Politics: English Vocabulary List

to protest or show one's opposition to something by one's actions, such as leaving an organization, not buying something, etc.

"She voted with her pocketbook."

"Many people voted with their pocketbook by refusing to buy products from that company."

to ruin the relationship of people or groups of people by causing them to disagree or hate each other

"He drove a wedge between them."

"The scandal drove a wedge between the two best friends who had been inseparable."

to remove or reduce the differences that keep people or things separated

"We need to bridge the gap."

"The new community centre aims to bridge the gap between different cultural groups in the city."

a person or group of people who are often employed by politicians, public figures, or the government in order to shape the public opinion in their favor

"The spin doctor tried to make the scandal sound less harmful."

"The politician hired a spin doctor to help the public view a scandal as a minor mistake rather than a serious character flaw."

to not allow people become united and pose a threat to one by keeping them busy through causing disagreement and argument between them

"The emperor used divide and conquer tactics."

"The general used a divide and conquer strategy to weaken the enemy army before attacking."

to eliminate a problem that threatens a political or business system such as corruption, terrorism, etc.

"The new mayor promised to drain the swamp."

"The new president promised to drain the swamp and remove corruption from the government."

used to refer to the attempt to introduce something new or innovative into an existing, outdated, or incompatible system, which may lead to problems or failure

"New ideas in old system."

"The company tried to sell new wine in an old bottle by repackaging their existing product."

something well-established, traditional, or unchanged presented as if it is new, innovative, or significantly different, often to make it more appealing or marketable

"Old ideas presented as new."

"The software update was just old wine in a new bottle with no real improvements."

to refuse to hold oneself responsible for something when one should and expect others to deal with it instead

"Do not pass the buck to me."

"The manager tried to pass the buck to his assistant when the customer complained about the poor service."

to display power or ability to scare or impress others

"He likes to flex his muscles."

"The new manager flexed his muscles by making big changes on the first day."

a source of advantageous opportunities, particularly political favors or privileges

"He found a plum tree."

"The senator's nephew was appointed to a lucrative position, a real plum tree in the government."

an ideal or perfect combination or pairing, especially in a political or professional context

"The pair formed a dream ticket."

"The pair formed a dream ticket and their popularity boosted the party's chances in the election."

to step up to deliver a convincing speech

"The senator took the floor to speak."

"The senator took the floor and gave a passionate speech about climate change."

(of a politician) trying to get political support by traveling around an area and giving speeches

"The candidate was on the stump all week."

"The candidate spent six months on the stump giving speeches in every small town."

to step up to deliver a convincing speech

"She took the floor."

"With confidence and poise, the new CEO stepped forward to take the floor and address the assembled shareholders."