Relating to the executive

• eminence grise: literally, "grey man," from French. Colloquially, the power-behind-the-throne. An official close to the president or monarch who has so much power behind the scenes that he or she may double or serve as the monarch.
• figurehead
  Figurehead
  A figurehead is a carved wooden decoration found at the prow of ships largely made between the 16th and 19th century.-History:Although earlier ships had often had some form of bow ornamentation A figurehead is a carved wooden decoration found at the prow of ships largely made between the 16th and...
  
  : a leader whose powers are entirely symbolic, such as a constitutional monarch.
• puppet government: a government that is manipulated by a foreign power for its own interests.
• star chamber
  Star Chamber
  The Star Chamber was an English court of law that sat at the royal Palace of Westminster until 1641. It was made up of Privy Counsellors, as well as common-law judges and supplemented the activities of the common-law and equity courts in both civil and criminal matters...
  
  : a secretive council or other group within a government that possesses the actual power, regardless of the government's overt form.

Relating to legislation

• blank check
  Blank check
  A blank cheque , in the literal sense, is a cheque that has no numerical value written in, but is already signed...
  
  : legislation which is vaguely worded to the point where it can be widely exploited and abused.
• grandfather clause
  Grandfather clause
  Grandfather clause is a legal term used to describe a situation in which an old rule continues to apply to some existing situations, while a new rule will apply to all future situations. It is often used as a verb: to grandfather means to grant such an exemption...
  
   that allows a piece of legislation not to apply to something old or incumbent.
• poison pill
  Poison pill
  A shareholder rights plan, colloquially known as a "poison pill", or simply "the pill" is a type of defensive tactic used by a corporation's board of directors against a takeover...
  
   a provision in an act or bill which defeat or undermines its initial purpose, or which make it politically unacceptable.
• pork barrel
  Pork barrel
  Pork barrel is a derogatory term referring to appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district...
  
   legislation or patronage: acts of government that blatantly favor powerful special interest groups.
• rider
  Rider (legislation)
  In legislative procedure, a rider is an additional provision added to a bill or other measure under the consideration by a legislature, having little connection with the subject matter of the bill. Riders are usually created as a tactic to pass a controversial provision that would not pass as its...
  
   that attaches something new or unrelated to an existing bill.
• sunset clause to prevent legislation from being permanent.
• a trigger law
  Trigger law
  A trigger law is a nickname for a law that is unenforceable and irrelevant in the present, but may achieve relevance and enforceability if a key change circumstances occur.-Examples:...
  
   that will automatically "spring" into effect once some other variable occurs.

Relating to elections

• character assassination
  Character assassination
  Character assassination is an attempt to tarnish a person's reputation. It may involve exaggeration, misleading half-truths, or manipulation of facts to present an untrue picture of the targeted person...
  
  : spreading (usually) manufactured stories about a candidate with the intent to destroy his or her reputation in the eyes of the public.
• dark/black horse
  Dark horse
  Dark horse is a term used to describe a little-known person or thing that emerges to prominence, especially in a competition of some sort.-Origin:The term began as horse racing parlance...
  
  : a candidate who is largely ignored by opponents yet makes significant gains.
• landslide victory
  Landslide victory
  In politics, a landslide victory is the victory of a candidate or political party by an overwhelming margin in an election...
  
  : a huge victory for one side.
• muckraking: uncovering and publicizing scandalous information about a person or organization
• mudslinging: harsh partisan insults exchanged between candidates.
• parachute candidate / carpetbagger
  Carpetbagger
  Carpetbaggers was a pejorative term Southerners gave to Northerners who moved to the South during the Reconstruction era, between 1865 and 1877....
  
  : a candidate who runs for election in an area which he or she is not a native resident or has no ties.
• paper candidate
  Paper candidate
  In a representative democracy, the term paper candidate is often given to a candidate who stands for a political party in an electoral division where the party in question enjoys only low levels of support...
  
  : a candidate who puts no effort into his campaign and is essentially just a name on the ballot.
• riding coattails
  Riding coattails
  Riding coattails is a metaphor that refers to the way in which lower level or uninspiring celebrities can often reach stardom through their ties to another, more popular and successful celebrity. This can often be used as a generic phrase for anyone that hangs onto another person as they forge...
  
  : victories by local or state politicians because of the popularity of more powerful politicians.
• sacrificial lamb
  Sacrificial lamb
  A sacrificial lamb is a metaphorical reference to a person or animal sacrificed for the common good. The term is derived from the traditions of Abrahamic religion where a lamb is a highly valued possession, but is offered to God as a sacrifice for the forgiveness of Sin.-In politics:In politics, a...
  
