politics

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

n. sing. polity; government, political science, civics. See party, cunning.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [Political science]

Syn. government, statesmanship, diplomacy, practical government, functional government, domestic affairs, internal affairs, foreign affairs, matters of state, Realpolitik (German), political realism.

2. [The business of obtaining public office]

Syn. campaigning, getting votes, seeking nomination, electioneering, being up for election*, running for office*, standing to run*, throwing one's hat in the ring*, stumping the country*, taking the stump*.

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.

government, political science, legislature, civics, affairs of state, statesmanship. War without bloodshed.''—Mao Tse-tung. The diplomatic name for the law of the jungle.''—Ely Culbertson. The moral man's compromise, the swindler's method, and the fool's hope.''—John Ciardi.

WORD FIND

• ambiguous language used by politicians: doublespeak, weasel words

• analyst, observer, political: pundit

• appointment, cushy political: political plum

• backscratching, reciprocal political: logrolling

• breaking the law to make a point, protest: civil disobedience

• cause, one who works for a: activist

• corruption, profit from: graft

• demand of the people to carry out some action: mandate

• dissenting group within larger body: faction, splinter group

• engage in: politick

• expert investigative panel: blue-ribbon panel

• group with common cause or goal: bloc

• hands-off economic policy: laissez-faire

• heartland of America, how issue is received in: play in Peoria

• hedge or be wishy-washy on issue: waffle

• hysterical investigation, finger-pointing: McCarthyism, witch hunt

• influence group or attempt to influence vote: lobby

• influences politician’s vote on issue: lobbyist, pressure group

• insults, trading of between politicians: mudslinging, smear campaign

• issue used to distract public from more important issue: red herring

• local projects that are sometimes wasteful, treasury for: pork barrel

• member, supporter of organization, referring to serious: card carrying, dyed-in-the-wool

• minding one’s own business internationally: isolationism

• multiculturally sensitive: politically correct

• negotiating concession: bargaining chip

• neutral: nonpartisan

• nonmilitary hostility between nations: cold war

• opponents, bad guys: black hats

• party, dual: bipartisan

• party ideology: party line

• party line, following: singing from the party hymnal

• passing responsibility, burden or blame to someone else: buck passing

• pocketbooks, issue that affects voters’: bread and butter issue

• popular issue jumped on to make politician look good or to help party: bandwagon, political football

• popular support for an issue: ground swell, grassroots support

• powerless nation that makes threats: paper tiger

• project that wastes taxpayers’ money: boondoggle

• research trip taken by politician: junket, fact-finding trip

• speech, argument, persuasion: rhetoric

• speech, crowd-rousing: stemwinder

• speech, long-winded: filibuster

• tactfulness, negotiation, art of: diplomacy

• threat of military action: saber-rattling

• uproar, controversy: brouhaha warming of relations between two formerly

• hostile nations: detente

see election, congress, government