Information & the record
transcript
A verbatim written record of what was said: a hearing, an oral argument, a trial, a briefing. The primary source behind most quotes.
In full
Transcripts are produced by court reporters and by the chambers themselves, and the official versions are usually public. They are the check on paraphrase: a quote that reads differently in a transcript than in coverage is worth the extra minute. The Congressional Record is a partial exception, since members may revise and extend what they said.
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.