Political suicide
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Political suicide is the concept that a politician or political party would lose widespread support and confidence from the voting public by proprosing actions that are seen as unfavourable or that might threaten the status quo. A politician that committed political suicide may be forced to resign. A political party could stand to lose followers by deviating greatly from its core values and policies.
Cynics may blame this concept as a reason for a lack of real change or progress in society and that actions described as political suicide are usually sound intentions shot down by reactionism and fear of change.
[edit] Examples of political suicide
- Calling for the legalisation of all drugs by an active member of government is typically seen as an act of political suicide
- A home secretary that authorized the release of a notorious serial killer might commit political suicide. Such a situation is typically seen as a 'hot potato' issue, meaning that it is easier for the person involved to refuse release (thus deferring the matter to their successor) rather than risking a public backlash.
