Action Kit

parliament — Not just for British people; parliamentary systems are different from the presidential system most notably because the Prime Minister is the leader of the majority part in the legislative body and not elected separately; in parliament systems, elections are typically unset and can even be forced by the opposition; Iraq has a parliament now; some have suggested that the U.S. change to a parliament system, but this is very unlikely to ever happen.

partial-birth abortion — Term given to the medical abortion procedure called intact dilation and extraction; dilation in induced, the fetus grasped and partially removed, feet first, from the woman - the fetus' brain is removed by an incision and suction, allowing the collapsed head to pass out of the woman's body easily; procedure has become a major focus of the abortion debate because it is quite graphic to describe or see; made illegal in most circumstances by the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. (Text of the ban)

partisan — Favoring anything because it is associated with a political party; partisan politics is the norm rather than the exception in modern government; the more politicians and voters blindly align with a party, the fewer good decisions will be made for citizens and the country; see polarization. (The Bipartisan Policy Center)

perjury — When they ask you to swear to tell the truth, whole truth and nothing but the truth, they mean it; if you lie after swearing that, you have committed perjury, or perjured; Scooter Libby was recently convicted of perjury.

PETA — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is an animal rights organization that started in the U.S., but has spread across the globe; opposes animal testing, eating or otherwise using animal products, factory farming, hunting and fishing; advocates corporate and government practice and policy that preserves animal habitats and lives as well as a vegan diet; many mock PETA, such as the Web site People Eating Tasty Animals, which owned the Web address peta.org - the resulting lawsuit is an important case dealing with 'cybersquatting.' (PETA's Web site)

polarization — Danger!; In politics, polarization is the extreme division between two major groups; the U.S. is currently highly polarized, with major elections splitting near center; one of the most important issues not getting enough attention; the more polarization takes hold of politics and social issues in general, the harder it will be to make reasonable and compromised decisions; political discussion on TV and radio shows create a lot of polarization.

politically correct — See doublespeak.

pro-choice — A term chosen to be less abrasive than pro-abortion; in the abortion debate, pro-choice means in favor of limiting or eliminating government regulation of abortion; see Roe v. Wade. (Pro-choice advocacy Web site)

pro-life — A term chosen to be less abrasive than anti-abortion; in the abortion debate, pro-life means in favor of limiting or outlawing abortion through the legal system; see Roe v. Wade. (Pro-life advocacy Web site)

propaganda — Anything that aims to persuade a person or, usually, a group with intentionally targeted information; not always untruthful, but more often selectively truthful to emphasize a benefit or risk; in politics, propaganda is a way of life; also, most things on TV are propaganda to some degree.

public financing — An aspect of campaign finance; nationally, it is limited to the presidential race; to receive subsidies in the primary, candidates must qualify by privately raising $5000 in each of 20 states. For qualified candidates, the government provides a dollar for dollar 'match' from the government for each contribution to the campaign, up to a limit of $250 per contribution; although this has been used by many candidates since starting in 1976, candidates have stopped using it nearly entirely; there is debate over whether instituting strict and mandatory public financing, like some countries, would improve the system; see campaign finance, hard money, soft money. (Federal Election Commission's finance disclosure information)

pundit — In politics, pundit refers to a media commentator who is regarded as having a special knowledge or expertise of a subject; however, more often than not, pundits have just become tools of propaganda; although many claim to be impartial, few are.