisdictions that believe your ballot should reflect nuance.
The deliberate process of reconciling conflicting parties and facilitating agreement between previously hostile groups—diplomacy's greatest hits album.