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American Political Words

Based on the definitions, guess these words used in American politics.
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: September 27, 2019
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First submittedSeptember 4, 2013
Times taken21,674
Average score63.2%
Rating4.30
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Definition
Word
One who is running for office
Candidate
Senatorial delay tactic
Filibuster
Presidential refusal to sign legislation
Veto
In an election, the person who currently holds office
Incumbent
A winning percentage that may be less than 50%
Plurality
Person who attempts to influence government officials on behalf of a special interest
Lobbyist
The amount of money that the government spends in excess of its revenue each year
Deficit
An election to choose a party's nominee
Primary
The President's highest-ranking advisors, collectively
Cabinet
A Congressional election that happens between Presidential elections
Midterm
Legislation that is not yet a law
Bill
The official policy positions of a political party
Platform
A media personality who provides political analysis
Pundit
Enforcer who ensures that party members vote along party lines
Whip
To vote in the House of Representatives for an elected official to be removed
(But to actually be removed, they must be convicted in the Senate)
Impeach
A certificate that can be applied toward tuition at a private school
Voucher
To redraw voting districts in a convoluted, unfair way
Gerrymander
A legislature with two houses is this
Bicameral
A person who is not aligned with a specific political party
Independent
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47 Comments
kitshef
+10
Level 85
May 4, 2014
Wonder if you would accept talking head for pundit?
joeythelemur
+5
Level 83
Jun 26, 2014
Yep, that's all I could think of.
Henceforth516
+3
Level 85
Dec 16, 2014
I'll agree with that too!
kalbahamut
+2
Level 81
Sep 26, 2019
Talking heads can talk about any subject not just politics.
grantdon
+8
Level 74
Sep 26, 2019
As can pundits
kalbahamut
+2
Level 81
Sep 26, 2019
Yeah I guess you're right. Though pundits are generally considered to be experts on some particular subject... aka political pundits... a talking head can be literally anyone on TV.
PotatoLover
+1
Level 48
Apr 15, 2024
pundits could be for sports as well.
Cooldrive
+2
Level 64
Sep 26, 2019
Often mispronounced as "pundint."
LadyScroop
+14
Level 66
Jan 7, 2015
I'm just a bill /

Yes, I'm only a bill /

And I'm sitting here on Capitol Hill

Danno
+7
Level 68
Oct 4, 2016
Schoolhouse Rock rocks!!
pkerr116
+2
Level 72
Apr 20, 2015
Off year election = Midterm election, no?
rgc1600
+2
Level 73
Sep 28, 2016
All I could think of, too.
david2013
+3
Level 85
Sep 28, 2016
That was my first guess, too. Midterm is probably more official.
nonono
+2
Level 89
Sep 28, 2016
My initial thought as well. Mid-term may be more technically correct but off-year is probably used more commonly.
Hollywood
+2
Level 61
Aug 29, 2019
Boogernatorial
ander217
+2
Level 74
Sep 27, 2019
Off year is all I could think of but apparently only single word answers are accepted.
nonono
+9
Level 89
Jun 15, 2015
A veto is affirmatively denying legislation. Refusal to sign (thereby vetoing) is a "pocket veto."
jiwaburst
+2
Level 73
Oct 7, 2016
yeah, I got stuck for awhile wondering why that wasn't working
samiamco
+7
Level 69
Sep 2, 2016
The appearance of the answer "voucher" in this quiz made me break into the song, "One Of These Things Is Not Like The Others"…
buddhabhoy1888
+2
Level 62
Sep 28, 2016
I think you'll find that whip has been in use in the UK parliament since pre 1770.
Kestrana
+7
Level 60
Oct 3, 2016
Many of these words have origins outside the US. They're still used in US politics.
kalbahamut
+6
Level 81
Sep 26, 2019
If this wasn't designated as "American" then people would complain about terms that don't apply in whatever country they are from. It's not implying that Americans invented these words. Though in some cases they did.
dasubergeek
+4
Level 74
Sep 28, 2016
Thirteen of the fifty states use caucuses instead of primaries to determine their party's nominee.
MyMindWentBlank
+2
Level 61
Oct 1, 2016
I was thinking about that too, but I think the "primary elections" is the official term for the elections for party nominee. I could very easily be wrong on this point, though.
ericsp23
+4
Level 96
Sep 28, 2016
Isn't a refusal to sign legislation by the president technically a pocket veto?

