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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.

“Soft power” is the ability to obtain what one wants through co-option rather than the use of coercion.

Aardvarking is recruiting candidates for public office with the main objective of having their names begin with the letter A.

A “flip-flop” is a sudden reversal of opinion or policy by a politician, usually running for office.

“Triangulation” is when a political candidate presents his or her views as being above and between the left and right sides of the political spectrum.

The U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate each have a sergeant-at-arms, whose job it is to maintain order in the legislative chamber.

The term “Teflon president” describes a president who has a seemingly magical ability to avoid blame.

A “Cherokee Strip” is the seating area in the U.S. Senate chamber when some members of the majority party mist sit on the side of the minority party.

“Chum” is campaign gear such as bumper stickers, lawn signs, and campaign buttons.

In politics, a “turkey farm” refers to a government agency or department that is staffed primarily with political appointments and other patronage hires.

“Beltway bandits” describes a private business or political entity that operates inside the Beltway, the interstate highway that encircles Washington, D.C.

The “Washington Read” is the phenomenon by which, through a form of intellectual osmosis, a book is absorbed “inside the Beltway.”

To have your opponent by the “short hairs” means that you’ve got them in a tight spot, and they are at your mercy.

A “scorched earth” approach is a ruthless attempt to win at all costs.

The “full Ginsburg” refers to an appearance by one person on all five major Sunday-morning interview shows on the same day:

“Smell of jet fuel” is a reference to the impatience that sets in when Members of Congress are ready to leave Washington, D.C. to return to their districts for the…

“Spin Alley” is the place designated after a political debate where reporters interview analysts and campaign operatives who attempt to “spin” the news coverage of the event.

A “favorite son” candidate is one who draws their support from the home state or from the broader region. Sometimes the term is also used for someone with little to…

A “straw poll” refers to an informal or unofficial vote conducted to gauge the popularity of candidates running for office, or to measure the opinion of a certain population on…

“Political suicide” is an unpopular action that is likely to cause significant harm to their reputation, electoral success, or power within their organization.

A “push poll” is a form of interactive marketing in which political operatives try to sway voters to believe in certain policies or candidates under the guise of an opinion…

A “discharge petition” is a strategic, often controversial, legislative tool that serves to circumvent traditional committee review and bring a bill directly to the floor for a vote.

The “cracker vote” refers to native Floridian white voters, whose families have typically lived in the state for generations.

The “Fourth Estate” refers to the news media, especially with regards to their role in the political process.

“Heroes in the balcony” refers to a tradition started by President Ronald Reagan during his State of the Union addresses.

A “push card” is a small, easy access, wallet-sized campaign sign typically given to a potential voter during door-to-door canvassing or at an event.

The use of a “killer amendment” — sometimes called a “poison poll amendment” or “wrecking amendment” — is a legislative strategy of using an amendment to severely change a bill’s…

An “elastic state” is one whose voting outcome in a presidential election is relatively sensitive or responsive to changes in political conditions, such as a change in the national economic…

A “gaffe” is an unintentional comment that causes a politician embarrassment.

In politics, “mudslinging” is a tactic used by candidates or other politicians in order to damage the reputation of a rival politician by using epithets, rumors or mean-spirited innuendos or…