  : a candidate who is put forward to run for office, by his party or others, but who has no chance of winning.
• stalking horse
  Stalking horse
  A stalking horse is a person who tests a concept with someone or mounts a challenge against them on behalf of an anonymous third party. If the idea proves viable and/or popular, the anonymous figure can then declare their interest and advance the concept with little risk of failure...
  
  : a perceived front-runner candidate who unifies his or her opponents, usually within a single political party.
• grassroots
  Grassroots
  A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
  
  : a political movement driven by the constituents of a community.
• astroturfing
  Astroturfing
  Astroturfing is a form of advocacy in support of a political, organizational, or corporate agenda, designed to give the appearance of a "grassroots" movement. The goal of such campaigns is to disguise the efforts of a political and/or commercial entity as an independent public reaction to some...
  
  : formal public relations campaigns in politics and advertising that seek to create the impression of being spontaneous, grassroots behavior.
• stooge
  Stooge
  A stooge is a person who is under the control of another. Being called a stooge is an insult. Stooge can also sometimes be used to mean "idiot".* Stooge , a member of a comedy double act who feeds lines to the other comedian...
  
  : To mislead a candidate or campaigner, or to masquerade as a constituent interested in an issue being promoted.

Relating to the issues

• wedge issue
  Wedge issue
  A wedge issue is a social or political issue, often of a divisive or otherwise controversial nature, which splits apart or creates a "wedge" in the support base of one political group...
  
  : an issue which turns members of a party against each other.
• third rail
  Third rail (metaphor)
  The phrase third rail is a metaphor in politics to denote an idea or topic that is so "charged" and "untouchable" that any politician or public official who dares to broach the subject would invariably suffer politically.-Denotation:...
  
  : an issue which is so controversial, pursuing it or even attempting to address it could end one's political career.
• straw man
  Straw man
  A straw man is a component of an argument and is an informal fallacy based on misrepresentation of an opponent's position, twisting his words or by means of [false] assumptions...
  
  : the practice of refuting an argument that is weaker than one's opponent actually offers, or which he simply has not put forth at all. A type of logical fallacy.
• sacred cow
  Sacred cow
  Cattle are considered sacred in various world religions, most notably Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism as well as the religions of Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, and Ancient Rome. In some regions, especially India, the slaughter of cattle may be prohibited and their meat may be...
  
  : an institution which few dare question, because it is so revered.

Others

• bread and circuses
  Bread and circuses
  "Bread and Circuses" is a metaphor for a superficial means of appeasement...
  
  : satisfaction of shallow or immediate desires of the populace at the expense of good policy; also, the erosion of civic duty and the public life in a populace.
• Government in the sunshine: a government which keeps all its records and documents open and easily accessible by the public.
• lame duck
  Lame duck (politics)
  A lame duck is an elected official who is approaching the end of his or her tenure, and especially an official whose successor has already been elected.-Description:The status can be due to*having lost a re-election bid...
  
  : a politician who has lost an election, or who is serving his last term in an office where the law limits the number of times he may succeed himself, and is simply waiting for his term to expire.
• melting pot
  Melting pot
  The melting pot is a metaphor for a heterogeneous society becoming more homogeneous, the different elements "melting together" into a harmonious whole with a common culture...
  
  : a society in which all outsiders assimilate to one social norm.
• salad bowl
  Salad bowl (cultural idea)
  The salad bowl concept suggests that the integration of the many different cultures of United States residents combine like a salad, as opposed to the more traditional notion of a cultural melting pot. In Canada this concept is more commonly known as the cultural mosaic...
  
  : a society in which cultural groups retain their unique attributes (opposite of melting pot theory).
• Spin (public relations)
  Spin (public relations)
  In public relations, spin is a form of propaganda, achieved through providing an interpretation of an event or campaign to persuade public opinion in favor or against a certain organization or public figure...
  
  , a heavily biased portrayal of an event or situation.
• Turkeys voting for Christmas
  Turkeys voting for Christmas
  Turkeys voting for Christmas is a cliché used as a metaphor or simile in reference to a suicidal political act, especially a vote.The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations writes that a commentator in the Independent Magazine traced the...
  
  
• witch-hunt
  Witch-hunt
  A witch-hunt is a search for witches or evidence of witchcraft, often involving moral panic, mass hysteria and lynching, but in historical instances also legally sanctioned and involving official witchcraft trials...
  
  : a hysterical pursuit of political enemies