politicking

A candidate is politicking by shaking hands with voters at a community center.

Definition

Noun (uncountable): The activity of engaging in political maneuvers, especially in a way that is seen as self-serving or manipulative, often involving networking, bargaining, and strategic actions to gain influence or advantage within a political system.

Usage Examples

• (Engaging in political maneuvering for personal gain.)
• (Strategic political activity to achieve a goal.)
• (Political maneuvering and negotiation.)

Advanced Usage

• "partisan politicking": political activity that strongly favors one party or side, often to the detriment of broader cooperation.

  • The bill was delayed due to partisan politicking in the committee. (Party-based maneuvering obstructed progress.)

• "grassroots politicking": political activity at the local or community level, involving ordinary citizens.

  • The candidate focused on grassroots politicking, visiting small towns and meeting voters. (Local, community-oriented political activity.)

Variants and Related Words

• Politic (adj): shrewd or prudent in practical matters; often used in the phrase "it is politic to..."

  • It was politic to remain silent during the debate. (It was wise or strategic to stay quiet.)

• Politician (n): a person actively engaged in politics, especially as a profession.

  • The politician spent years politicking before winning the election. (The political professional engaged in strategic activity.)

• Politicize (v): to make something political or cause it to become a subject of political debate.

  • The issue was politicized by the media. (The media made it a political matter.)

Synonyms

• Maneuvering: strategic or scheming actions, especially in politics.
• Wheeling and dealing: engaging in complicated political or business negotiations.
• Lobbying: attempting to influence political decisions, often on behalf of a group.

Related Idioms

• Play politics: to engage in political maneuvers for personal or party advantage, often with negative connotations.

  • Stop playing politics and focus on solving the problem. (Stop engaging in self-serving political activity.)

• Behind-the-scenes dealings: secret or informal negotiations that influence political outcomes.

  • The bill was passed after intense behind-the-scenes dealings. (Secret political negotiations.)