Definition of Bipartisan Bipartisan is like a school project where two students who usually disagree come together to complete an assignment. They put aside their differences, work together, and produce something they both can be proud of. In politics, bipartisan refers to two major political parties – often the Democrats and Republicans – finding a way to agree on a law or decision. Think of it l... »
Definition of a Battleground State A Battleground State, or Swing State, is a place in the United States where people who vote have very different ideas about who should lead the country. It’s kind of like a tug-of-war game where both sides have equal strength, and no one knows who will win until the game is over. In a presidential election, these states could give their support to either th... »
Definition of Bailout A bailout is financial support given to a company or industry that’s in deep trouble, much like a life jacket to someone who’s struggling to stay afloat in water. You could also think of it like a safety net that catches someone who’s fallen off a financial trapeze – to stop them from hitting the ground hard. Governments or sometimes other large organization... »
Simple Definitions of a Backbencher A backbencher is a member of a parliament or legislature, like the Congress in the United States, who does not have a leadership role or a special title. These politicians sit in the rows that are further away from the front, where the leaders sit. They don’t get involved in the biggest decisions or speak out the most, but they have their own important job... »
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... »