M

“Machine politics” is a phenomenon sometimes seen in an urban political context, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Political machines are characterized …

The “madman theory” is a political theory commonly associated with President Richard Nixon’s foreign policy during the Cold War.

Nixon tried to make the leaders …

A “Mae West hold” is a type of Senate hold nicknamed because of the senator’s implied desire to make a deal, rather than block a …

The term “magic minute” refers to a procedural rule that allows leaders in the House of Representatives, typically the Speaker, unlimited speaking time, despite the …

A “maiden speech” is the first speech that an elected official makes in front of a legislature.

The term is most commonly used in the …

“Mama Grizzlies” is a metaphor used by 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin for conservative women.

Palin used the metaphor of a mother grizzly …

“Man in the street” is used to evoke the idea of the average voter, with mainstream political opinions and interests. 

Merriam Webster notes that the …

Broadly, a mandate is the authority that voters confer on an elected official to act as their representative.

Usually, though, a political mandate refers to …

The mark-up is the committee meeting held to review the text of a bill before reporting it to the floor.

The mark-up process plays a …

“McConnelling” is the practice of setting music to awkward, B-roll footage of a politician.

The term was coined after Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) re-election campaign …

“Merchants of death” is a reference to the bankers and arms manufacturers that supplied and funded World War I.

The phrase is also used to …

The “military industrial complex” is a term referring to all the components of a nation’s military establishment, including the private businesses involved in producing …

The phrase “misheard the question” is often invoked as a means of damage control when a politician gives an answer that generates negative attention or …

“Missile gap” is a phrase used during the Cold War, referring to the theory that the US lagged behind the Soviet Union in terms of …

A “Mission Accomplished moment” has come to mean any grandiose declaration of success which later rings false.

On May 1, 2003, President George W. Bush …

“Mistakes were made” is a phrase used in politics intentionally in the passive voice.

This specific usage, typically adopted by politicians or high-ranking officials, serves …

“Misunderestimate” is a malapropism invented by President George W. Bush that has come to mean “to underestimate by mistake.”

Bush accidentally used the term in …

The term “mollycoddle” means to treat certain constituents or voters in an almost absurdly overprotective way.

Typically used in the context of the “welfare state” …

A money blurt is the strategy of using a politician’s controversial statements to attract a large number of campaign donors.

The Washington Post explains how …

A “money bomb” is an intense grassroots online fundraising effort over a brief fixed time period to support a candidate for election.

This …

Morning business is routine business that is supposed to occur during the first two hours of a new legislative day in the U.S. Senate.

This …

“Morning in America” is a phrase from a 1984 political ad for President Ronald Reagan’s re-election campaign to evoke a renewed American economic and social …

A “mossback” is an extreme conservative, one so bound up in the past and resistant to forward motion that it (figuratively speaking) is covered in …

A “motion to vacate” the chair is a parliamentary procedure in the House of Representatives that allows a member to propose a resolution to remove …

The term “motor voter” refers to a law in the United States that allows eligible citizens to register to vote when they apply …

“Movers and shakers” are those who have power and influence in business, politics, or other segments of the public sphere.

Party leadership, committee leaders, or …

The term “muckety muck” refers to individuals who hold significant power, influence, or high rank within politics.

It can be a somewhat dismissive or derogatory …

“Muckraker” is a name given to progressive journalists and writers in the early 20th century. The term is still sometimes used today to refer to …

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, …

In American politics, the term “mugwumps” was first used to describe those who left the Republican party in favor of the Democrats in …

The phrase “my good friend” is often employed as a term of collegiality between politicians, regardless of their actual personal relationship or political alignment.

The …