Political terms, made clear.

A ballot cast by a voter other than in-person on election day. Some jurisdictions use the term synonymous with mailed ballots while other jurisdictions use the term synonymous with early voting.

Legislation that has passed both Houses of Congress and has been either approved by the President or passed over his veto, thus becoming law.

To change the wording or meaning of a motion, bill, Constitution, etc. by formal procedure.

A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out part of it, inserting new language, or both.

A provision of funds for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes.

The official presentation of all of the contests to be decided in a particular election. Either in paper or electronic format, the mechanism for voters to show their voter preferences.

The quality of having two branches, chambers, or houses, such as the United States Congress, which is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

A proposal to enact or repeal laws.

The first ten amendments to the United States Constitution.

involving representatives of two political parties.

Authority provided by law to enter into obligations that will result in outlays of federal funds.

A person who is running for an elected office.

(1) A closed meeting of a group of persons belonging to the same political party or faction usually to select candidates or to decide on policy. (2) A group of people united to promote an agreed-upon cause.

An official count of the number of persons living in a geographic area, such as a city, county, state, or nation.

Limits placed on the branches of Government by giving each the right to amend acts of the other branches.

A procedure used in the Senate to place a time limit on consideration of a bill or other matter. Used to overcome or deter a filibuster.

A group of Members of Congress appointed to investigate, debate, and report on legislation.

The seat of legislative power. There are 535 members of the U.S. Congress: 435 in the House of Representatives and 100 in the Senate.

A division or part of a state based on population; each district elects one person to Congress.

A person who is part of a larger group. In politics, a constituent is represented by an elected official.

The document which establishes the basic principles of the American Government.

A joint resolution enacted by Congress to provide budget authority for federal agencies and programs to continue operating in the absence of regular appropriations. Also referred to as continuing appropriations.

A system of government by all eligible people, often through their representatives.

A dissenting opinion is an appellate opinion of one or more judges which disagrees with the reasoning stated in the majority or plurality opinion and, consequently, with the result reached in a case.

Voting before election day where the voter completes the ballot in person at an elections office or other designated polling site prior to election day. Early voting can also include voting with a mailed or absentee ballot prior to election day.

A formal process of selecting a person for public office or of accepting or rejecting a political proposition by voting.

A body of people representing the states of the U.S., who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president.

A federal principle or system union of states in which power is divided between a central authority and the member state authorities.

An attempt to block or delay Senate action on a bill or other matter by debating it at length, by offering numerous procedural motions, or by any other delaying or obstructive actions.

A regular election of candidates to office, as opposed to a primary election, which is held to decide who will be in the general election.

A way or practice of controlling the boundaries of district lines to favor the electoral advantage of a political party or faction.

Funds that comply with the limits, prohibitions and reporting requirements of federal law.

A meeting or session of a committee of Congress, usually open to the public, to gather information and opinions on proposed legislation, conduct an investigation, or oversee a program.

Along with the Senate, it is one of the two Houses of the U.S. Congress. Members are granted to each state based upon population and each representative serves a two-year term. There are currently 435 members in the House of Representatives.

A formal accusation issued by a legislature against a public official charged with crime or other serious misconduct.

A person who is currently in office.

A process by which a particular number of voters may propose a statute, constitutional amendment, or ordinance, and compel a vote on its adoption.

The power of a court to judge the constitutionality of the laws of a government or the acts of a government official.

a society whose leaders make themselves rich and powerful by stealing from the rest of the people

A system of rules of conduct established and enforced by the authority, legislation, or custom of a given community, state, or nation.

A law or a body (set) of laws.

More than half.

The majority opinion is an appellate opinion supporting the court’s judgment (the result reached in the case) which receives a majority vote of the justices or judges hearing the case.

The process by which congressional committees and subcommittees debate, amend, and rewrite proposed legislation.

Midterm congressional elections are the elections that take place halfway between presidential elections.

A formal suggestion or proposal that an action be taken related to the process of making a law.

The process by which a person is made a national or citizen of a country other than his or her native one.

An appointment by the president to executive or judicial office. Subject to Senate confirmation.

Not affiliated with a political party.

Review of the activities of a federal agency or program by a committee.

Popular term for a political committee that is neither a candidate’s authorized committee nor a party committee.

A committed member of a political party who strongly supports their party's policies.

The number of votes cast for a candidate who receives more than any other but does not receive an absolute majority (more than 50%).

An organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a country's elections. It is common for the members of a political party to have similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or policy goals.

Facility to which voters are assigned to cast in-person ballots.

An introduction to a document.

The President of the United States is the highest elected official in the nation and head of Government, the leader of the executive branch, and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Election held to determine which candidate will represent a political party for a given office in the general election.

The number of senators that must be present for the Senate or House to do business. The Constitution requires a majority of senators (51) and representatives (218) for a quorum.

To sign or officially approve an agreement, treaty, contract, amendment, or similar document.

Process that allows voters to remove elected representatives from office prior to the expiration of their terms of office.

An additional count of the votes cast in an election, typically required due to state law, a candidate request, or a court order, that is used to determine the accuracy of the reported results of an election.

The process within the states of redrawing legislative district boundaries to reflect population changes following the decennial census.

A general or direct vote by the people on a political issue.

A state or nation in which the power rests in all the citizens entitled to vote and their elected representatives; a republic also has a President and not a king or other type of monarch.

A nongermane amendment to a bill or an amendment to an appropriation bill that changes the permanent law governing a program funded by the bill.

Along with the House of Representatives, it is one of the two Houses of the U.S. Congress. There are two Senators granted to each state and each Senator serves a six-year term. There are currently 100 members in the Senate.

A person elected or appointed to the Senate and duly sworn is a Senator.

The system of dividing power and authority; in the United States, it is divided among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the Government.

Funds that are not subject to the limitations or prohibitions of the Act.

A political committee that makes only independent expenditures and does not make contributions to candidates, parties or other political committees unless they are also independent expenditure committees. These committees may solicit and accept unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations, labor organizations and others.

A motion to stop action on a pending proposal and to lay it aside until further notice.

An agreement among members of Congress to set aside a specified rule of procedure to expedite proceedings.

The procedure, as allowed by the Constitution, by which the President refuses to approve a bill or joint resolution and thus prevents its enactment into law. A regular veto occurs when the President returns the legislation to the originating House without approval. It can be overridden only by a two-thirds vote in each House.

The passage into law of a bill vetoed by the president. Requires a two-thirds vote in both Chambers.

The number of people voting in an election. This number is typically reported as a percentage of the total number of voters in an election divided by the total number of registered voters in a given precinct or jurisdiction.

An assistant to the majority or minority leader who is also elected by his or her party conference. Responsible for mobilizing votes within the party on major issues and often serves as acting floor leader.

extreme dislike or fear of foreigners, their customs, their religions, etc.

A vote in which each senator or representative votes "yea" or "nay" as his or her name is called by the clerk.

Zoning is the process of regulating the land use and building design (height, size, spacing and use) within a community.