Meanings
- governmentA strategy or pattern of behavior by a politician, political party, or advocacy group which is intended to have a divisive effect on one's political opponents or on the electorate, especially by emphasizing an issue which polarizes opinion along racial, regional, or other demographic lines.
It was an ugly example of wedge politics, the politics of division.
1991 October 29, “Racial politics: Duke victory made GOP fear it had gone too far”, in Arizona Daily Star, USA2 more examples
John Howard . . . has, quite superbly, controlled the political agenda by wedge politics—by dividing the electorate on some emotional issue and forcing the Opposition to side with the moral but unpopular position.
2003 March 15, Alan Ramsey, “Hollow ring to Sir Echo”, in Sydney Morning Herald, Australia, retrieved 20 Sep 2010The quotes . . . are part of a Conservative divide-and-conquer strategy, said Liberal MP Anita Neville. "It's the worst kind of wedge politics—pitting one group against another: ‘We love you more than they love you,’" she said.
2009 June 17, “Flyers alleging Ignatieff is anti-Ukrainian cause stir in Manitoba”, in CBC News, Canada, retrieved 20 Sep 2010
Translations
French politique de la division
- politique de la divisionA strategy or pattern of behavior by a politician, political party, or advocacy group which is intended to have a divisive effect on one's political opponents or on the electorate
Cite this entry
wedge politics. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wedge%20politics
“wedge politics.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wedge%20politics. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wedge politics,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wedge%20politics.
Source: wedge politics on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.