Definition of Autocracy An autocracy is a form of government where one person holds all the power. In this type of rule, an autocrat—the sole ruler—calls all the shots without needing to consult or get approval from others. Think of it as being in a classroom where one person chooses all the subjects, directs when class starts and ends, decides when breaks occur, and controls almost everything els... »
Definition of Joint Resolution A joint resolution is an official statement issued by both chambers of the United States Congress – the Senate and the House of Representatives – that either proposes a change to the law or suggests an amendment to the U.S. Constitution. For a joint resolution to become law or to amend the Constitution, it must be approved by both the Senate and the House... »
Simple Definitions of Quorum A quorum is like a key that unlocks a group’s power to make decisions. It’s the smallest number of people that must be there to allow the group to act officially. Think of it as a rule for play. When you’re playing a team sport, you can’t just play with one person; you need a certain number of players to start the game—that’s your quorum. ... »
Definition A Joint Committee is a special team in American government that includes people from both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Think of it like a school project where students from different classes come together to work on something big. This team’s job is to talk over and fix problems that both parts of Congress care about, or to focus on certain things that need ideas a... »
What is the Congressional Research Service? The Congressional Research Service, also known as CRS, is a part of the United States Library of Congress. Think of it as a super helpful research group that only works for the United States Congress. CRS is there to support members of Congress and their staff by providing reports, answering questions, and giving expert advice on a wide variety of subjec... »
Definition of the House of Representatives The House of Representatives is a key component of the United States government, where members come together to create and discuss new laws. Members, known as representatives, are elected by the American public and serve to voice the concerns and needs of their local communities on a national level. The House is sized according to the population of the st... »
Definition Congress is the group in charge of making decisions that affect the whole United States. It’s like a team that decides the rules of a big game we all play, called “Life in the USA.” This team is split into two smaller ones, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each team has different player counts, game strategies, and rulebooks, but they compete on the same fi... »
Definition A chairperson is like the boat captain of a meeting, guiding the discussions and making sure it sails smoothly from start to end. This person, often called the “chair” or “chairman,” is in charge of running meetings in a way that is organized, ensures everyone’s thoughts are heard, and leads to clear decisions. It’s kind of like a referee in a sports ... »
Definition of an Amendment An amendment is a change or addition to a set of official rules or laws, like an update for a computer or game to fix things or add new features. Think of an amendment to the US Constitution as an important edit that helps the country’s most significant document stay helpful and relevant as times change. The Constitution is the foundation of all laws in the US, and... »
Definition of Adjourn An adjournment is what happens when a meeting or official gathering decides to take a break or to stop and continue at another time. Think of a sports game that’s paused because it starts to rain, and everyone plans to finish the game later. It’s a bit like that, but for meetings or political sessions rather than sports. In the context of U.S. politics, whenever C... »