A “gadfly” is an individuals who, through persistent questioning or criticism, challenge established norms, policies, or institutions. Their is often to provoke thought, stimulate debate, …
To “Akinize” is to try to diminish a political foe by likening his or her words to remarks on “legitimate rape” made by …
Lettermarking is when lawmakers send letters to government agencies in an attempt to direct money to projects in their home districts.
This practice allows legislators …
“Ping pong” refers to reconciling the differences between a House-passed bill and a Senate-passed bill by amendments between the chambers, rather than forming a conference …
A phrase used by Vice President Spiro Agnew to refer to the members of the media with whom he had a very acrimonious …
“Bundlers” refers to individuals or organizations that raise large sums of money from multiple donors to support a political campaign or cause.
These bundlers are …
The term “oppo” refers to opposition research, a crucial activity undertaken by political entities to collect information on adversaries that could be used to their …
GOTV is an acronym for “get out the vote” or increasing voter turnout in an election.
It involves various activities and initiatives to …
A Rose Garden campaign is when an incumbent president takes advantage of the power and prestige of his office to help him run for re-election.…
A “money bomb” is an intense grassroots online fundraising effort over a brief fixed time period to support a candidate for election.
This …
The “Eleventh Commandment” refers to the adage, “Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican.”
This unwritten rule encourages party unity by discouraging public criticism …
The “Richards effect” is the phenomenon in which polls consistently underestimate support for female candidates relative to white male candidates.
The termed was coined by …
A “gotcha question” is one posed by a reporter in an effort to trick a politician into looking stupid or saying something damaging.
These questions …
“You’re no Jack Kennedy” is a phrase used to deflate politicians who are perceived as thinking too highly of themselves.
The words come from the …
Psephology is the scientific study and statistical analysis of elections and voting.
Through employing various quantitative methods and data analysis, psephologists seek to …
A “Senate hold” is how a U.S. senator informally signals his objection to a bill or presidential nomination.
Most congressional actions clear parliamentary hurdles by …
A “Sister Souljah moment” is a public repudiation of an extremist person or statement perceived to have some association with a politician or his party.…
A “demon sheep” is a sinister politician who pretends to be what he is not.
It’s a derogatory term related to Republicans who …
Plausible deniability is the ability to deny any involvement in illegal or unethical activities, because there is no clear evidence to prove involvement.…
Blue-slipping is a term that originates from the United States Congress and refers to a procedural action taken by the House of Representatives to assert …
A “heck of a job” is a complete and total screw-up.
It’s used, ironically, to show when one’s view of a situation is in contradiction …
A patriot is a person who loves, supports, and defends one’s country.
The term “patriot” is derived from the Latin word “patriota,” which means “fellow …
A “spoiler” is a candidate who has no chance of winning, but whose candidacy still impacts the outcome of the election.
A spoiler candidate …
A “shadow cabinet” is formed when the opposition party in a parliamentary system appoints members to serve in each of the cabinet-level positions — even …
In politics, a “safety net” – also known as a “social safety net” – refers to the welfare programs that are designed to provide benefits …
An annual picnic in Fancy Farm, Kentucky that has come to represent the traditional starting point of the fall campaign season in Kentucky.
The gathering …
A “gypsy moth Republican” is a pejorative term used by conservative Republicans to describe a moderate members of their party who represent a Northeastern or …
A “slush fund” is an unregulated store of money which is often used for illicit or illegal purposes.
A slush fund can come from political …
A stump speech is a speech that a politician makes again and again as they travel to different places during a campaign.
The speech might …
“Filling the tree” is a procedure used by the Senate Majority Leader to offer a sufficient number of amendments on legislation to “fill the tree” …
A “kangaroo ticket” is a ticket for higher office in which the person at the bottom of the ticket is considered more electable or is …
A leak in politics is the spread of secret, often unfavorable, news about a politician to the media by someone in his or her inner …
Godwin’s Law is a term first promulgated in 1990 by author and lawyer Mike Godwin.
Originally intended as a lesson in information “memetics,” or how …
The term “bean counter” is a slang term used to refer to individuals who are perceived as overly focused on financial or budgetary concerns, often …
“Dark money” describes political donations that are made by individuals or organizations in a way that hides their identity from the public.
In the United …
The “Checkers speech” was a televised address given by then-Senator Richard Nixon on September 23, 1952 as he was fighting to retain his …
The “spoils system” describes when a candidate wins election and then rewards campaign staffers and fundraisers by appointing them to prized jobs in the administration.…
The term “bafflegab” is used to describe language or speech that is intentionally vague, misleading, or difficult to understand.
In politics, it is often used …
In the second half of the 20th century, the Republican party used the so-called “Southern strategy” to win the votes of white southerners.
White southerners …
“Arsenal of democracy” is a term that was first coined by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in a radio address to the nation on …
“Soft power” is the ability to obtain what one wants through co-option rather than the use of coercion.
In recent years, the concept of soft …