<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"AFFIRMATIVE ACTION: Policies that are aimed at countering discrimination against underrepresented groups. One area where affirmative action can come into play is the college admission process at certain schools. AGENDA: Things that need to be done. This term is often used to describe political platforms.  BALANCED BUDGET: A budget in which spending is equal to or less than the income.  BIPARTISAN: Any action involving two political parties, such as Democrats and Republicans.  CAUCUS: A meeting of people from one political party to plan action or nominate candidates to positions in the party. It can also mean a specific unified group joined t promote a specific conviction, or cause, such as the Congressional Black Caucus in the House of Representatives.  CHURCH AND STATE: The U.S. Constitution says that religion and government should be separated in our society. For example, some believe that prayer in public schools should be allowed, while others believe that it violates this separation.  CONFLICT OF INTEREST: A situation where someone in an official position is struggling between private and public interests.   Before you go anywhere, head to AA.com for great deals on flights. CONSERVATIVE: Conservatives emphasize traditional values, and they are often referred to as right-wing. The Republican party is generally considered to be the conservative major party. However, some Republicans can hold some liberal values. For example, Mitt Romney&amp;#039;s are extremely conservative, whereas some of Rudy Giuliani&amp;#039;s platforms are more liberal.  DEMOCRATIC PARTY: One of the two major political parties (the other is the Republican party) in the United States. Democrats usually tend to view economic and social issues more liberally than the Republican party. Democrats also generally believe in using government aid to help those in need. They are also usually pro-choice and support gay rights. This party&amp;#039;s symbol is the donkey. Learn more about this party and how to get involved  here!  DEMOGRAPHICS: Statistics of a targeted area that deal with population, age, income, and race.  ELECTORAL COLLEGE: A group of people that formally elect the president and vice president of the United States. The electors vote in their respective states, as directed by the Constitution. In order for a presidential candidate to win and become president, the candidate must get the majority of votes in the electoral college.  ETHNOCENTRISM: The belief that your cultural, ethnic, or political group is superior to others.  EXIT POLLS: Surveys that ask voters who and what they voted for as they leave a polling place.  FISCAL POLICY: Government policy that influences the economy. This includes decisions about how much taxing and what kind of tax (e.g., sales) should be imposed.  FOREIGN POLICY: A set of goals that outline how a country will interact with other countries in the world.   Before you go anywhere, head to AA.com for great deals on flights. FREE TRADE: The international exchange of goods and services that takes place without government regulation.  FUNDAMENTALISM: Beliefs that sacred books should be taken literally. Christian fundamentalists believe that creationism, or the belief that God made all creatures, should be taught in public school.  GENOCIDE: The mass killing of a specific group of people usually belonging to a certain race or religion, performed in order to eliminate that group completely. This is currently taking place in the Darfur region of Sudan. Learn more about this issue and how to help  here! GLOBAL WARMING: An increase in the average temperature of the earth&amp;#039;s surface, air, and oceans. This leads to climate changes and creates environmental damage. Learn more about environmental awareness in our  Earth to CG! section!  GREEN PARTY: A political party that focuses on environmental issues and supports social justice and human rights.  IMMIGRATION: The process by which a person moves into a new country to live there permanently. Immigrants have to apply in order to become citizens of the U.S.; if they&amp;#039;re not, they are considered illegal immigrants.  INDEPENDENT PARTY: A political party organized as opposition to the existing parties in a two-party system. In June 2007, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg left the Republican party and switched to unaffiliated. This move caused many people to speculate that he&amp;#039;ll run as an independent in the 2008 election.  LIBERAL: Not bound by tradition, religion or other extreme forms. The Democratic party is generally considered to be the liberal major party. They emphasize achieving social change through the federal government. In the U.S. political spectrum, they are defined as being left-wing.  MUDSLINGING: The practice of trying to discredit political opponents by spreading lies and exaggerations about them. This is a part of what is called negative campaigning, and can be viewed in the television commercials of certain candidates.  NATIONAL DEBT: The amount of money that the government owes.  NONPARTISAN: Not adhering to a specific political party.  POLITICAL PARTY PLATFORMS: A formal written statement of a political party&amp;#039;s principles and goals.   Before you go anywhere, head to AA.com for great deals on flights. RECESSION: A significant decline in economic growth that lasts six months or longer. It is usually marked by job layoffs, high unemployment, reductions in retail sales, and the slowing of housing and car markets. A recession is milder than a depression. An arduous or extremely long recession is referred to as an economic depression.  REPUBLICAN PARTY: One of the two major political parties (the other is the Democratic party) in the United States. The Republican party is generally supported by those with greater income, education, and social standings. This party is based on a pro-business platform. Republicans generally emphasize tax cuts, have traditional social values, and encourage a strong national defense policy. This party&amp;#039;s symbol is the elephant. Learn more about this party and how to get involved  here!  SOCIAL SECURITY: A federal program that was passed in the United States in 1935. Today it supports helping those of retirement age and beyond. It usually refers to retirement benefits but also includes disability income and survivorship benefits. The funding for social security comes from a tax that is charged equally on employers and employees.  SOCIAL SERVICES: Services provided by the government to improve the lives of those who need assistance, such as the poor, elderly, disabled, and children. This might include health care, insurance, subsidized housing, and food.  SWING VOTERS: People who aren&amp;#039;t loyal to a particular party and don&amp;#039;t consistently vote for the same political party in elections.  THIRD PARTY: Any political party other than the two major ones (the Democratic and Republican parties) in the United States that has a base of support and can influence the outcome of the election. Examples include, the Green party, the Libertarian party, and the Working Family party.  UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE: A government-sponsored system that ensures health care coverage for all citizens of a nation, regardless of income level or employment status.  WELFARE: Financial assistance that is funded by tax dollars and given by the government to people in need.   Before you go anywhere, head to AA.com for great deals on flights. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.seventeen.com/life/school/advice/a11207/poltical-glossary/>