Where everything is bipartisan until it is not.
Pre-approved sentences that politicians repeat verbatim on every news show, making them sound like slightly more articulate parrots. They're the political equivalent of a student who memorized one paragraph and hopes the essay question matches.
The concept that government should be open and visible to its citizens, which politicians support enthusiastically right up until it applies to them personally. It's the political equivalent of wanting glass walls in everyone else's office.
Rules that prevent politicians from holding the same office forever, based on the radical idea that power should occasionally change hands. Without them, some senators would serve longer than the average lifespan of a Galapagos tortoise.
A cache of incriminating documents or communications that exposes questionable governmental dealings, typically involving quid pro quo arrangements. Named after the infamous Ukraine scandal texts, it's what happens when "delete all" wasn't in someone's vocabulary.
Political behavior based on group identity rather than policy positions, because humans would rather be right than accurate.
A prepared statement that politicians repeat regardless of the actual question, because consistency matters more than truth. The holy mantra of modern politics.
A political idealist running outside the two-party system, typically splitting votes and helping elect the candidate they least prefer. They're the protest vote personified, making principled stands that accomplish nothing except generating think pieces.
A political issue so controversial and dangerous that touching it means instant career death, named after the electrified rail that powers subway trains. Social Security reform is the classic example that politicians approach like it's literally radioactive.
The number of people who actually show up to vote, which politicians obsess over because it directly correlates to their job security. High turnout means your preferred voters actually got off the couch.
Research institutions producing policy analysis and recommendations, theoretically non-partisan but usually funded by interests that appreciate certain conclusions. Academic-sounding organizations that manufacture the intellectual ammunition for predetermined political battles.
A policy idea deliberately leaked to media to gauge public reaction before officially proposing it. If it crashes and burns, the official can claim it was never seriously considered; if it flies, they take credit.
A political ideology attempting to transcend traditional left-right politics by combining elements of both liberalism and conservatism.
A defined geographical area under someone's control, jurisdiction, or dominion—whether that's a nation-state, a beaver's forest, or a Domino's franchise zone. Real estate with political strings attached.
A formal written agreement between nations on matters like trade, military cooperation, or human rights.
The number of people who show up to an event, election, or venue—the metric everyone obsesses over to measure success or engagement. High turnout = good; low turnout = panic.
A parliamentary procedure to set aside or delay consideration of a proposal, a method to kill bills without formal voting (usage varies by country).
A reference to the 1987 public service announcement featuring a fried egg and the tagline 'This is your brain on drugs,' used to illustrate the damaging effects of drug use. The phrase became iconic shorthand for anti-drug messaging.
A political party other than the two major parties, existing primarily to spoil elections, run symbolic candidates, or fragment votes that might have otherwise affected the outcome.
A two-wheeled cart or wagon used historically to transport manure, goods, or condemned prisoners (famously during the French Revolution); it could be tilted to dump its contents. The term is also spelled 'tumbril' and was a common vehicle in medieval and early modern Europe.
The act of using evasive or ambiguous language to avoid committing to a position; deliberate avoidance of a direct answer through equivocation or contradiction. It often involves changing one's stated position or evasively backing away from a claim.
Political regret mixed with future resolve—the feeling of clear-eyed hindsight about a past voting decision that you now recognize was a mistake. Like 20/20 vision but for recognizing poor judgment.
Indefinitely postponing a legislative item by moving to table it, the parliamentary way of saying 'let's not talk about this ever again' while maintaining plausible deniability.
A portmanteau describing an ardent, uncritical follower of a particular political figure—the term combines 'Trump' with 'troglodyte' to suggest intellectual cave-dwelling.
A metaphorical illness describing the collective anxiety and dismay of witnessing the chaos of a particular political era. Symptoms include scrolling through news obsessively and stress-eating at 3 AM.