whips

Definition

Party enforcers in legislative bodies who ensure members vote the party line, using tactics ranging from gentle persuasion to career-ending threats. Named after the person who keeps hunting dogs in line, which tells you everything about how politicians view their colleagues. The whip's job is to count votes, twist arms, and make sure nobody gets any funny ideas about independent thinking.

Example Usage

The party whip called in favors, made promises, and implied consequences until he had enough votes to pass the bill nobody actually wanted.

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