Vocabulary Mnemonics

November 2, 2024

Matt’s words

Mugwump (n): a person who withdraws from a political party and goes independent

Pundits believe disaffected mugwumps could play an outsized role in the upcoming election

Mnemonic: A candidate wants to wump them in the mug

Precinct (n): an electoral district of a city or town served by a single voting place.

Voting Precinct: Location where you go to vote (polling place)

Honey, where do I go to vote? In our precinct, the precinct is at 123 fake street.

Mnemonic: Think “premie” like a baby. It’s the smallest unit of measurement.

Kakistocracy (n): government by the worst people

The movie “Idiocracy” portrays a future America that has devolved into a kakistocracy.

James Russell Lowell : “What fills me with doubt and dismay is the degradation of the moral tone. Is it or is it not a result of Democracy? Is ours a ‘government of the people by the people for the people,’ or a Kakistocracy rather, for the benefit of knaves at the cost of fools?”

Mnemonic: Kakistocracy starts off like cockamamie.

Delegate (n): a person sent or authorized to represent others, in particular an elected representative sent to a conference:

The delegates were eager to cast their votes.

Superdelegate (n): a delegate who can vote for whoever they want.

Questioned remained about who the superdelegates would support.

Mnemonic: Think of the verb delegate, as in to delegate power.

Straw poll (n): an unofficial ballot conducted as a test opinion

The straw poll results show a lot of support for so and so.

Mnemonic: Think of people drawing straws.

Push poll (n): a pretend opinion poll that’s really mean to push voters a certain way.

There are reports of push polling taking place in Wisconsin.

Mnemonic: Think of someone pushing someone else to vote for a certain candidate.

 Dr. Mom’s words

Barnstorm (v): to tour rural districts putting on theatrical, often rapid performances or shows, historically in barns. In the political sense, the goal is to drum up support and votes for a candidate.

I got tired just watching the candidates barnstorm up and down both coasts of the country.

Mnemonic: Think of taking the barn by storm, figuratively. You whisk in to town, put on a flamboyant speech to as many people as you can get in the barn, then scurry off to the next location.

Gerrymander (v): to divide the constituencies of a voting area so as to give one party unfair advantage

The senator’s loss of his election was directly related to his repeated efforts to gerrymander his voting district.

Mnemonic: Combine the last name of Governor Elbridge “Gerry” of Massachusetts (from the early 19^th century) with the end of the word sala”mander.” Governor Gerry drew the shape of a new voting district on a map in such a convoluted way that people said it looked like a salamander. It was considered to favor his party.

Sortition (n): the selection of public officials or jurors at random, i.e., by lottery. Used in ancient Greek city-states in order to keep the process as random as possible.

After much contention, Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades resorted to sortition to determine who ruled over which domain.

Mnemonic: Think of using a “sort”ing technique in your “nation.” You cast lots to see who does what.

Hustings (n): the temporary platform on which candidates for the British Parliament stood when nominated and from which they addressed the assembly; more generally, the campaigning associated with an election

My opponent for the school board position was, unfortunately for me, was great on the hustings.

Mnemonic: “Hus” means house in Old Norse, so think of the House of Representatives in the American government. House members are elected every two years, so they do a lot of campaigning, or husting.

Bellwether (n): a particular event, result, etc., that usually shows how a more general situation will develop or change

The Golden Globe Awards are often a bellwether for how that Academy Awards will look.

Mnemonic: Bellwether comes from the Middle English word “belle-weder,” which refers to the practice of putting a bell around the neck of a lead wether, a castrated male sheep. This sheep leads a flock, and the bell allowed the shepherd to hear the animal’s movements and know where the flock was, even when it was out of sight. 

BIG sentence:

As a delegate in my precinct, chosen neither by a push or straw poll nor by gerrymandering but by sortition, I loved engaging in hustings and barnstorming around my district, never becoming a mugwump or promoter of kakistocracy but rather as a reliable bellwether of good things to come.from thrasonical, besmirching contumely and instead to remember the foison surrounding us.