Conservative: Someone who tends to favor existing ways of doing things. Conservatives accept change, but reluctantly.
Election Day: The Tuesday after the first Monday in November, when the people vote for the electors who, in turn, formally elect the president and the vice-president.
Electoral College: A group of persons called "electors," selected by the voters in each state that officially elects the president and vice-president. The number of electors in each state equals the number of representatives in both houses of congress.
Electorate: The voting population (constituents).
Front Runner: The person who is judged to be far ahead of the other candidates in the race for the nomination.
Impeachment: A formal accusation or indictment; to charge (a public official) with improper conduct in office before a proper tribunal.
Inauguration: The formal ceremony at which a person takes an oath of office-- the presidential inauguration takes place at noon on January 20th following the election in November.
Incumbent: A person who currently holds office.
Lame Duck: A person who will not be serving another term in office, but who is still in office. The lame duck period is the time between Election Day and Inauguration Day. Politically, the person is seen as being on the way out and thus can't make much progress (a lame duck soon to be a "dead duck").
Left Wing: The portion of a political group, which is considered to have liberal or radical political ideas. In 19th century Europe, liberal members of political parties were seated on the left side of the legislature.
Liberal: Following political view which generally favors and nurtures new ways of doing things and supports social and economic reform.
Line Item Veto: The president is empowered not only to veto the whole bill, but also parts of it.
Moderate: A person who tends to take the middle position on issues and avoids the extremes of either the right or the left.
Mudslinging: The use of malicious, often unsubstantiated charges against a candidate, politician, or party (e.g. attack ads, smear campaigns).
Pardon: The releasing of a person from punishment; allowing an offense to pass without punishment. Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution confers upon the president the power to "grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in cases of Impeachment."
Plank: A specific promise or statement in the platform of a political party.
Platform: A political party's principles and positions on a wide range of issues. The platform outlines the agenda under which a party's presidential nominee will run. The Platform Committee draws up these statements and presents them to the party on the second day of the party's national convention. Individual parts of the platform are called planks.
Pocket Veto: The indirect veto of a bill received by the president within ten days of the adjournment of Congress, effected by retaining the bill unsigned until Congress adjourns. A similar action exercised by a state governor or other chief executive.
Press Conference: Formal or informal interview given by a public figure to reporters.
Right Wing: The conservative or reactionary faction of a political group.
Spin Control: A political ploy; to provide an interpretation of (a statement or event, for example), especially in a way meant to sway public opinion.
Split Ticket Voting: Voting for candidates of different parties for various offices in the same election (e.g. voting for a Republican for senator and a Democrat for president).
Stump Speech: The all-purpose speech that a candidate gives repeatedly to promote the basic message of his/her campaign.
Veto: The vested power or constitutional right of one branch or department of government to refuse approval of measures proposed by another department, especially the power of a chief executive to reject a bill passed by the legislature and thus prevent or delay its enactment into law. An official document or message from a chief executive stating the reasons for rejection of a bill.
IN THE COMMUNITY
