vice division a division that processes cases involving gambling, prostitution, and pornography.
vigilante one who takes the law into his or her own hands.
voiceprint an electronically generated, graphic reproduction of a person's voice, used for identification purposes.
warrant a writ authorized by a judge to have an individual arrested.
watch a police shift.
watch commander a lieutenant or captain who supervises police officers during a shift.
whip an officer in charge.
wired carrying a concealed recording device.
X-ray diffraction machine in a police lab, a machine used to identify explosive materials.
zapped slang for shot.
politics and economics
act a bill after it passes the House of Representatives or the Senate or both.
activist one who works for a cause.
advance man a publicity person who schedules speeches, conferences, and so on, for a candidate or an incumbent.
adventurism risky or reckless government action, either domestically or in foreign affairs.
advise and consent the power of the Senate to advise the president and consent to proposed appointments or treaties.
amendment a proposal to revise, or an actual revision of, a bill, motion, or act.
apolitical lacking interest in politics, or the tendency to refuse to participate in politics out of apathy or disgust.
armchair strategist one who criticizes or remarks on political events from a comfortable position and particularly with the advantage of hindsight.
back channel the secret or informal circuit of communication used by the CIA and other government agencies.
backer one who supports a political candidate financially.
balance of power the theory that peace is maintained only when nations share equal power.
ballyhoo sensational or exaggerated promotion of a candidate or issue.
bandwagon a popular issue jumped on by politicians in order to be seen as part of the majority.
bargaining chip a negotiating concession.
barnstorm to tour rural areas to make campaign speeches.
bellwether a trendsetter.
bigger bang for the buck in military terms, a weapon or military system that delivers the most for the money.
big stick the deterrent of a large and powerful defense.
bill a proposed law.
bipartisan pertaining to both political parties; relating to the working together of two political parties, despite differences, to achieve a common goal.
black hats political opponents; the bad guys.
bleeding heart liberals extreme liberals—in the view of extreme conservatives. "Bleeding hearts" are suckers for sob stories and are quick to pledge tax money to cure a variety of social ills.
bloc a group of representatives with a common interest.
blue-ribbon panel a committee chosen for their expertise to look into a particular matter.
boll weevils nickname for southern conservative Democrats.
boom and bust an economy that follows cycles of prosperity and depression.
boondoggle any government project in which taxes are wasted through poor planning, incompetence, and inefficiency.
brain trust a group of well-informed advisers.
bread-and-butter issue any political issue that affects the voters' pocketbooks.
brinksmanship risk-taking politics often involving threats, and particularly the threat of military or nuclear intervention, with the goal of trying to make an opponent concede.
brouhaha an uproar, as over a controversy.
buck-passing passing the burden of responsibility to someone else.
bully pulpit a prominent high position that allows a politician to moralize and pontificate.
bureaucracy government administration composed of bureaus headed by nonelected officials. Also, any government office that, through convoluted channels and overly strict adherence to rules, impedes or slows down action.
business cycle the normal up and down cycling of the economy, from expansion and boom to contraction and recession, usually occurring roughly every three to five years and characterized by rising unemployment during downturns and rising inflation during expansions.
cabinet the heads of executive departments who serve as advisers to the president.
cant the vernacular used by a politician; pet words and phrases used by politicians.
canvass to gauge support for a candidate before the vote.
card-carrying denoting a member or supporter of a cause or organization, such as a card-carrying member of the ACLU.
caucus a meeting to select candidates and plan a campaign.
centrist one who tends to favor policies that fall between the left-leaning ideals of the Democratic Party and the right-leaning Republican Party, or one who takes a middle position on any issue.
chamber the House of Representatives or the Senate.
civil disobedience resisting the law to promote a cause.
cloture in the Senate, the process by which debate time is limited to one hour per senator.
coattail the winning of a congressional seat by party association with a popular presidential candidate.
cold war nonmilitary hostilities between two nations.
communist economy an economy based on the sharing of goods and services and overseen and managed by a government.
congress any assembly of government representatives, but especially Congress, the national legislative body of the United States, comprising the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Congressional Record the printed daily account of the debates and votes of the House and Senate, published by the Government Printing Office.
congressman/congresswoman a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
conservative one who is generally opposed to change; a supporter of the status quo.
constituency collective term for the citizens of a legislative district. In the case of a senator, a state.
constituent a citizen of a particular legislative district.
consul an official appointed to a foreign city to represent its commercial interests.
consulate the office of a consul.
coup d'etat the sudden takeover or overthrow of government.
cronyism favoritism toward friends, resulting in sometimes questionable political appointments and reciprocal backscratching.
cult of personality the blind following of a charismatic leader, such as a dictator, in which an aura of power is maintained through propaganda and pervasive indoctrination via various media outlets.
dark horse a candidate whose chances of winning an election are slight to none.
deep-six to throw out or get rid of something, often with the hope that it will never be found or discovered.
deflation a nationwide dropping of prices for goods and services.