Fast, plain-English definitions for political terms, government concepts, election language, and the phrases voters are seeing in live surveys.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the federal agency within the Department of Homeland Security responsible for securing U.S. borders and managing the flow of lawful trade and travel. It includes the Border Patrol, the Office of Field Operations at ports of entry, and Air and Marine Operations.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the federal agency within the Department of Homeland Security responsible for securing U.S. borders and managing the flow of lawful trade and travel. It includes the Border Patrol, the Office of Field Operations at ports of entry, and Air and Marine Operations.
An election prediction market is a regulated or unregulated exchange where participants buy and sell contracts whose payouts depend on the outcome of an election, such as which candidate wins or which party controls a legislative chamber. Prices on these contracts are commonly interpreted as implied probabilities of the underlying event occurring.
The honeymoon period refers to the early months of a presidential term, when approval ratings tend to be elevated and political opposition is often muted. It usually fades as the administration takes contested policy actions.
The constitutional process by which the House formally charges a federal official with misconduct; the Senate then holds a trial on removal.
Mandatory detention refers to the legal requirement under Section 1226(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act that certain noncitizens, particularly those with specified criminal convictions, be held in custody without the possibility of release on bond while their removal proceedings are pending. The provision removes the discretion immigration judges typically have to consider release.
A bond hearing is a court proceeding in which a judge decides whether a detained individual can be released from custody, often after posting a sum of money, while their case is pending. In the immigration context, an immigration judge weighs whether the detainee is a flight risk or a danger to the community before setting release conditions.
A constitutional amendment is a formal change or addition to the U.S. Constitution made through the process outlined in Article V. It is the only way to directly alter or abolish constitutional provisions such as the Electoral College.