Definitions

Plain English explanations of the political terms and metrics you will see on this site. If something is missing, let us know.

VotingCampaign FinanceLegislative ProcessPeople and RolesOur Metrics

Voting

Yea
A vote in favor of the bill or measure. Sometimes recorded as "Aye" depending on the chamber and context.
Nay
A vote against the bill or measure. Sometimes recorded as "No."
Not Voting
The legislator was absent or chose not to cast a vote. This is different from voting "Present." Not voting can be strategic (avoiding a tough vote) or logistical (illness, travel, etc.).
Present
The legislator was there but chose not to vote yea or nay. This counts toward quorum but not toward the vote total. Rare, and usually a deliberate signal.
Roll call vote
A recorded vote where each legislator's name and vote are published. This is the type of vote we track. Not all votes are roll call votes. Voice votes and unanimous consent don't produce individual records.
Voice vote
Members shout "aye" or "no" and the presiding officer judges which side is louder. No individual votes are recorded, so there is no way to know how any specific legislator voted.
Cloture vote
A Senate procedure to end debate (and block a filibuster). Requires 60 votes to pass. A cloture vote is not a vote on the bill itself, but on whether to stop talking and move to a final vote.
Procedural vote
A vote on the rules or process rather than the substance of a bill. Examples include votes on whether to bring a bill to the floor, how long debate will last, or which amendments are allowed.
Cross-party vote
When a legislator votes against the majority of their own party. We calculate this by comparing each member's vote to how the majority of their party voted on the same bill.
Party loyalty rate
The percentage of votes where a legislator voted the same way as the majority of their party. The inverse of the cross-party rate.

Campaign Finance

Small donor
An individual who contributed less than $200 total to a candidate in an election cycle. These donations are not itemized in FEC filings, meaning the donor's name and employer are not publicly reported.
Large individual donor
An individual who contributed $200 or more total to a candidate in an election cycle. These donations are itemized, meaning the donor's name, employer, and occupation are publicly reported in FEC filings.
PAC (Political Action Committee)
An organization that pools campaign contributions from members and donates to candidates. There are several types. Connected PACs are tied to a corporation or union. Non-connected PACs are independent. Super PACs can spend unlimited money but cannot donate directly to candidates.
Super PAC
A type of PAC that can raise and spend unlimited money on ads and other efforts to support or oppose candidates, but cannot donate directly to a candidate or coordinate with their campaign. Created by the Citizens United ruling in 2010.
Dark money
Political spending by nonprofit organizations (501(c)(4)s and others) that are not required to disclose their donors. The money influences elections but the public cannot see where it came from.
FEC (Federal Election Commission)
The independent agency that enforces campaign finance law in federal elections. All federal candidates must file financial reports with the FEC. Our campaign finance data comes from these filings.
Election cycle
The two-year period covering a federal election. House members run every cycle. Senators run every third cycle (every 6 years). Campaign finance totals are reported per cycle.
Cash on hand
The amount of money a candidate has available to spend at the time of their most recent FEC filing. A large war chest can deter challengers.

Legislative Process

Bill
A proposed law introduced in Congress. House bills start with "H.R." and Senate bills start with "S." A bill must pass both chambers in identical form and be signed by the President to become law.
Resolution
A formal expression of opinion or intent. Simple resolutions (H.Res. or S.Res.) apply to one chamber. Joint resolutions (H.J.Res. or S.J.Res.) require both chambers and, in most cases, the President's signature. Joint resolutions are also used for constitutional amendments.
Cosponsor
A legislator who formally adds their name in support of a bill they did not introduce. A bill with many cosponsors from both parties is more likely to move forward.
Filibuster
A Senate tactic where extended debate is used to delay or block a vote. Under current rules, it effectively takes 60 votes to overcome a filibuster (see cloture). The House does not have filibusters.
Rider
A provision added to a bill that is often unrelated to the bill's main topic. Riders are frequently attached to must-pass legislation like spending bills to get something through that would not pass on its own.
Markup
The process where a committee debates, amends, and rewrites a bill before voting on whether to send it to the full chamber. Most of the real changes to a bill happen during markup.
Conference committee
A temporary committee of House and Senate members formed to reconcile differences when the two chambers pass different versions of the same bill.
Omnibus bill
A single bill that packages together many different measures, often across multiple policy areas. Omnibus spending bills are the most common example. They are controversial because legislators must vote yes or no on the whole package.

People and Roles

Bioguide ID
A unique ID assigned to every member of Congress. You might see it in URLs or data exports. We use it behind the scenes to make sure voting records, finance data, and committee assignments all point to the right person.
At-large representative
A House member who represents an entire state rather than a specific district. States with only one House seat (Alaska, Wyoming, Vermont, etc.) have at-large representatives.
Whip
A party leader in each chamber responsible for counting votes and persuading members to vote with the party. The term comes from fox hunting, where a "whipper-in" keeps the hounds in line.

Our Metrics

Cross-party rate
The percentage of votes where a legislator voted differently from most of their own party. A higher number means they break from the party more often. We only count votes where they actually voted yea or nay, not absences.
Advancement probability
Our rough estimate of whether a bill will move forward. We look at how often bills at each stage have historically advanced, how long it has been sitting, and whether it has support from both parties. This is an informed guess, not a guarantee.