Policy Jargon Decoder

This glossary contains some of the terms used in the Urban Institute's publications and in policy debates more generally. The glossary is a work in progress and will be updated and expanded periodically.

Select a letter below to start your search of the Policy Decoder.

Latest Additions to the Jargon Decoder:

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is a $789 billion economic stimulus package signed into law on February 17, 2009. The stimulus plan, a combination of tax cuts and spending increases, is designed to revive the U.S. economy during a recession sparked by the subprime mortgage market collapse.

Comparative Effectiveness Research. Comparative effectiveness research compares health care treatments and strategies to identify which options work best. Research into comparative effectiveness can help providers make more informed choices and control costs by weeding out waste and inefficiencies in medical care. Funds for comparative effectiveness research are included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Tax extenders. The many "temporary" tax incentives in the internal revenue code that have specific expiration dates, thus requiring periodic congressional action to retain them. Many provisions have been extended one year at a time for a decade or more, leading taxpayers to act as if they are permanent but also causing annual concern when Congress doesn’t reenact them in a timely manner.

Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). The $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) was approved on October 3, 2008, to free banks of toxic assets and encourage them to resume lending. The original plan was for the federal government to buy up mortgage-backed securities stuck on banks’ balance sheets, but much of the money so far has been used to inject cash directly into failing financial institutions.