Air dropped
insertion of something unanticipated, like an earmark, into a bill while in a conference committee step Anarchy
several possible definitions including 1) a society without a publicly enforced government,
2) political disorder or lawlessness within a society Appropriations Bill
a legislative bill that authorizes the government to spend money on specific programs previously enacted by Congress. Aristocracy
a form of government in which power is in the hands of a small, privileged, ruling class Autocracy
a system of government in which a supreme power is concentrated in the hands of one person ~~~~ B
Baseline (budget)
a base version of the federal budget; often used to measure proposals against Beaurocracy
a body of nonelective government officials and/or an administrative policy-making group Behest
a donation to a charity group; typically solicited by a politician
Biannual
event occuring twice a year (same meaning as semi-annual) Biennial
event occuring every 2 years Bicameral
use of 2 separate organizations (houses) to produce legislative law Bill of Attainder
an act of a legislature declaring a person or group of persons guilty of some crime
and punishing them without privilege of a judicial trial Binding caucus
an attempt to pressure senators to vote according to the party caucus position, or suffer
the effects of party disciplinary action Bourgeosie
in the Western world, since the late 18th century, the bourgeoisie describes a social
class “characterized by their ownership of capital, and their related culture” Brinkmanship
The practice of pushing dangerous events to the brink-of—disaster in order to achieve the most
advantageous outcome. Implies one person or group vs another in a struggle for power,
influence, or recognition, etc. Budget Resolution
a concurrent resolution adopted by both Houses of Congress as part of the annual budget and appropriations
process, setting forth an overall budget plan for Congress against which individual appropriation bills,
other spending bills, and revenue measures are to be evaluated. As a plan of Congress, the resolution
is not presented to the President for signature and does not have the force of law. ~~~~ C(to top)
Cabol
no Wikipedia or Webster's definition Calendar of General Orders
in the Senate, the Calendar for all legislative bills not dealing with approving treaties or nominations (from
the Executive branch) Capitalism
an economic system in which capital assets are privately owned and items are brought to market for profit Capitation tax
a tax upon each person; associated with health care or voting Casework
services for a constituent in the Senator's state Caucus
A meeting of members of a specific political party; commonly for determining party policy, and for
selecting preferred persons for specific positions. CBO
Congressional Budget Office Circa
means "approximately", usually referring to a date Civil War
a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic Collegiality
the relationship between colleagues Comity
In law, comity specifically refers to legal reciprocity — the principle that one jurisdiction will extend
certain courtesies to other nations (or other jurisdictions within the same nation), particularly by
recognizing the validity and effect of their executive, legislative, and judicial acts Communism
a classless, moneyless, and stateless social order structured upon common ownership of the means of production Concurrent Resolution
the annual budget resolution is an example of a concurrent resolution. It is a resolution adopted by both
Houses of Congress, setting forth an overall budget plan for Congress against which individual appropriation
bills, other spending bills, and revenue measures are to be evaluated Confederacy
an association of sovereign states or communities Conference Committee
a committee composed of both senators and representatives to resolve differences, when the versions of a bill
passed by both Houses do not agree Conservatism
a political and social philosophy that promotes retaining traditional social institutions Constitution
a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed Constitutional directives
specific responsibilites and directions in the Constitution addressed to agencies and individuals Constitutionalism
the attitude that the rules by which we are governed and live should be in written form (a constitution) Constitutional option
usually relates to ending a filibuster in the Senate. Per the Constitution, a majority of Senators
at the beginning of a legislative session could change the rules under which they will operate in
the coming session; to limit debate, say, to end a filibuster. Continuing Resolution
this is an appropriation act that provides spending authority for Federal agencies and programs to
continue in operation when action on the regular appropriation acts has not been completed by the
beginning of the fiscal year. Corporate Capitalism
a capitalist marketplace characterized by the dominance of hierarchical, bureaucratic corporations Coup de etat
the sudden deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment
— typically the military — to depose the extant government and replace it with another body, civil or military ~~~~ D(to top)
Dais
(per the U.S. Senate) a raised platform at the head of the Senate Chambers, reserved for officers, employees,
and leaders of the Senate, and for use of the 2 principal political parties Deceit
acts to propagate beliefs that are not true, or not the whole truth Democracy
a form of government in which all eligible citizens participate equally—either directly
or through elected representatives—in the proposal, development, and creation of laws Democrat
