delegate a person chosen to represent a constituency at a convention.
delegation a group of representative from an organization or area.
demagogue a politician who appeals to the greed, fears, and prejudices of the voters; a spellbinding orator who panders to voter selfishness.
Democratic Party evolving from the principles of Thomas Jefferson and further refined by Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren, the left-leaning or liberal-oriented one of the two major political parties of the United States, symbolized by the mascot of a donkey, and most often characterized by members who tend to favor labor unions, abortion rights, gay rights, gun control, affirmative action, regular upward adjustments of the minimum wage, extensive social services including welfare, and strong environmental policies with business-limiting regulations.
depression a period of extreme economic downturn, marked by plunging manufacturing, employment, and sales of goods, along with rising bankruptcies and tighter credit, and noted for being more severe and protracted than a recession.
despot a tyrant or dictator.
detente the thawing or opening up of relations between two nations previously hostile toward one another.
diplomacy the maintaining of positive relations or negotiations between nations.
diplomat a government official who maintains relationships and carries out negotiations with a foreign nation. Also responsible for protecting the rights of American citizens in a foreign country.
diplomatic corps collective term for all of the diplomatic officials assigned to one nation.
diplomatic immunity rights protecting diplomats from prosecution for crimes in other countries.
dissident one who strongly disagrees with those in power or who reports and protests government abuses of power.
divide and rule any method of gaining power by keeping one's enemies divided and therefore less of a threat.
domestic affairs political affairs within a nation's own borders.
dove a pacifist who philosophically rejects war as a solution to problems.
dyed-in-the-wool referring to a die-hard partisan through and through.
elder statesman an older, experienced, and highly respected politician.
electoral college collective term for persons elected from each state to cast electoral votes for the president and vice president.
electorate persons eligible to vote.
embargo a trade ban, often enacted to protest the action of another country.
embassy the residence or office of an ambassador in the capital of another nation.
engrossed bill official copy of a bill after it has been passed.
executive order a presidential order.
executive privilege the right of the president to withhold information from Congress.
executive session a meeting closed to the public.
extremist one whose views are seen as extreme or radical.
fact-finding trip a trip or junket overseas to gather information on a foreign issue.
faction a dissenting group within a larger group.
fed any high-ranking employee of the U.S. government.
fence-mending tending to one's local constituency, for example, reestablishing ties with local politicians or media.
fence, on the straddling either side of an issue; being unwilling or unable to decide one way or another.
figurehead one who appears to be in power but in reality is not.
filibuster a long-winded speech or debate made by a senator in a minority as a last-ditch attempt to alter the opinion of the majority or to delay a vote. Also made to draw public attention to an issue.
fiscal conservative one who advocates placing strong limits on government spending and taxes.
fiscal year the 12-month period for the use of federal funds, beginning October 1.
floor where debating and voting takes place in a legislative chamber.
football, political any issue exploited by a politician for partisan gain.
franking privilege the free use of postal services by senators and representatives.
free market economy an economy that is driven and maintained by the forces of supply and demand and private enterprise rather than the dictates of government.
gag rule a rule that limits the time for debate in a legislative body.
gerrymander the adjusting of representative districts to conform to a voting pattern or favor one party over another.
good soldier a politician willing to put aside his own interests for those of his party.
GOP Grand Old Party; the Republican Party.
graft profiting by political corruption.
grandstanding delivering a speech or making comments specifically designed to elicit cheers and applause from an audience.
grassroots of or having to do with the common people and basic, fundamental issues.
green party a formal political group or affiliation interested in advancing the care and conservation of the environment and also often advocates nonviolence, civil rights, and social justice.
green politics any politics advocating for the protection or conservation of the environment.
groundswell popular support for an issue or a politician.
hack a loyal worker for a political party.
hardball, play to adopt a tough, no-nonsense political stance, with the liberal use of blunt language, threats, and consequences.
hatchetman a politician's associate who makes vicious attacks against the opposite party.
hat in the ring, to throw one's to announce one's candidacy.
hawk one who readily advocates war as a means of solving problems.
henchman a member of a politician's staff; a right- hand man; used pejoratively.
Hill, the Capitol Hill; the legislative branch of the federal government.
hopper the box where proposed bills are placed in a legislative chamber.
impeach to formally charge a politician with wrongdoing while in office.
imperialism expanding a nation's authority by acquiring new territories, exploiting another land's resources, and so on.
incumbent a politician already in office who is running for reelection against a challenger.
independent a nonpartisan politician. Also, a person who votes for a candidate and not for a candidate's party affiliation.
inflation the rising of prices, due to various economic forces.
initiative the proposal of a new statute, amendment, ordinance, etc., by the gathering of signatures of registered voters on a petition by ordinary citizens, to put the issue in front of a legislative body for consideration or to force a popular vote. Also known as a citizen's initiative.
interest group any group, such as the National Rifle Association, that lobbies members of Congress to represent its interests.
intransigent unable to be persuaded; entrenched in one's beliefs; uncompromising.
Iron Curtain term coined by Winston Churchill in 1946 to illustrate the political divide between democratic Western Europe and communist Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.