Simple English definitions for legal terms
Read a random definition: ribbon-matching rule
Stacking is a term used in insurance to describe the process of getting benefits from a second policy when the first policy doesn't provide enough coverage. Sometimes, courts can allow stacking even if the policies don't specifically say it's allowed. Stacking can also refer to a political tactic where a large group is combined with a larger opposition group in the same district.
Stagflation is another term that describes a period of slow economic growth or recession with high inflation, stagnant consumer demand, and high unemployment.
Definition: Stacking is a term used in insurance and politics.
In insurance, stacking refers to the process of obtaining benefits from a second policy on the same claim when recovery from the first policy alone would be inadequate. This is also known as policy stacking. For example, if you have two car insurance policies and get into an accident, you may be able to stack the benefits from both policies to cover the cost of damages.
Stacking can also refer to judicial stacking, which is the principle that a court can construe insurance policies to permit stacking, under certain circumstances, when the policies do not specifically provide for stacking but public policy is best served by permitting it.
In politics, stacking is a gerrymandering technique in which a large political or racial group is combined in the same district with a larger opposition group. This is done to dilute the voting power of the larger group. For example, if a city has a large population of Democrats and a smaller population of Republicans, the Republicans may try to stack the districts to ensure that the Democrats do not have a majority in any of them.
Overall, stacking is a term used to describe a strategy of combining or layering things to achieve a desired outcome.
One example of stacking in insurance is if you have two health insurance policies and need surgery. If the cost of the surgery is more than what one policy covers, you may be able to stack the benefits from both policies to cover the full cost.
Another example of stacking in politics is if a state has a large population of Hispanic voters who tend to vote Democrat. The Republicans may try to stack the districts so that the Hispanic voters are split up into multiple districts, diluting their voting power and making it harder for them to elect a Democrat.