D: Clode's Right Political Dictionary
“Damage Control” This is the task of minimising any public disapproval created by a political mistake. Damage control could be required by, for example, a policy disaster (like a budget overspend) or a personal mistake by a politician (such as an extra-marital affair). On such occasions, the worst political damage occurs when parties attempt to disguise the fact that there has been a mistake. With the danger of a leak from the bureaucracy or an in-depth investigation by the media, the worst thing to do is to try and cover-up a mistake. Cover-ups can create more public disapproval than an initial mistake. Damage control consists of several parts: a full confession and disclosure; public apology (sometimes with dismissals or resignations or repair of the mistake); then distraction. The distraction often involves major policy announcements, intended to show that the party is foremost concerned with improving the lives of the populace. A policy distraction is particularly effective where political opponents are attacking a personal failure (such as a private affair), since it shows that the opponents are more interested in scoring political points than in issues which matter to normal people.
“Debate” A debate is a formal argument involving two or more opposing sides. There is a distinction between a debate within a party which produces a party decision, versus a debate in an election arena which allows competing candidates to contrast themselves against their opponents. Internal party debates usually involve speeches by proponents for a particular policy or plan of action, pitted against speeches by those who oppose the proposition. Party debates can often be more about amendments to the detail of a proposal than the general outcome. In election debates, there can be a wide range of formats. Usually party leaders are each allowed to deliver set speeches, or argue with each other, or answer questions from the media, or answer questions from audience members, or quiz one another. Election debates are often broadcast – either by radio, television, or by internet datacast. Local election campaigns often involves debates a meeting place for community members in a given neighbourhood.
“Delegate” / “Delegate System” Delegates are people who represent a party branch or unit in a higher forum of the party. A delegate structure within a party means that most members do not have direct say over key party decisions, such as selection of candidates or endorsement of the platform. Where delegates select a candidate, this is often described as an electoral college. By contrast a “plebiscite” system gives all members a say on such questions. (See “Proxy”, “Plebiscite”)
“Democracy” This usually refers to a country where most of the adult population has the right to elect parliamentary representatives to govern for them. In a broader sense, the word is sometimes taken to mean that everyone in a country has rights associated with a fair election, such as the right to freedom of political speech.
“Director” See “Campaign Director” and “General Secretary”.
“Divided Government” This term refers to a situation where the party controlling one government institution is opposed by another government institution which is in the hands of another party. For example, the majority in an upper house might be divided in opposition against the majority in lower house. Another example is where a President is from the opposite party to the party which dominates the parliament. This situation can exist at state level, or the national level. Divided government is most common in systems which divide power among several institutions (see “Separation of Powers doctrine” and “Montesquiean principle”). Divided government inhibits radical change and motivates politicians from competing parties to compromise on proposed legislation.
“Division” A division is a recount in Parliament where members move to opposite sides of the Chamber depending on whether they are voting "aye" or "noe" to the motion before the chair. Initially any issue will be decided by a verbal cry of “aye” or noe” from the politicians. If there is disagreement, then parliamentarians physically divide within the chamber to either side of the room, indicating how they will vote. Ayes pass to the right of the chair, and noes to the left. When a division is called, bells ring throughout the parliamentary precinct and parliamentarians have a limited number of minutes to enter the chamber before the vote is taken. In some parliaments, politicians line up in a “lobby” (a hall attached to the Chamber) to have their names recorded. The use of a lobby dates from 1547 when the British House of Commons occupied St Stephens Chapel, which had an ante-chamber. The procedure of a “Division” has also been adopted within political parties – where an issue is not resolved on the first cry of voices or show of hands, then people divide to either side of the room to allow an orderly count to be taken.
“Dog-Whistle” This is the use of political rhetoric which is only understood by a segment of the electorate. Most listeners will hear an innocuous statement, while the intended audience will hear words which have added political meaning for them. The term alludes literally to a dog-whistle which issues a supersonic noise, audible only to dogs but not to humans.
“Doorknockers” These are party volunteers who assist the candidate during the course of an election campaign by doorknocking on their behalf. This involves visiting streets within an electorate and knocking on each door, to meet the local householders, raise awareness of the campaign, spread good words about the party candidate and to raise the voter of the party. Often the streets targeted for doorknocking are selected by telephone polling, on the basis of where most “swinging voters” live. In other cases, such as where each electorate is quite small, a candidate may doorknock their entire electorate during a parliamentary term. It is also common for a candidate to go “doorknocking” themselves.
“Dorothy-Dixer” In the Westminster parliamentary tradition, there is a “Question Time” in which the Government and Opposition parties take turns to task questions of Ministers. A Dorothy-dixer is a question asked by a member of the government to a Minister that is designed to allow the Minister to explain government policy on a particular issue in a good political light. Invariably the Minister will have seen the question beforehand, so they have prepared their answer.
“Dry” / “Dries” This term is proudly used by conservative politicians who stand up for their party principles and espouse the merits of small government, individual responsibility and fiscal prudence. The term began as an antonym to the label “wet”, which Margaret Thatcher directed against conservatives who shirked hard political decisions and lacked coherent policy values. The divide between wets and dries has often led to the formation of factions or leadership struggles within centre-right parties. (See “Wet/ Wets”)