A “lame duck session” is when the House or Senate reconvenes in an even-numbered year following the November general elections to consider various items of business.
It’s called this because some of the lawmakers who return for this …
In a legislative context, to “lay on the table” refers to the action of temporarily postponing consideration of a motion or bill.
This is typically done when the legislative body, such as a parliament or congress, determines that it is …
Leader time is the ten minute time allotted to Senate leaders at the start of the daily session.
It refers to a period set aside at the start of each legislative day for the Majority Leader and Minority Leader of …
A leak in politics is the spread of secret, often unfavorable, news about a politician to the media by someone in his or her inner circle.
It’s usually an unauthorized release of confidential or sensitive information to the media.
The …
Lettermarking is when lawmakers send letters to government agencies in an attempt to direct money to projects in their home districts.
The New York Times notes that lettermarking, “which takes place outside the Congressional appropriations process, is one of the …
A “lid” is what White House press secretaries use to indicate that there will be no news coming out of the White House that day.
It can also be called a “full lid.”
A “lid” can be called at any …
“Limousine liberal” is pejorative for wealthy liberals who do not want to bear the cost of the liberal policies they support.
It is typically used by populists to criticize the “fat cat” members of the Democratic Party.
This …
“Little group of willful men” is a reference to President Woodrow Wilson’s dispute with a group of anti-war congressmen in the lead-up to America’s entry into World War Two.
The dispute led to the introduction of a cloture rule in …
“Little old ladies in tennis shoes” is a derisive reference to members of the John Birch society.
In 1961, the California Attorney General’s offices investigated the ultra-conservative John Birch society and determined that the group was paranoid and authoritarian …
“Little Tin Box” is the title of a song in the 1959 musical, “Fiorello,” which told the story of one of New York City’s most famous mayors. Fiorello LaGuardia, a progressive politician who was a strong supporter of the …
A “live pair” refers to a situation where two lawmakers have agreed to not vote on a particular matter.
This is typically done as a form of compromise or to avoid taking a stance on an issue.
In a pair, …
Logrolling refers to a quid pro quo exchange of favors.
In politics, it generally refers to vote-trading by lawmakers to ensure that each legislator’s favored provisions have a higher chance of passing.
Specifically, logrolling means combining several provisions …
The “loneliest job in the world” is a reference to the presidency of the United States, supposedly a supremely lonely and isolating job because of the enormous responsibility that it entails.
William Howard Taft, upon handing over power to Woodrow …
“Loose lips sink ships” is a phrase that originated from a wartime propaganda poster during World War II, and it was used to caution individuals against careless talk that could potentially reveal sensitive information to the enemy.
Over …
The “lunatic fringe” is the wing of a political or social group that holds more extreme views than the rest of that group. The lunatic fringe tends to hold stronger opinions, as well as more fanatical views.
Merriam Webster notes …