Board - Administrative body consisting of officers plus elected and appointed Directors.

Concurrence - General agreement of League members to a statement of position written by the Board or other group at any level of League. Concurrence is often used to update an existing position.

Consensus - General agreement of League members following thorough study and discussion. League positions are based on member consensus.

Education Fund - A separate organization established by the League to accept tax-deductible contributions, the funds of which can be used only for education or Voter Service activities, such as League study of Voters’ Guide.

Governance - One of the four areas in which League studies and acts. Governance refers to the workings of the three branches of government, especially state legislatures and Congress, where laws are made. It includes taxation and other financial matters of the state or nation.

International Relations - The relationship of our country to other nations in trade, peacekeeping, the United Nations, etc. This is the second major area of League concern.

Local Item - A topic of concern and possible action in the city of county of a local League.

Natural Resources - A third major area of League interest. It includes air and water quality, land use, energy, transportation, and waste disposal.

Nonpartisan - Describes the League’s policy of not supporting or opposing political parties or candidates.

Observers - League members who attend and monitor meetings of government councils, boards and commissions.

PMP - Per Member Payment – monetary support for the state and national Leagues as decided by Convention delegates.

Portfolio - The specific program or administrative responsibility of a Board member, such as international relations, land use, or public relations. Many League Boards are moving away from the portfolio system, with Board members assuming responsibility as necessary.

Position - A statement of beliefs of League members on a particular issue, reached by consensus or concurrence of members after thorough study and discussion. The position is adopted by the appropriate board, according to the level at which the study was done (local, state, or national). Action, pro or con, is done on the basis of positions.

Social Policy - The fourth area of concern to League members. Social policy covers education, health, housing, corrections, issues affecting women and children, human rights, and civil liberties.

Study - The process of researching and analyzing an issue from all sides.

Units - Small discussion groups. Not all Leagues use units. They work well in larger Leagues or those spread out over a geographic area.

Voter Service - Projects helpful to voters: registration, candidate and issue forums, printed material giving objective, balanced election information about issues and/or candidates.