Where everything is bipartisan until it is not.
The act of voting by ballot, typically done through a written or electronic system to ensure privacy and record-keeping—democracy's way of making your opinion official without requiring you to shout it in a crowded town square.
The orderly exodus of people from a location due to danger or emergency—think fire drills but with actual consequences. It's what you do when staying put is no longer an option and the building clearly doesn't want you there anymore.
Either an actual unelected bureaucracy running actual policy, or a conspiracy theory that makes people shout on internet forums—it's increasingly hard to tell which.
The redistribution of congressional seats among states based on population changes following the Census, determining political power for the next decade.
Money allocated for unexpected expenses, typically requested by agencies and used for whatever they want anyway.
When someone in power dramatically quits, usually a monarch deciding they'd rather do literally anything else. The ultimate power move of refusing to power.
Substances or particles released into the atmosphere, usually from industrial processes, vehicles, or other sources—the stuff that makes environmentalists cry and regulatory agencies write stern letters.
A cynical term for a governmental system perceived as being run by incompetent poseurs and political theater rather than actual governance. It's what conspiracy theorists mutter into their coffee and what disillusioned voters yell at their TVs during election season.
A committee meeting where legislators revise and amend draft legislation, essentially editing homework as a group while arguing about every comma. It's where bills get their battle scars before hitting the floor.
A rank-and-file legislator without a leadership position, literally sitting in the back rows of parliament and metaphorically sitting in the back rows of power. They vote as told and dream of the frontbench.
Voting for every candidate from a single party on a ballot, often by checking one box. It's democracy's version of brand loyalty, requiring zero research about individual candidates.
The brief window after an election when the new administration gets benefit of the doubt and media treats them like they might not be terrible. It lasts anywhere from 100 days to about 100 minutes depending on how quickly someone says something stupid.
An acronym meaning 'Vice President I'd Like to Facebook,' a sanitized and social-media-appropriate variant of a more explicit phrase that emerged during Sarah Palin's 2008 VP run. It's political attraction repackaged for the Web 2.0 era. Because nothing says democracy like turning politicians into memes.
Legislation requiring government meetings and records to be open to public scrutiny, because apparently politicians need to be legally forced to do their jobs in daylight. A radical concept that government should actually be visible to the governed.
When no single party wins an outright majority in parliamentary elections, forcing coalition negotiations or minority government. Democracy's version of no one getting to sit at the cool table, so everyone awkwardly shares.
Legislation adorned with so many amendments, earmarks, and special provisions that it resembles a decorated holiday tree, with each member of Congress hanging their pet project on it. A must-pass bill that becomes a legislative grab bag because everyone knows it's going through regardless.
Political rhetoric designed to excite and energize a party's base supporters, typically involving emotional appeals, partisan attacks, or extreme positions. The junk food of political discourse—satisfying to the faithful but nutritionally void.
Bad government that creates chaos and lawlessness—essentially what happens when someone's 'leadership philosophy' is 'see how much I can break before anyone notices.'
The fancy term for 'the person (or branch) who actually makes things happen,' as opposed to bureaucrats who debate whether things should happen. In government, it's the branch that enforces laws; in business, it's whoever gets blamed when projections miss.
A temporary alliance of political parties, groups, or nations formed to achieve a common goal — emphasis on temporary, because these marriages of convenience rarely last. Essential in parliamentary systems where no single party has a majority, forcing rivals to play nice and share power. The political equivalent of frenemies working together on a group project.
A legislative system with only one chamber, because apparently some governments decided two houses was one too many places for politicians to accomplish nothing. It's democracy's studio apartment—more efficient, cheaper to maintain, but with half the space for checks and balances. Found mostly in smaller countries and U.S. states that decided Nebraska should be unique in some way.
An amendment or provision added to legislation specifically to make it unpalatable to opponents or even proponents, sabotaging the bill's chances. It's political sabotage dressed as policy contribution.
A backroom political negotiation where party bosses and power brokers make deals away from public scrutiny. Despite modern ventilation standards and smoking bans, the metaphor persists for any shady political wheeling and dealing.
A candidate who runs not to win but to test the waters, draw fire from the real candidate, or divide opposition. They're the political equivalent of a decoy, and often don't realize it until too late.