Lingo

Bipartisan

A term used to refer to an effort endorsed by both political parties or a group composed of members of both political parties.

 

Blue States

States designated as predominately Democrat (this designation is also used to distinguish the party of victory on Election night).

Campaign Finance Reform

is the common term for the political effort in the United States to change the involvement of money in politics, primarily in political campaigns. See campaign finance.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campaign_finance_reform

Caucus

a meeting of members of a political party or subgroup to coordinate members' actions, choose group policy, or nominate candidates for various offices.

Carpetbagger

an outsider who seeks power or success presumptuously; "after the Civil War the carpetbaggers from the north tried to take over the south."

 

Downing Street

named for Sir George Downing, this street in London that has century old buildings that house the residences of the Prime Minister of Great Britain, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Chief Whip.

Earmarking

In public finance, an earmark is a requirement that all or a portion of a certain source of revenue (such as a tax) must be devoted towards spending on a specific public expenditure. Earmarking bypasses the normal procedure where tax revenue is pooled in a general fund which is then distributed among separate spending programs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earmark

Embassy Row

is the informal name for a street or area of a city where embassies or other diplomatic installations are concentrated. Perhaps the best-known of these is in Washington, D.C., capital of the United States.
http://www.wikipedia.org

Exploratory committees

groups formed by possible political hopefuls most likely when candidte is seeking a higher office. These groups allow the candidate to raise funds, gain name recognition, and test the political waters before officially announcing their candidacy for office.

Gerrymandering

in politics, rearrangement of voting districts so as to favor the party in power. The objective is to create as many districts as possible in areas of known support and to concentrate the opposition’s strength into as few districts as possible.

Hard Money

Funding given by a political party and individual contributors to a candidate for office that is regulated by the campaign finance laws and must go directly to the candidate and can be spent as the candidate chooses.

 

Jet Set

(noun) - a fashionable social set composed of wealthy people who travel frequently by jetliner to parties and resorts. Origin: 1950-55. Related forms: jet-setter (noun).

 

 

K Street

is a major thoroughfare in Washington, D.C. known for the numerous law firms, think tanks, and advocacy groups that exercise influence from this location.

Lobbyist

principle purpose is to affect legislation. Provides organizations and communities with direct communication with members of Congress
* Lobbyist is one who spends 20% of time seeking to influence legislators or staff.

Partisan

partial to a particular party or person, often political in nature. One criticism of federal politics, especially regarding Congress, is that some politicians spend more time and effort trying to promote their party's platform than trying to develop laws and policies which serve the American people.
www.historycentral.com/Civics/P.html

Political Spectrum

is a way of visualizing different political positions. The spectrum places these positions as conservative as right and liberal as left. The middle of this spectrum is considered moderate.

Primaries

The series of U.S. presidential primaries is one of the first steps in the process of electing a President of the United States. The primary elections provide a method for U.S. political parties to nominate and unite behind one popularly chosen candidate for the Presidency.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primaries

Red meat

“Fighting words” in the world of politics. Usually this term is used to describe harsh or revealing language used by one candidate or party towards another candidate or party.

Red States

States designated as predominately Republican (this designation is also used to distinguish the party of victory on Election night)
Saville Row- occupies a quiet corner of Mayfair in central London and is famous the world over as the home of men's bespoke tailoring.
http://www.wikipedia.org

Soft Money

money that is given to a political party but is not given specifically to support a particular candidate. This money is supposed to be used for purposes such as voter registration drives, administrative costs and general political party expenses, but is often used by the parties to help particular candidates.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/election/glossary.shtml