Political Strategy Terms

verb to act against with equal force or power; to offset

• The company implemented a new policy to countervail the effects of the economic downturn.
• She started exercising regularly to countervail her unhealthy eating habits.
• I need to find a way to countervail the boredom of staying home all day.
• His charisma and charm countervailed his lack of experience in the job interview.

noun a person who is in a state of despair; someone who is in a desperate situation

adjective feeling or showing a hopeless sense that a situation is so bad as to be impossible to deal with

• The desperate situation called for immediate action from the authorities.
• She was getting desperate waiting for a response to her job application.
• I'm so desperate for a snack right now, I could eat anything.
• His desperate attempt to win her back only pushed her further away.

noun the act of deceiving or concealing one's true feelings or motives

adjective dissimulative (relating to or characterized by dissimulation)

• The politician's dissimulation was evident when he claimed to support the bill, but voted against it.
• She saw through his dissimulation and knew he was lying about his whereabouts.
• His dissimulation was so obvious, it was like he was trying to pull a fast one on us.
• The mask of dissimulation he wore to hide his true feelings eventually cracked, revealing his inner turmoil.

noun an insincere display of emotion

verb to pretend to be affected by (a feeling, state, or injury)

• She attempted to feign interest in the discussion, but her lack of engagement was evident.
• He tried to feign sickness to get out of going to school, but his mom didn't buy it.
• I could tell she was feigning excitement about the party, she's not really into that scene.
• The actor had to feign happiness on stage, even though he was going through a tough time in his personal life.

adjective pretended or simulated; insincere

• The defendant's feigned ignorance of the crime did not convince the jury.
• She feigned sickness to get out of going to the party.
• He totally feigned being interested in her just to get her number.
• The smile on her face was feigned, hiding the sadness in her eyes.

noun a person who caters to the desires or vices of others, often for personal gain

verb to gratify or indulge someone's desires or vices

• The politician was accused of trying to pander to certain interest groups.
• I can't believe he's pandering to them just to get their votes.
• Stop pandering to him, he's not worth your time.
• She refused to pander to his ego and stood her ground.

noun the act of making secret and underhanded plans

adjective involving making secret and underhanded plans

• The scheming employee was eventually caught embezzling funds from the company.
• I heard that Lisa has been scheming to get a promotion at work.
• Don't trust him, he's always scheming to get what he wants.
• The dark clouds overhead seemed to be scheming to ruin our picnic.

noun a person or thing that is underestimated

verb to estimate (something) as being smaller, less important, or less valuable than it actually is

• It is unwise to underestimate the impact of climate change on global ecosystems.
• Don't underestimate how challenging this project will be.
• You shouldn't underestimate how cool he is.
• Never underestimate the power of a kind gesture.

noun a game that involves thinking ahead and considering multiple variables or possibilities

• The concept of four-dimensional chess is often used in theoretical physics to explain complex systems.
• Trying to understand quantum mechanics is like playing four-dimensional chess - it's confusing and mind-boggling.
• Dealing with my boss's ever-changing demands is like playing four-dimensional chess with no rules.
• In politics, it sometimes feels like the leaders are playing a game of four-dimensional chess while the rest of us are stuck in two dimensions.

noun the practice of entering or seeking to enter a political party or other organization in order to subvert it or take it over

• Entryism is a political strategy in which an organization or group encourages its members to join another, usually larger, organization in an attempt to gain influence within that organization.
• Some political parties have been accused of using entryism to infiltrate and manipulate other parties.
• Entryism is like sneaking into a party you weren't invited to and trying to take over.
• In literature, entryism can be seen as a character's attempt to blend in with a different social group in order to achieve a specific goal.

noun a situation in which a player is limited to moves that cost them the game or put them at a disadvantage

• In chess, zugzwang is a situation in which a player is forced to make a disadvantageous move because all other moves are even worse.
• I hate when I'm in zugzwang during a chess game; it feels like I have no good moves left.
• Being in zugzwang in chess is like being stuck between a rock and a hard place.
• Sometimes in life, we can feel like we're in zugzwang, where every decision seems to lead to a negative outcome.