Office of Management and Budget (OMB) An office within the Executive Office of the President responsible for creating the President’s annual budget proposal to Congress, reviewing proposed rules, and other budget-related tasks. The OMB is part of the federal bureaucracy.

Olson’s law Where a small and determined lobby can fend off the public interest.

Omnibus legislation Large bills that often cover several topics and may contain pork-barrel schemes.

On background A term describing comments a politician makes to the press on the condition that they can be reported only if they are not attributed to that politician. This is also known as quoting a politician ‘off the record.’

One-off election The year between the presidential election and the mid-term elections. However, elections can still occur (as in the case of a recall election). Recess appointments may also occur.

Op-ed Short for opinion editorial, this type of article is written by a journalist or guest writer (such as a prominent politician) who expresses his or her opinion on a given issue without necessarily attempting to be objective. It may be used to shape public opinion in some form.

Open government Where official records and official information is made available to pressure groups and the general public. In a liberal democracy, it is argued that the public have the right to access information from the government. Moreover, the business of government should be as transparent as possible. One of the most important pieces of legislation concerning open government is the Freedom of Information Act (1966). The first amendment also bears relevance to the notion of open government.

Open primary A primary election in which any registered voter can participate in the contest, regardless of party affiliation.

Open rules Conditions placed on a legislative debate by the House Rules Committee allowing the addition of relevant amendments to a bill. The House Rules Committee is the traffic cop of the lower chamber.

Open seat An elected position for which there is no incumbent.

Opposition research Attempts by a candidate’s campaign or other groups of supporters to uncover embarrassing or politically damaging information about the candidate’s opponent. In politics, if you throw enough mud then some of it sticks. Some states have a certain reputation for dirty tactics.

Oral arguments Spoken presentations made in person by the lawyers of each party to a judge or appellate court outlining the legal reasons why their side should prevail.

Original intent The theory that justices should identify the intentions of the framers when the language of the Constitution is in some way unclear. Original intent is based on the view that the judicial branch should be non-political, restricting itself purely to a legislative role.

Original jurisdiction A situation in which a court has the right to hear certain cases for the first time. In doing so, the decision taken by that court will set a precedent by which all other courts below them must follow. Judicial precedent is an important aspect of the court system and provides an opportunity for judges to effectively make law.

Originalist interpretation A literal view of the Constitution in which the document can only be upheld via consideration of the original meaning. According to Antonin Scalia, the original meaning should take precedence over the context of modern times. Proper reverence should be shown by the judicial bench. For liberals such as Breyer, the original understanding can only take you so far. The founding fathers cannot tell us how to think on issues and developments that simply did not exist at the time – such as the impact of new social media in relation to the first amendment.

Outside strategies Tactics used by interest groups outside our nation’s capital in order to achieve their policy objectives. This may entail direct action.