The great acronym arms race

Lawmakers are turning bill names into branding, and some are getting really good at it.

There’s a new legislative arms race in Raleigh — and it’s not over policy. It’s over who can come up with the cleverest bill acronym.

Some are brilliant. Some are a little cringe. But when done right, a good acronym can be more than just a little fun wordplay. It can shape coverage, drive the message, and give a bill real staying power.

What used to be a D.C. branding gimmick (remember the USA PATRIOT Act?) has fully arrived in North Carolina. And it's changing how legislation gets sold to voters.

In just a few weeks, we’ve seen North Carolina lawmakers file at least a half-dozen bills with titles like the DAVE Act, the RIC FLAIR Act, and the COOPER Accountability Act. The names crafted to go viral, land a punch, or simply make reporters write about them.

Here’s a tiered ranking of this year’s standout acronym bills — plus some advice for legislators trying to get in on the game.

🥇 Top tier: Clean, catchy, and on-message

The DAVE Act

Division of Accountability, Value, and Efficiency
This one’s near perfect. It’s short, relevant, and the acronym matches the name of the new state auditor, Dave Boliek. Plus, the full title actually makes sense on its own — no tortured wordsmithing here. It opens the door to memes, branding, and a bit of good-natured swagger. Gold medal.

The COOPER Accountability Act

Close Out Operations Provide Emergency Relief
An absolute zinger aimed at the former governor. This bill reallocates disaster relief money and imposes strict oversight over the office created under former Gov. Roy Cooper. The acronym is a shot across the bow — but it’s backed by serious policy and gets the point across in one word.

🥈 Mid-tier: Fun, but a bit forced

RIC FLAIR Act

Remember Iconic Combatants through Fostering Learning Awareness and Interest in Rassling
This bill to study the creation of a pro wrestling museum in North Carolina gets points for sheer audacity and meme potential. Everyone knows Ric Flair, but you have to really squint at the full title to make it work. It's clear the acronym came first and everything else was force-fit after. Still, WOO-worthy.

REINS Act

Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny
This bill requires legislative approval for costly state regulations. It’s a direct import from D.C., so not exactly fresh — but the branding works, and it’s clear at a glance what the bill’s about.

🥉 Lower tier: Solid policy, forgettable branding

PAVE Act

Projects for Advancing Vehicle-Infrastructure Enhancements
I’m a big fan of this bill — I even wrote a full column about it for The Charlotte Observer (see the quick hits section below). The acronym itself is pretty good, but the full name reads like a rejected grant proposal. It’s clunky and bureaucratic.

NC REACH Act

Reclaiming College Education on America’s Constitutional Heritage
Requiring a civics or U.S. history course for UNC and community college students is strong policy. But “REACH” is vague and forgettable, and the acronym adds nothing to the message.

How to nail an acronym bill

A strong acronym won’t make bad policy good — but it will make good policy stand out. In today’s media environment, that’s not just a gimmick. It’s strategy.

If you’re trying to craft an acronym bill that actually resonates, here’s what to keep in mind.

Start with a bill that matters

No amount of clever naming can save a bad or unserious bill. The acronym should amplify the message, not distract from it. Start by articulating what the bill does in one sentence — then see if there's a natural acronym that reinforces it.

Make the acronym natural

You shouldn’t have to twist grammar or shoehorn in filler words to make the letters work. The best acronyms feel effortless. If the full title of your bill reads like a grant application, you’ve missed the mark. You want people to say, “That’s clever,” not, “Wait, what does that stand for again?”

Use real names or cultural references

If your bill connects to a recognizable person, place, or brand, lean in. People remember what they already know.

The DAVE and COOPER Acts are memorable because they tie into real people. Ric Flair does the same, just in a sillier way. This kind of shorthand builds emotional resonance. Voters don’t just understand the bill — they feel something about it.

Don’t default to safe, recycled acronyms

Avoid the federal temptation to slap “REACH,” “SAFE,” or “FREEDOM” on every bill. They all blur together. You want yours to stand out.

Test it out loud

Say it in a sentence. Picture it in a headline. If it doesn’t sound sharp or if it makes you wince, it’s not ready. If the name doesn’t carry the message on its own, it’s not helping you. The best acronym bills are built for headlines, soundbites, and memes.

Run it by someone not in politics. If they laugh, nod, or instantly get it, you’re on the right track.

Which one is your favorite? Vote in the poll below.

Quick hits

• I’ve written quite a bit about Charlotte’s transit plan, usually with a lot of skepticism. My first Observer column on the subject called for Republicans to save the Queen City from itself, and I later urged lawmakers to vote against Sen. Vicki Sawyer’s bill.

  Well, things have changed. Rep. Tricia Cotham is out with a new transit bill that would allow Charlotte to move forward, and I think it elegantly threads the needle between Charlotte’s ambitions and the General Assembly’s concerns. Read the new Observer column here: Tricia Cotham might have just saved Charlotte’s transit plan — and her legacy

• The N.C. Supreme Court issued a bombshell ruling last week on the Jefferson Griffin legal challenge. Basically, they threw out the challenge to the 60,000+ incomplete registrations, but they’re letting the military registrations go forward. This has a good chance of getting axed in the federal courts. I’m ready for this all to go away, and wish it never got to this point. Last week’s ruling is a decent step toward that.
  

• On that note, Bryan Anderson of Anderson Alerts is doing some great, shoe-leather reporting on the pool of 260 voters who are likely to have their votes tossed out — people classified as never having lived in North Carolina. On its face, I agree that these folks shouldn’t vote in N.C. elections. But Anderson is finding out that a decent number of these voters actually have lived in North Carolina, and some currently do. It’s unclear how they ended up on the list. More poor record-keeping from the State Board of Elections.

Important reads

• Prominent House Republican Sarah Stevens considering run for state Supreme Court (Anderson Alerts)

• Trump Is the New FDR (National Review)

• Why California Continues to Lead the Nation in Poverty and Homelessness (The Take)

Top spenders on social media this week

YouTube spending had been basically non-existent since Election Day, but it’s now back in force. The big new spender is the Democratic PAC Majority Forward that is opposing U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis. Its ads have been seen more than 12 million times in the past few weeks. One Nation is supporting Tillis but also opposing Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff.

Question of the week

I asked you last week about whether North Carolina should pass a law protecting free speech at private colleges. Overwhelmingly, you said yes — with 66% voting in the affirmative.

This week, we’ll again circle back to the top of the newsletter.