Elections & terms
partisan
Belonging to or acting on behalf of a political party. Bipartisan means both major parties; nonpartisan means the office or body is not organized by party at all.
In full
The words describe structure, not sincerity. A partisan election lists party labels on the ballot; a nonpartisan one does not, which is common for judges, school boards, and many city offices. A bipartisan bill has sponsors from both parties, which says nothing about how many members of either voted for it.
Also written as: bipartisan, nonpartisan
Where to go next
Keep going
Browse every term in the glossary, or see the vocabulary in motion in the How government works walkthroughs.
A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.