Engelska politiska ord

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• A cooperative effort by two political parties Bipartisan/Blocköverskridande
• An informal meeting of local party members to discuss candidates and choose delegates to the party;s convention Caucus/Distriktsmöte
• The system of dividing power among the three branches of government(executive, legislative, and judicial) to prevent any one from having too much power. Each branch has some authority to check the power of the others, thereby maintaining a balance among the three. Checks and Balances/Maktdelningsprincipen
• A national meeting of a political party, where delegates formally elect a party;s nominee Convention/Partistämma
• A long-shot candidate Dark Horse/Underdog
• A representative to a party;s national convention chosen by local voters to vote for a particular candidate. Each state is assigned a certain number of delegates based on its population. Delegate/Representant
• A leader whose impassioned rhetoric appeals to greed, fear, and hatred, and who often spreads lies. Former U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy (see McCarthyism) is often cited as a classic demagogue. Demagogue/Demagog
• An attempt by a Senator or group of Senators to obstruct the passage of a bill, favored by the majority, by talking continuously. Because there is no rule in the Senate over how long a member can speak, a Senator can prevent a bill from coming up for a vote by talking endlessly. Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina set the record in 1957 by speaking for more than 24 hours without stopping. Filibuster/Filibuster
• Political activity that originates locally, or arises from ground level Grass Roots/Gräsrötter
• An integrated system of ideas about politics, values, and culture. Those who espouse an ideology are sometimes criticized as rigid and narrow-minded. Ideology/Ideologi
• An officeholder whose term has expired or cannot be continued, who thus has lessened power Lame Duck/Politiker med formell makt men utan reell makt.
• Liberal. The labeling system originated from the seating pattern of the French National Assembly, which put liberals on the left, moderates in the middle, and conservatives on the right. Left-wing/Vänsterblocket
• A group seeking to influence an elected official, or the act of doing so. The term originated in the seventeenth century, when people waiting to speak with legislators at the English House of Commons waited in a large atrium outside the legislators; hall, called the lobby. Lobby/Almedalsveckan
• The practice of smearing people with baseless accusations. Refers to the tactics of Senator Joseph McCarthy, who in the 1950s destroyed the careers of many prominent Americans by branding them Communists McCarthyism/McCarthyism
• A journalist who seeks out the scandalous activities of public officials. Derived from the Man with the Muck Rake, a character in John Bunyan's The Pilgrim;s Progress, who could never look up, only down. Muckraker/ smutskasta
• When a political party chooses its official candidate for a particular office Nomination/Nominering
• The candidate chosen by a political party to run for a particular office Nominee/Nominerad
• Short for “photo opportunity” an event staged specifically for news cameras to help a politician appear in magazines and newspapers, on television, or online Photo-Op/Stagead photoshot
• An organization that seeks to achieve political power by electing its members to public office Political Party/Politiskt parti
• A vote or action that is likely to be so unpopular with voters as to cause a politician;s probable loss in the next election Political Suicide/Politiskt självmord
• A survey used to gauge public opinion concerning issues or to forecast an election Poll/Opinionsundersökning
• A state election in which party members vote for a candidate from within their party. The vote determines how many of that state's delegates each candidate gets Primary/Primärvalen
• A political analyst, commentator, or columnist who usually works for a newspaper or magazine, or in broadcasting. Derived from a Hindi phrase meaning “learned one”. Pundit/En trovärdig expert
• The mass of Americans whose opinions are not loud and public, but who together have enormous power. Popularized by President Richard Nixon, who claimed that Vietnam War protesters comprised a minority, while a “silent majority” supported the war. Silent Majority/Tyst majoritet
• A politician;s attempt to shape the way the public looks at an issue or event, much the way a tennis player uses spin to direct the ball. Political advisers who spin are known as “spin doctors”. Spin/PR knep för att få positiv syn på något
• The undecided, usually independent, portion of the electorate that can “swing” the outcome of an election one way or the other Swing Vote/De avgörande rösterna
• The party member who makes sure that all other members are present for crucial votes and that they vote in accordance with the party line. The term originated in British fox hunting, where the “whipper-in” was responsible for keeping the hounds from straying. Whip/Pådrivare
• A vindictive, often irrational, investigation that preys on public fears. Refers to witch hunts in 17th-century Salem, Massachusetts, where many innocent women accused of witchcraft were burned at the stake or drowned. Witch Hunt/Häxjakt

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