Definition

A gathering where politically passionate people stand in corners of a room like an awkward middle school dance, except instead of slow dancing they're arguing about tax policy. Democracy at its most cardio-intensive.

Example Usage

"I went to my first caucus expecting a calm discussion and left three hours later having lost my voice, my dignity, and somehow my left shoe."

Related Terms

Intermediate

Stump Speech

The same speech a politician gives four hundred times in different cities while pretending each audience is hearing it for the first time. It's the political version of a band playing their one hit at every county fair.

🏛️ Government / Politics
Intermediate

Term Limits

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.

🏛️ Government / Politics
Intermediate

whip

A legislator tasked with ensuring party members vote the party line and actually show up for important votes — essentially a political babysitter with arm-twisting privileges. The term comes from fox hunting's "whipper-in" who kept hounds from straying, which tells you everything about how party leadership views rank-and-file members. Whips count votes, apply pressure, and occasionally make or break political careers.

🏛️ Government / Politics
Advanced

statutory instrument

Subordinate legislation made by executive authority under powers delegated by parliament, allowing ministers to create detailed rules without full legislative debate. It's how governments make law while parliament watches from the sidelines.

🏛️ Government / Politics
Beginner

Constituent

A fancy word for "voter" that politicians use when they want to sound like they actually remember you exist between elections. You're a constituent when they need your vote and a statistic the rest of the time.

🏛️ Government / Politics
Intermediate

Congressional Recess

The period when Congress takes a break from not getting things done in Washington to not get things done in their home districts. It's like summer vacation but for adults who technically never finished their homework.

🏛️ Government / Politics

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See “Caucus” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

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