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“Give ’em hell Harry” is a reference to President Harry Truman’s 1948 re-election campaign. It’s also the name of a very successful play and movie.

A “Mission Accomplished moment” has come to mean any grandiose declaration of success by a politician or political leader which later proves false.

“Every Man a King” is the title of a speech delivered in 1934 by Senator Huey Long of Louisiana.

The “great debates” were a series of public debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A, Douglas.

A balanced ticket is a paring of political party candidates designed to appeal to a broad swathe of the electorate. A balanced ticket normally includes candidates likely to be approved…

“Peace through strength” is the accumulation of military power and security assets by a country to encourage an amenable diplomatic atmosphere with other countries.

“Retail politics” refers to a style of political campaigning where candidates focus on direct, personal engagement with individual voters rather than relying on mass media or large campaign events.

“Chicken in every pot” was Republican campaign slogan of the late 1920s.

A “blue state” is one whose voters elect primarily Democratic candidates.

The Chatham House Rule is a system for holding discussions on potentially controversial topics, particularly in politics and public affairs.

A “contested convention,” sometimes also referred to as a “brokered convention,” occurs when no single candidate for president secures the majority of delegates needed to win a political party’s nomination…

A sit-in is a form of peaceful protest that involves sitting down and occupying space, often preventing access to a business or public space.

A “backgrounder” is an off-the-record briefing for members of the news media.

In politics, a “bellwether” refers to a geographic area whose political beliefs and voting preferences reflect that of a wider area.

“Five o’clock follies” is a familiar and derogatory nickname for the daily press briefings that the U.S. military held for American reporters during the Vietnam War.

The “Compact of Fifth Avenue” resulted from a meeting in 1960 between aspiring presidential candidate Richard Nixon met Nelson Rockefeller in Rockefeller’s New York City home to discuss Nixon’s campaign.

“Separate but equal” was the infamous justification for the decision in Plessy v Ferguson, the case that formally legalized segregation.

“Ballot box stuffing” is a term that refers to the practice of illegally submitting more than one vote in a ballot in which just one vote is actually permitted.

“Eight millionaires and a plumber” is a dismissive reference to President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s first cabinet.

To “rattle the cage” is an attempt to get attention, often through annoying, angering, or protesting.

To “play in Peoria” is a phrase meaning how well something will appeal to the heartland or mainstream America.

The “enemies list” was a tally of political opponents kept by the Nixon administration.

A “clothespin vote” is a colorful term referring to a vote given to the “less objectionable” candidate despite a distaste for him or her. It’s commonly used during elections in…

The term “bleeding hearts” refers to people who care deeply — so deeply that their hearts bleed — about the suffering of the needy. The term is almost always derogatory.

The “deep state” is a conspiracy theory which suggests that collusion exists within the U.S. political system and a hidden government within the legitimately elected government.

Broadly speaking, “big government” is a political term that refers to how much influence the federal government has on the day-to-day lives of American citizens.

A “city on a hill” is used to refer to America’s supposed standing in the world, as a “beacon of hope” which other nations can look to for moral guidance.

“Dirty tricks” are actions taken by a political campaign or candidate to damage their opponents that may involve unethical, distasteful, or illegal behaviors.

In politics, the term “smoking gun” refers to a piece of evidence that definitively proves a crime or wrongdoing by a public official.

A smear campaign is repeated uses of smears in an attempt to try to damage someone’s reputation, typically to make them lose an election.