A member of a Democratic Party Demonstration
(political meaning) - a political rally or protest Despotism
a form of government in which a single entity rules with absolute power DHS
Department of Homeland Security Dictatorship
an autocratic or authoritarian form of government in which a government is
ruled by either an individual: a dictator, or an authoritarian party, as in an oligarchy Direct spending
mandatory spending; budget authority provided by law other than in appropriation acts. Discharge petition
a means of bringing a bill out of committee and to the floor for consideration without a report
from the committee and usually without cooperation of the leadership by "discharging" the committee
from further consideration of a bill or resolution. The modern discharge petition requires the
signature of an absolute majority of House members Discretionary spending
a category of spending (budget authority and outlays) provided in and controlled by annual
appropriation acts ~~~~ E
Earmark
a legislative provision that directs funds to be spent on specific projects Egalitarian
all humans are equal in fundamental worth or social status Emancipation
any of various efforts to procuring political rights or equality, often for a specifically disenfranchised group Emmigration
the act of leaving one's country or region with the intent to settle permanently in another Entitlement
a legal obligation of the Federal Government to make payments to a person(s) or entity that meets the eligibility
criteria set in law and for which the budget authority is not provided in advance in an appropriation act. Examples
of entitlements are Social Security and Medicare Estates-General
(general meaning in France) - relative to the French Revolution, 'Estates-General' referred to the common people, and
a governing body representing these people. Further, Estates-General (equivilent to the 'third estate', or common people)
was to be considered equal in power/status to the 'first estate' (the clergy), and the 'second estate' (the aristocracy).
Executive Calendar
in the Senate, the Calendar of treaties and nominations requiring approval from the Executive branch Ex post facto law
a law that retroactively changes the legal consequences (or status) of actions that were committed,
or relationships that existed, before the enactment of the law Ex post veto
changes in a bill while in a conference committee which veto's previous changes to the bill made in either house ~~~~ F(to top)
Fascism
fascist movements share certain common features, including the veneration of the state,
a devotion to a strong leader, and an emphasis on ultranationalism and militarism Faction
a group of people with a common political purpose Federalism
a system of government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between a central
governing authority and constituent political units (such as states or provinces) Federation
a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions
united by a central (federal) government Featherbedding
the practice of hiring more workers than are needed to perform a given job, or to adopt work
procedures which appear pointless, complex and time-consuming merely to employ additional workers.
The term "make-work" is sometimes used as a synonym for featherbedding Fiefdom
A fee or fief (Latin: feudum) was the central element of feudalism and consisted of heritable
property or rights granted by an overlord to a vassal (or, specifically, a feoffee) who
held it in fealty (or "in fee") in return for a form of feudal allegiance and service, usually
given by the personal ceremonies of homage and fealty Fifth Estate
A group within a society that is seen as operating outside of the society's normal groupings in terms
of their roles and viewpoints, especially a group that is considered beyond the restrictions or
rules of those other groupings Fill the Amendment Tree
a parliamentary maneuver whereby the Majority Leader of the Senate submits all
of the amendments allowed on a legislative bill, because he/she has first rights of recognition on the
Senate floor First Estate
(general meaning in France) - relative to the French Revolution, the first estate was the religious order,
or clergy Franking
the right of a Senator to mail at government expense information to consituents in his/her state FY
fiscal year ~~~~ G
Gentry
denotes "well-born and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past Germane
related to; relevant to; pertinent; bearing on the subject Gerrymander
a practice that attempts to establish a political advantage for a particular party or
group by manipulating district boundaries to create partisan advantaged districts Greed
the inordinate desire to possess wealth, goods, or objects of abstract value with the
intention to keep it for one's self, far beyond the dictates of basic survival and comfort Gridlock
non-progress and non-decisions in government as result of competing power and/or interests Gut and Amend
a process in which legislative leaders remove important (and likely controversial) issues
from a bill, and add other issues to the bill (like earmarks), substantially changing
the intent of the bill. This process is often done when a legislative session is about to end,
and the respective bill must be approved or die. This gives voting representatives little time to
evaluate the bill ~~~~ H(to top)
Habeus Corpus
a writ (legal action) that requires a person under arrest to be brought before a judge
or into court Hegemony
an indirect form of government, and of imperial dominance in which the hegemon (leader state)
rules geopolitically subordinate states by the implied means of power, the threat of force,