A normal veto requires the president to indicate that the bill is vetoed in writing I believe.

Moosefight
+2
Level 60
Sep 29, 2016
I was just about to write up that same objection. Ericsp23 is correct. On a regular veto the president must return the bill to congress with written objections. On a pocket veto the president does not sign a bill before the congressional session ends (provided there are less than 10 days left in the session).
RobertoCF
+3
Level 77
Jun 1, 2017
I got 18/19 thanks to House of Cards
IsleAuHaulte
+2
Level 90
Jul 3, 2018
I was thinking this would be just an open list of political words and was ready to start typing freedom, God, terror, heroes, taxes, sacrifice, greatest....
OfficerDibble
+3
Level 82
Oct 12, 2018
Many of these terms are inherited from Westminster politics; most are still in use in the UK. US originals are primary, midterm and Gerrymander, and it seems that filibuster was used in the US first, though it's a very common term (and tactic) at Westminster too. Pundit deserves special mention as having come to English from Sanskrit, whereas others come from less exotic sources (e.g. veto from Latin). Nowadays of course Washington politics is far more influential than Westminster, and terms are being exported the other way (Gerrymander is the obvious example, very commonly used in the UK), as are concepts (primaries).
TravelingMama
+2
Level 73
Sep 26, 2019
Interesting.
Sifhraven
+2
Level 72
Sep 27, 2019
The word filibuster existed long before the country of america even existed.. And it comes from the dutch word vrijbuiter (1572), which has been altered by spanish and french. It did not became a legal term in the usa until after 1860 (but was around before). It originally referred to pirates.

Vrijbuiter also gave the word freebooter. (nearly literal translation, if you look at boot as booty, treasure. So not boots shoes. freelooter would be a good literal translation aswell)

ander217
+3
Level 74
Sep 27, 2019
Gerrymander is one of my favorite words due to its origin, but one of my least favorite in practice. Governor Gerry of Massachusetts in 1812 agreed to a new district that was shaped like a salamander in order to favor his party, and critics coined the new word. Sadly, politicians are still gerrymandering over 200 years later.
SpartanLlama
+2
Level 70
Sep 26, 2019
Plurality wasn't that hard
tdl
+3
Level 53
Sep 26, 2019
would you accept manifesto for platform?
RobNobody
+4
Level 78
Sep 26, 2019
It's funny to me that "plurality" has the lowest percentage.
Jerry928
+3
Level 76
Sep 26, 2019
A plurality simply means gaining more votes than any other candidate. Therefore everyone winning with a majority (over 50%) also has a plurality. It is not a requirement that you get under 50% to gain a plurality, though.
Quizmaster
+3
Level ∞
Sep 27, 2019
Okay, changed "is less than" to "may be less than".
Sifhraven
+2
Level 72
Sep 27, 2019
Only got 3 of which one was a total guess that filled another answer. Even afterwards hardly any mean anything to me ( not unfamiliar words, but if you give me the words and tell me to give the definition, I wouldnt be able to) Politics and sports are my weakest quiz subjects.

Bill and veto were ones I missed but could have had though..

BobSaget
+2
Level 78
Sep 29, 2019
The leaves are changing color, the weather is getting cooler...must be impeachment season.
gursh
+2
Level 56
Dec 7, 2019
I think you should allow commentator for pundit
Azuca
+2
Level 64
Apr 2, 2020
In California non-aligned voters are called "No Party Preference" or NPP voters, any chance those could be added as alternative answers?

They only came up with that because one of the minor parties here is called the "American Independent" party, which causes some confusion when registering to vote.

EvanAviator
+2
Level 59
Jan 3, 2023
no
lionman7102
+4
Level 57
Jun 8, 2020
is "moron" acceptable for pundit?
DrunkytheSnowman
+2
Level 56
Jun 2, 2022
I went for a different word for that answer. The one I went with started with "C" and had four letters and I don't think I'm allowed to put it in the comments
Getreelgirl
+1
Level 81
May 6, 2022
Why does my brain insist that Filibuster should start with Ph instead? Gah.
barmanitan
+1
Level 80
Dec 2, 2023
For some reason I always think it's philibuster, can that be accepted? (Maybe just because of the name Phil?)
AbiA
+1
Level 85
Mar 25, 2024
What does a school voucher have to do with politics?
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