Government Officials
Secretary of Defense
Pete Hegseth
the means by which electoral votes are divided between candidates based on who wins districts and/or the state
district system
the process of giving a news story a specific context or background
framing
the body of voters represented by a particular politician
constituency
the act of charging a government official with serious wrongdoing, which in some cases may lead to the removal of that official from office
impeachment
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
John Roberts
the practice of voting only for candidates from the same party
straight-ticket voting
the media’s ability to choose which issues or topics get attention
a special type of committee that reconciles different bills passed in the House and Senate so a single bill results
conference committee
a rule issued by the president without the cooperation of Congress and having the force of law
executive order
Secretary of State
Marco Rubio
the result when a popular presidential candidate helps candidates from the same party win their own elections
coattail effect
a party-based election rule in which the number of seats a party receives is a function of the share of votes it receives in an election
proportional representation
the amending and voting process in a congressional committee
markup
a power created through law in 1996 and overturned by the Supreme Court in 1998 that allowed the president to reject specific aspects of bills passed by Congress while signing into law what remained
line-item veto
Senate Majority Leader
John Thune
a form of candidate nomination that occurs in a town-hall style format rather than a day-long election
caucus
a type of election in which the winning candidate must receive at least 50 percent of the votes, even if a run-off election is required
majoritarian voting
a parliamentary maneuver used in the Senate to extend debate on a piece of legislation as long as possible, typically with the intended purpose of obstructing or killing it
filibuster
the president’s right to withhold information from Congress, the judiciary, or the public
executive privilege
Secretary of the Treasury
Scott Bessent
a party member chosen to represent a particular candidate at the party’s state- or national-level nominating convention
delegate
the idea that information is placed in a citizen’s brain and accepted
a parliamentary process to end a debate in the Senate, as a measure against the filibuster; invoked when three-fifths of senators vote for the motion
cloture
a statement a president issues with the intent to influence the way a specific bill the president signs should be enforced
signing statement