rather than by direct military force Hold
a Senate agreement that a senator may 'hold up' voting on a bill becuse he/she has unresolved
concerns about the bill; stands in place of the senator filibustering the bill Hubris
often indicates a loss of contact with reality and an overestimation of one's own competence,
accomplishments or capabilities, especially when the person exhibiting it is in a position of power ~~~~ I
Immigration
the movement of people into another country or region to which they are not native in order to settle there Imperial
that which relates to an empire, emperor, or the concept of imperialism Imperialism
an unequal human and territorial relationship, usually in the form of an empire, based on ideas
of superiority and practices of dominance, and involving the extension of authority and control of one state or
people over another Impoundment
an action or inaction by an officer or employee of the U.S. Government that defers or precludes the obligation
or expenditure of budget authority Indentured servant
a form of debt bondage, established in the early years of the American colonies and elsewhere Independent
not affiliated with any political party Intelligentsia
a social class of people engaged in complex mental labour aimed at disseminating culture ~~~~ J(to top)
JCT
Joint Committee on Taxation Joint Committee
a committee which spans the jurisdictions of 1 or more standing committees?
or, a committee composed of equal members from the House and the Senate? Joint Resolution
a Resolution which is submitted in identical form to both the Senate and House of Representatives
for approval ~~~~ K
Kickback
A clandestine payment in return for a favor; especially an illegal one Kingdom
A nation having as supreme ruler a king and/or queen ~~~~ L
Landed nobility
a category of nobility in various countries over the history, for which landownership
was part of their noble privileges Liberal
liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles,
but generally they support ideas such as free and fair elections, civil rights, freedom of the press,
freedom of religion, free trade, and private property Libertarian
a set of related political philosophies that uphold liberty as the highest political end.
This includes emphasis on the primacy of individual liberty, political freedom, and voluntary association Line Item Veto
a special form of veto that authorizes a chief executive to reject particular provisions of a bill enacted
by a legislature without vetoing the entire bill Lobbying
the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government,
most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies Logjam
So many seemingly important things need to be considered, each with its own advocates, that the process
tends to become inefficient Logrolling
logrolling is the trading of favors, or quid pro quo, such as vote trading by
legislative members to obtain passage of actions of interest to each legislative member ~~~~ M(to top)
Malice
a legal term describing the intent to harm Mandatory spending
also known as direct spending. Budget authority provided by law other than in appropriation
acts Markup Session
a committee or sub-committee meeting in which the bill being considered is discussed line by line,
and possibly amended Mixed Government
also known as a mixed constitution, is a form of government that integrates elements
of democracy, aristocracy, and monarchy. In a mixed government, some issues (often defined in a constitution)
are decided by the majority of the people, some other issues by few, and some other issues by a
single person (also often defined in a constitution). The idea is commonly treated as an antecedent
of separation of powers Meritocracy
a political philosophy that holds power should be vested in individuals according
to merit. Advancement in such a system is based on perceived intellectual talent measured through
examination and/or demonstrated achievement in the field where it is implemented Monarchist
monarchism is a system based on the belief that political power should be concentrated
in one person, who may rule by decree or through a constitutional system. A monarchist is an
individual who supports this form of government, independent from the person, the monarch Monopoly
exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity Monopsony
in economics, a monopsony is a market form in which only one buyer faces many sellers Moribund law
moribund refers to a literal or figurative state of near-death ~~~~ N
National
a term indicating the entire nation; rather than some subset of it Nepotism
favoritism granted in politics or business to relatives regardless of merit Nuclear Option
usually relates to ending a filibuster in the Senate. A generic term for a set of hypothetical
parliamentary maneuvers that could be used to achieve approval of certain motions (typically
to limit subsequent debate) by a majority vote, rather than the "super-majority" required by
current Senate rules and precedents Nihilism
most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism,
which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value ~~~~ O(to top)
Oligarchy
a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with a small number of people Ombudsman
a person designated to resolve complaints, differences, or questions (often a government official)
Omnibus bill
a single document that is accepted in a single vote by a legislature
but packages together several measures into one or combines diverse subjects ~~~~ P
Parliament
the term is derived from the French parlement, the action of parler (to speak): a
parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which such a discussion took place.
