Where everything is bipartisan until it is not.
When two parties who were absolutely furious at each other decide maybe they should be friends again. The fancy French word for 'let's pretend the past never happened.'
Money allocated for unexpected expenses, typically requested by agencies and used for whatever they want anyway.
A political commentator who confidently predicts outcomes they have no special knowledge about, generating outrage and ratings in equal measure.
A system where states get votes based on congressional representation, ensuring that losing the popular vote doesn't prevent you from becoming president.
To set aside, designate, or allocate funds or resources for a specific purpose, especially in government or institutional budgeting—the formal way to say 'we're officially spending money on this thing now.'
To officially reject or forbid something using the power of higher authority—the ultimate 'I don't care what anyone else thinks, this is dead.'
The process where a legislative committee edits, amends, and debates a bill before sending it to a full floor vote. Where sausage-making reaches peak visibility.
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.
A derisive term for a liberal who pulls arguments out of thin air like the word-game Mad Libs, creating illogical statements by stringing together random talking points.
A short, quotable statement designed for media consumption, typically devoid of nuance and optimized for emotional impact rather than accuracy.
The structural skeleton or foundational support system of any constructed object, building, or even a persuasive narrative. In politics, it's the interpretive lens through which the public sees an issue—whoever controls the frame, controls the narrative.
When a popular presidential candidate helps down-ballot candidates from their party win, or when they drag down weaker candidates through no fault of their own.
The redistribution of congressional seats among states based on population changes following the Census, determining political power for the next decade.
Thoroughly investigated and approved by leadership, meaning your background can withstand media scrutiny and you won't embarrass the organization.
The insular world of Washington D.C. politics and federal government, referring to the Interstate 495 loop surrounding the capital. It's where policy gets made by people who've lost touch with reality.
A fortified stronghold or an unshakeable defender of a principle—basically the last line of defense when everything else crumbles. Whether it's a physical fortress or a company's last remaining profitable division, a bastion is where things refuse to fall apart.
Media, language, or behavior from the past that society suddenly deems offensive now, often weaponized by politicians and activists to score points. It's basically yesterday's acceptable norm becoming today's scandal.
A foreign policy strategy where a nation deliberately avoids entangling alliances and international affairs—basically the geopolitical equivalent of 'I don't want to talk about it.'
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.
The exclusive space where legislative power actually gets distributed, far from public view and constituent input.
A playful political phrase borrowed from campaign commercials, used humorous-earnestly on voicemails or in everyday communication to emphasize a point with mock gravitas.
The deliberate process of reconciling conflicting parties and facilitating agreement between previously hostile groups—diplomacy's greatest hits album.
Someone who rejects hierarchy and authority structures, promoting self-governance without centralized power—basically the one who always asks 'but why do we need permission?' in the zoning board meeting.
A high-ranking church official who oversees other bishops (religious flavor), or someone sophisticated who lives in a big city and definitely has opinions about artisanal coffee.