wedge issue
noun
: a political issue that divides a candidate's supporters or the members of a party
Examples of wedge issue in a Sentence
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At the same time, Wisconsin also overwhelmingly approved of codifying voter ID requirements, which suggests that may not be the wedge issue Dems hope.
—
Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
All this suggests that tariffs really are a wedge issue for the kinds of voters Trump needed to pad his tiny popular-vote margin last year, and who helped to deliver him victory.
—Christian Paz, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
State and local bans on trans girls in K-12 and college sports continue to proliferate across the U.S., as conservatives have latched onto the topic as a useful wedge issue against LGBTQ+ rights.
—Samantha Riedel, Them., 4 Apr. 2025
The popular entitlements, which are considered politically untouchable by many in Congress, came with a warning label from Republican senators for DOGE not to slash benefits as Democrats look to make the administration’s handling of the programs a wedge issue.
—Ramsey Touchberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wedge issue
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Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
All this suggests that tariffs really are a wedge issue for the kinds of voters Trump needed to pad his tiny popular-vote margin last year, and who helped to deliver him victory.
—Christian Paz, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
State and local bans on trans girls in K-12 and college sports continue to proliferate across the U.S., as conservatives have latched onto the topic as a useful wedge issue against LGBTQ+ rights.
—Samantha Riedel, Them., 4 Apr. 2025
The popular entitlements, which are considered politically untouchable by many in Congress, came with a warning label from Republican senators for DOGE not to slash benefits as Democrats look to make the administration’s handling of the programs a wedge issue.
—Ramsey Touchberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wedge issue
Cite this Entry
“Wedge issue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wedge%20issue. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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