It acquired its modern meaning as it came to be used for the body of people (in an institutional
sense) who would meet to discuss matters of state Parliamentary
a system of democratic governance of a state in which the executive branch derives
its democratic legitimacy from, and is held accountable to, the legislature (parliament);
the executive and legislative branches are thus interconnected Parliamentary maneuver
a strategic use of motions, in parliamentary procedure, intended to
accomplish results beyond the stated and obvious purpose of the motion Parliamentary procedure
a formal process for conducting business in a group; allowing for submitting motions,
points of order, adjournment, voting, etc. (takes its name from England's
Parliament) Party patronage
patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an
organization or individual bestows to another Pay-as-you-go
A budgetary enforcement mechanism. Under this mechanism, proposed changes in, or new permanent, law
affecting direct spending and revenues were expected to be deficit neutral. Statutory paygo was
enforced through sequestration (across-the-board cuts in certain direct spending programs).
Peculation
an act of embezzlement; a form of financial fraud in the theft of assets Peonage
a type of involuntary servitude of laborers (peons) having little control over their employment conditions Pigeonholing
death to a legislative bill by a committee or subcommittee inaction on the bill plebe
in ancient Rome, the plebs was the general body of free Roman citizens who were not
patricians, as determined by the census. Shopkeepers, crafts people, and skilled or unskilled
workers might be plebeian Pluralism
denotes a diversity of views and stands rather than a single approach or method
of interpretation Plutocracy
also known as plutonomy or plutarchy, defines a society or a system ruled and
dominated by the small minority of the top wealthiest citizens Pogrom
a pogrom is a violent massacre or persecution of an ethnic or religious group,
particularly one aimed at Jews Poison Pill
one legislative bill's validity is dependent on another bill passing? Polity
a state or one of its subordinate civil authorities, such as a province,
prefecture, county, municipality, city, or district. It is generally understood to
mean a geographic area with a corresponding government Poll tax
a tax per head, typically used (mostly in the past) to raise revenue Pomposity
quality of being ostentatious or self-important Pork
abbreviation of 'pork-barrel projects' Pork-barrel projects
projects which benefit only 1 or a few districts or states Positivism
a philosophy of science based on the view that information derived from
logical and mathematical treatments and reports of sensory experience is the exclusive
source of all authoritative knowledge President's budget
The budget sent to Congress by the President typically on the first Monday in February of each
year, requesting new budget authority for Federal programs and estimating Federal revenues and
outlays for the upcoming fiscal year Proletariat
the class of wage-earners (especially industrial workers) in a capitalist
society whose only possession of significant material value is their labour-power
(their ability to work) Propaganda
form of communication aimed towards influencing the attitude of the
community toward some cause or position by presenting only one side of an argument Province
a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a
country or state ~~~~ Q(to top)
Quid pro quo
an exchange of goods or services, where one transfer is contingent upon the other Quorum
the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly (a body that uses
parliamentary procedure, such as a legislature) necessary to conduct the business of that group ~~~~ R
Reciprocity
an unwritten rule in the Senate that honors the mutual exchange of rights, privileges and/or
obligations between majority and minority parties (responsible person is the party leader) Recission
legislation that cancels the availability of previously enacted budget authority before the
authority expires Reconciliation process
A special, fast-track process by which Congress, in its budget resolution, includes instructions
to specific committees, directing them to report legislation by a certain date that changes spending
and/or revenues. Reconciliation is governed by special rules that limit debate and the ability of
Senators to offer amendments Red herring
A term used to refer to something that misleads or distracts from the relevant or important issue. Thismay be
either a logical fallacy or a literary device that leads readers or characters towards a false conclusion. Representative
a member of a legislative or governing body who represents a constituency Republic
a form of government in which affairs of state are a "public matter" (Latin: res publica),
not the private concern of the rulers, in which public offices are subsequently appointed or
elected rather than privately accommodated, i.e. through inheritance or divine mandate Republican
an advocate of a republic, a form of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship,
and is generally associated with the rule of law Resolution
a formal statement adopted by (or submitted for consideration of) an assembly.
