Government & Political Abbreviations

785 abbreviations in 9 subcategories

Federal agencies, legislative and political terms, international organizations, public programs, law enforcement and emergency services. Government bodies are referred to almost exclusively by their initials in news and official documents, so knowing what FEMA, SCOTUS or OPEC stands for is often the first step to understanding a story.

• US Federal Agency
• World Government
• US Law
• UK Government
• Political
• Police
• Public Program
• Emergency Services
• Police Code

US Federal Agency Abbreviations

Abbreviations for the executive departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions and offices of the United States federal government, plus the support agencies of Congress. Most agencies are known almost entirely by their initials in news coverage, regulations and forms, and many sit inside a larger cabinet department, such as the FBI within DOJ, FEMA within DHS and the FDA within HHS. Each entry notes the parent department, founding date, core mission and the title of the official who leads it.

All 152 US federal agency abbreviations →

World Government Abbreviations

Abbreviations for government bodies, legislatures, agencies and major political parties outside the United States and the United Kingdom, including Canada, Australia, Ireland, India, Germany, China, Russia and South Africa, plus the institutions, laws and agencies of the European Union. Entries identify the country or bloc, explain what each body does and compare it with its nearest US or UK equivalent.

All 103 world government abbreviations →

US Law Abbreviations

Abbreviations for major United States federal statutes and the publications where federal law appears, from civil rights and employment laws (ADA, FMLA) to privacy (HIPAA, FERPA, COPPA), environmental (NEPA, CERCLA), financial, immigration and tax legislation. Laws are usually cited by these short names in compliance manuals, court opinions and news reports. Entries give the year enacted, what the law requires or prohibits, the agency that enforces it and significant amendments.

All 104 US law abbreviations →

UK Government Abbreviations

Abbreviations for the government of the United Kingdom: Parliament and its members, ministerial departments, executive agencies, regulators such as Ofcom and Ofsted, the security and intelligence services, devolved institutions, political parties, honours and the main welfare benefits. Department names and initials change frequently with Whitehall reorganizations, so entries note former names where relevant.

All 91 UK government abbreviations →

Political Abbreviations

Abbreviations from American politics and elections: offices and titles (POTUS, AG), party organizations (GOP, DNC, RNC), campaign finance (PAC, Super PAC), congressional bill prefixes and procedures (H.R., S., CR), voting systems and polling terms. Party labels such as D, R and I appear after lawmakers' names in news copy, and bill numbers restart with each two-year Congress. Entries are neutral and note AP or official style where it differs.

All 91 political abbreviations →

Police Abbreviations

Abbreviations used by police officers, dispatchers, detectives and courts in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, from radio and report shorthand (APB, BOLO, GOA) to impaired-driving offenses (DUI, DWI, OWI), ranks, units, databases and use-of-force terms. Usage varies between agencies and states, so the same offense or rank may carry different initials in different places; the entries note those differences. Federal agencies such as the FBI and ATF are covered under government agency abbreviations.

All 84 police abbreviations →

Public Program Abbreviations

Abbreviations for US government benefit and assistance programs and the eligibility terms that go with them: food aid (SNAP, WIC), cash and disability benefits (TANF, SSI, SSDI), health coverage (CHIP, Medicare Advantage), housing, student aid, tax credits, immigration programs and the New Deal agencies of the 1930s. Eligibility rules, benefit amounts and income limits change every year, so figures given here are dated examples; applicants should confirm current rules with the administering agency.

All 65 public program abbreviations →

Emergency Services Abbreviations

Abbreviations used by firefighters, 911 dispatchers, emergency managers and rescue teams, covering fire service ranks and equipment (FD, SCBA), incident command (ICS, NIMS, IC), emergency numbers and alerting systems (911, E911, WEA), hazardous materials terms (HAZMAT, IDLH) and disaster response. Many terms follow US federal doctrine and NFPA standards, with UK and international equivalents noted. Medical credentials such as EMT and paramedic are covered under medical abbreviations.

All 72 emergency services abbreviations →

Police Code Abbreviations

Ten-codes, response codes and numeric penal-code shorthand heard on police radio and in films. Most ten-codes listed here follow the 1974 list of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO), but meanings vary widely from agency to agency, and many departments have replaced them with plain language, as federal NIMS guidance has recommended for multi-agency incidents since the mid-2000s. California penal-code numbers such as 187 and 211 are state law sections that became radio and street slang.

All 49 police code abbreviations →

Edited by the AbbreviationList.com team. Spotted an error or a missing meaning? Contact us.