Law & Politics [G-M]
Honeymoon
Period shortly after an election, especially a presidential election, during which the winning candidate enjoys a surge in public and political support.
House Rules Committee
Committee in the House of Representatives that creates a "rule" for each bill to be debated on the floor. The rule establishes the time and extent of debate and what, if any, amendments can be offered.
Ideologue
Individual with strong philosophical or ideological leanings. Generally unwilling to budge to compromise or work with others with differing views.
Initiative
A public policy question that is initiated by the people, usually by petition, and decided by the people at the ballot box.
Interest group
A group of like-minded individuals united in the pursuit of a common goal or set of goals. In the political arena, an interest group seeks its goals through the legislative and / or legal processes.
Impeachment
Process by which members of the Executive Branch or the Judiciary are formally charged with crimes that could be grounds for removing them from office. A trial follows impeachment to determine the fate of the impeached individual.
Implied powers
Powers not explicitly stated in the Constitution but which are suggested or implied by the "general welfare," "necessary & proper," and commerce clauses in the Constitution.
Joint committee
A committee with members from both the House and Senate. Such committees are generally advisory or oversight committees, not legislative (law-making) committees.
Judicial branch
Branch of government that hears and settles legal disputes.
Laissez faire
A "hands-off" approach to the economy characterized by minimal governmental interference in or regulation of the businesses and economic transactions.
Lame duck
A political office holder who, because of term-limits, retirement or defeat, will not be returning to office after the end of his or her present term of office. Presidents serving in their second terms are not eligible to run for a third term and are, therefore, "lame duck" Presidents.
Legislative branch
Branch of government with the authority to make an change the laws of the land
Liberalism
Classical liberalism is based on the notion that individuals are the sole legitimate source of governmental authority. Modern day liberalism rests on the positive use of government to promote individual rights and equality.
Libertarianism
Philosophical perspective based on the premise that the legitimate sphere of government does not extend beyond the protection of individuals from harming one another.
Line-item veto
A veto which is used to reject only specific items or parts of legislation passed by the Congress. The Congress attempted to give the President line-item veto authority in 1995; however, the Supreme Court ruled the effort unconstitutional because it transferred legislative authority from the Legislative Branch to the Executive Branch. It had been the hope of the Congress that the President would use the line-item veto to remove or lower excessive spending measures from legislation passed by Congress.
Lobby/lobbying
The practice of attempting to persuade members of Congress to support or oppose particular policies or pieces of legislation. This practice is called "lobbying" because such efforts are traditionally conducted in the "lobbies" or rooms and hallways just off the House and Senate chambers.
Lobbying
The practice of talking with members of Congress to persuade them to support a particular position or pieced of legislation. Often conducted in the "lobbies" just off the House and Senate chambers.
Lobbyist
Someone who engages in lobbying (see above). A lobbyist is generally an individual whose full-time work is representing a particular interest or set of interests in the legislative process.
Majority leader
Individual elected to lead a party in the House or Senate that holds the most seats in the body.
Mandatory spending
Spending that is largely out of the control of the Congress. Primarily "entitlements" which are paid to people on a formula basis regardless of how much money is available.
Media bias
Occurs when the media (individually or collectively) reports something that is inaccurate or one-sided because of ideology, political favoritism, reliance on limited (not treating both sides equally), or other factors. Bias can show up in coverage (or lack thereof) or in the content and analysis of stories.
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
Next page
Back to:
» Glossaries
» Translation Tools
» Translations
| 
