Politics 101

I only actually took two political science classes in college, but I consider myself relatively well-informed. I read a lot, and I read a variety of things, but I still occasionally come across a term I don’t understand. The Washington Post has helpfully created a Politics Glossary in order to define those clumsy terms you might read in the paper. (Full disclosure: my BF helped develop this feature.)

In order to help people who read this blog but don’t really follow politics, I’m going to take one of these words a day and define it and provide a real example of the term. Hopefully you guys will find it interesting!

Ad Hoc Committee: A Latin phrase, meaning “for this purpose.” Committees are often deemed “ad hoc” when they form to propose temporary solutions for issues that require immediate attention. Once the issue is solved, the committee disbands.

Real life example: New Jersey newspaper The Daily Journal, in an article about a mayoral race:

The decision by Mayor Perry Barse’s administration to exclude the public from meetings by an ad hoc committee created to suggest changes to the city’s master plan shows a lack of transparency and accountability on the mayor’s part, his opponents in the May 13 municipal election say.