Where everything is bipartisan until it is not.
A system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination, implemented in South Africa from 1948-1994. Legalized racism in its most systematic form.
An incompletely punched ballot hole from 2000 Florida recount, a physical artifact that accidentally decided a presidential election.
Government spending on programs like Social Security and Medicare, which are authorized by law and happen automatically unless the law changes. It's the budget category nobody can control.
Political rhetoric appealing to emotions, prejudices, and fears rather than reason or evidence. It's basically the default style of half the political universe.
To refrain from voting on a measure—the cowardly middle ground that allows politicians to avoid going on record while pretending they didn't vote.
An organization formed to collect and distribute campaign contributions, legally separating corporate money from direct campaign coordination (wink, wink).
Someone whose religious beliefs are so extreme, performative, or disconnected from the actual teachings of their faith that they become a walking contradiction—preach humility while flexing wealth, or cherry-pick scripture to justify hypocrisy.
A court's authority to review and hear appeals from lower court decisions, allowing people to complain about unfavorable verdicts.
A person who incites or advocates for rebellion, revolution, or radical social change; a provocative agitator. Metaphorically, a firebrand is someone who sets minds ablaze with inflammatory ideas and passion.
Tactics used to discourage or prevent eligible voters from voting, whether through discriminatory requirements, misinformation, or administrative obstacles. It's cheating that's somehow legal.
A term rooted in Bangladeshi history for someone who collaborates with or supports aggression against Bangladesh from within the country—it carries the weight of wartime betrayal and collaboration.
To control, administer, or influence behavior and policy through authority and restraint. The verb form of 'governance,' often used by people who enjoy having power over others' decisions.
A legal mechanism allowing detainees to challenge the legality of their imprisonment, fundamental to due process protection.
Foreign policy based on pragmatic national interests rather than ideology or morality. Essentially, 'ethics are a luxury we can't afford.'
The practice of granting favors (like government jobs) to political allies as rewards for support—basically organized nepotism with a government paycheck.
A specific gerrymandering technique that spreads voters of a particular party across multiple districts, diluting their voting power—the surgical precision version of political dilution.
An acronym for 'Democrat In Name Only'—a politician registered as Democratic whose voting record or beliefs align more with conservative principles, making them out of step with their party's base.
A political approach claiming to represent the interests of ordinary people against an elite establishment—essentially harnessing anger and resentment into a coherent governing philosophy.
A gerrymandering technique that concentrates voters of a particular party into a single district, wasting their votes by creating an overwhelming majority—like locking millions of people into one unbeatable fortress while ceding everything else.
A highway robber or thief who travels on foot rather than horseback, historically common in 18th and 19th century England. The term can also refer to a soft cushioning on an animal's foot or the sole of a shoe.
A reference to the 1987 public service announcement featuring a fried egg and the tagline 'This is your brain on drugs,' used to illustrate the damaging effects of drug use. The phrase became iconic shorthand for anti-drug messaging.
Progress to Goal; a political campaign metric tracking phone banking and text outreach volume to measure volunteer productivity.
When two parties disagree so fundamentally that nothing gets done; democracy's way of ensuring everyone leaves equally frustrated.
A city in Baker County, Oregon, named after Fort Sumter in South Carolina. The spelling was altered from 'Sumter' to 'Sumpter' when the post office was established, possibly to match the word for a pack animal.