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Society, Law & Politics - Politics

Dive into English idioms regarding politics, like "drive a wedge" and "spin doctor".

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English idioms related to Society, Law & Politics
to [vote] with {one's} [pocketbook|dollar|purse]

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

Ex: Many customers voted with their pocketbooks and stopped buying the brand. 
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to [drive] a wedge

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

Ex: The rumor was meant to drive a wedge between the two sisters. 
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to [bridge] the (gap|gulf|divide)

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

Ex: The program aims to bridge the gap between rich and poor students. 
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spin doctor

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

Ex: The minister hired a spin doctor to make the scandal look less serious. 
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to [divide] and [conquer|rule]

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

Ex: Management tried to divide and rule by turning the two departments against each other. 
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to [drain] the swamp

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

Ex: The new president promised to drain the swamp and remove corrupt officials. 
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new wine in an old bottle

used to refer to the attempt to introduce something new or innovative into an existing, outdated, or incompatible system, which may lead to problems or failure

Ex: Putting an AI tool into that broken bureaucracy felt like new wine in an old bottle. 
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old wine in a new bottle

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

Ex: The company called it a revolution, but it was just old wine in a new bottle. 
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to [pass] the buck

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

Ex: The manager tried to pass the buck when the project failed. 
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to [flex] {one's} muscles

to display power or ability to scare or impress others

Ex: The company flexed its muscles by threatening to sue every small competitor. 
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plum tree
plum tree
[noun]

a source of advantageous opportunities, particularly political favors or privileges

Ex: For years, that agency was treated as a plum tree for loyal party members. 
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dream ticket

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

Ex: Many voters saw the governor and the senator as a dream ticket. 
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to [take] the floor

to step up to deliver a convincing speech

Ex: When the debate stalled, Maria took the floor and won the room over. 
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on the stump
on the stump
[phrase]

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

Ex: The senator spent the summer on the stump, speaking in small towns across the state. 
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