American Government Definitions

Because the democratic process is open to any and all citizens who wish to participate, knowing how the American government works is an asset.

Whether you are a student learning about the systems of the U.S. government for the first time, an immigrant working towards citizenship, or someone who has taken a renewed interest in the inner workings of the American government, knowing what the terms used mean can enhance your comprehension of how the system works.

The federal government of the United States is a large and complex institution. With a number of check and balances, rules, regulations, and policies, a layman can become perplexed easily. If you use the following glossaries to get definitions to terms relating to the federal government, you will grasp the concepts more quickly:

• TheCapitol.Net Glossary: This resource focuses on legislative and Congressional terms. Search by letter grouping for the term you need defined, or check the opening page for commonly used terms. Clicking on a word will bring you to the full definition. Not only are general terms included, but procedural rules and regulations as well.
• Library of Congress Thesauri: Use the public users portion of this site to look up terms in one of the four databases provided: the Thesaurus for the Global Legal Information Network, Legislative Indexing Vocabulary, Thesaurus for Graphic Materials I: Subject Terms, and Thesaurus for Graphic Materials II: Genre and Physical Characteristic Terms. Search by term or by keyword search for the information you seek, such as filibuster in the Legislative Indexing Vocabulary.
• Center for Civic Education Glossary: Use this concise listing of American government definitions to learn about the most commonly referenced words, acts, and governing bodies. Simply scroll to find the definition you need.
• CliffsNotes American Government Glossary: From the famous company that helps students study comes a glossary of terms, rules, and important amendments essential to the United States government. From Connecticut Compromise to the Pentagon Papers, the significant aspects of American government and history are all covered on this website.
• Glossary of American History: In order to have a total understanding of the government today, sometimes you need to learn about the history of how the government came to be. Use this historical dictionary to look up words from the rise of the American government to the mid-twentieth century acts like Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka.

State and Local Governmental Terms

The American government is not just about the large federal system. In the current state of democracy, this means that people have a chance to participate in their local systems of government. Whether you participate on a city, county, or state level, you may need to know American governmental terms that will affect you close to home.

• Student Voices Glossary of Local Government Terms: Although native to Pennsylvania, this glossary provides a nice listing of definitions can apply to a number of local governments. City clerk, county seat, township, and zoning are all defined in general terms as they would apply to various local governmental bodies.
• Glossary of Government Terms: Use this Minnesota town's glossary of terms in order to lookup words that can apply anywhere, such as plat map or subdivision. However, a number of terms are specifically defined for the town of Apple Valley, so check with your own local government for variations.

To learn the definitions of words, phrases, and acts employed by your own state and local governments, visit your state/county government websites.

Specialty Dictionaries of American Government Definitions

Because of the massive amounts of governmental agencies and regulations, a more specialized glossary may be needed in order to look up various terms used. To start the search, use these focused dictionaries to get the information you need:

• A Glossary of Political Economy Terms: The terms used within this glossary are listed to the right of the page. The focus of this glossary relates to how the government works with budgets, money, and within the United States and global economy.
• State Department Resources for Foreign Services Families: Use this acronym glossary to find out words related to the Foreign Service Families. These commonly used acronyms will be found in place of entire words or phrases within this division of the government.
• Glossary of Diplomatic Terms: While not specifically for the American government, the United States is host to diplomats from around the world and sends our own ambassadors to other countries. Therefore, understanding terms in relation to how U.S. diplomats relate to the rest of the world may be useful.

If you cannot find a specialized dictionary to look up the governmental term you need defined, try using yourDictionary. Simply type in the term you need defined and hit "Search."