The term “permanent campaign” was first coined by Sidney Blumenthal in his 1980 book, The Permanent Campaign.
The book explained how the breakdown in political parties forced politicians to govern in different ways. Instead of relying on patronage and …
A “honeymoon period” is a period of popularity enjoyed by a new leader.
Usually, the term refers to an incoming president but it can refer to other high ranking officials as well.
Traditionally, both Congress and news outlets give presidents …
In politics, gridlock is a situation in which the government is unable to pass new legislation, often because the presidency and the Congress are controlled by different political parties.
As the Brookings Institution has pointed out, gridlock has been …
“Goo goo is short for “good government guys,” referring to people who would fight for government reform.
This was used during the 1970s as a derisive term for those who were fighting to clean up city municipalities.
James Merriner writes …
The Hastert rule is an informal guiding principle for leaders in the House of Representatives that dictates a majority of the majority party support any measure before it receives a vote.
This principle is named after former U.S. Speaker of …
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 to easily-observed facts.
The phrase comes from President George W. Bush who visited Louisiana in …