Can be of type concurrent, continuing, joint, or simple. A budget resolution
specifies how much the federal government will spend in the next fiscal year, how much it
expects to collect in taxes, and how much the budget deficit or surplus is expected to be.
Revolution
a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that takes place in a
relatively short period of time Rhetoric
the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the capability of writers or speakers
that attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations Rider
an amendment to a legislative bill which is not germane to the original bill Rule 19
a formal Senate rule that senators must address each other on the Senate floor with cordiality;
not belittling another senator Rule 22
a formal Senate rule that includes governing 'cloture'; setting a time limit on debate for a bill,
followed by a vote ~~~~ S
Scorekeeping
the process for estimating budget authority, outlay, revenue and deficit levels that result from
legislative actions Second Estate
(general meaning in France) - relative to the French Revolution, the second estate was the aristocracy,
the class of people who inherited property and political or clergy position? Select Committee
a committee made up of members specifically selected to study and return findings on some subject of importance Seniority
the concept of a person or group of people being older or in charge or command of
another person or group, or taking precedence over them; in the Senate, seniority refers
to the length of time one has been a senator Sequester/sequestration
the cancellation of budgetary resources provided by discretionary appropriations or direct spending
laws. Often these cancellations are done 'across the board', on a percentage basis Serf
serfdom is the status of peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism.
It was a condition of bondage or modified slavery which developed primarily during the High
Middle Ages in Europe and lasted in some countries until the mid-19th century SIG (Special Interest Group)
a community with a common technical interest Simple Resolution
a resolution which must pass only the body (Senate or House) in which it is submitted Sine die
without specifying a date (for a future event); indefinitely Slip law
an enacted law printed on loose paper; not yet bound Socialism
an economic system characterised by social ownership of the means of production
and co-operative management of the economy Soft Money
a contribution to a political party that is not accounted as going to a particular candidate,
thus avoiding various legal limitations Sovereignty
the quality of having independent authority over a geographic area, such as
a territory Standpatter
a relative term indicating a person unwilling to change some item Sunshine Reforms
reforms of various kinds which result in increased public knowledge of activity Supplemental appropriation
an act appropriating funds in addition to those in the regular annual appropriations acts.
Supplemental appropriations are often designated as emergency requirements and are for
unexpected and non-recurring purposes ~~~~ T(to top)
Technocratic
a technocrat has come to mean either 'a member of a powerful technical elite',
or 'someone who advocates the supremacy of technical experts' The Fourth Estate
a societal or political force or institution whose influence is not consistently or officially
recognized. "Fourth Estate" most commonly refers to the news media; especially print journalism
or 'The Press' Think Tank
a group of people who collectively perform research and develop reports and recommendations
on topics relating to strategic planning or public policy, and which is usually funded by
corporate, government, or special interests Third Estate
(general meaning in France) - relative to the French Revolution, the third estate was the
common people, represented in the Revolution by the 'Estates-General' governing body Third House
a modern term, indicating the influence of the lobbying community on legislation Toll-boothing
a political term indicating a senator extracting special considerations in exchange for not
being obstructionist with his/her senate rights relative to a current bill.
Totalitarianism
a term employed by some political scientists to describe a political
system in which the state holds total authority over the society and seeks to control
all aspects of public and private life whenever necessary Tyranny
a despotically ruled state or society ~~~~ U
Unanimous Consent Agreement
an agreement by Senators, which must be unanimous, to temporarily suspend some specific
rule. This Agreement is very commonly used in the Senate to make the legislative process more time-efficient Unfunded mandate
in general, federal statutes and regulations that require state, local, or tribal governments or the
private sector to expend resources to achieve legislative goals without being provided federal funding
to cover the costs Unicameral
the practice of having one legislative or parliamentary chamber ~~~~ V
