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Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.<br /><small><span class="plainlinks"><i>Find sources:</i> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?as_eq=wikipedia&q=%22Wedge+issue%22">"Wedge issue"</a> – <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?tbm=nws&q=%22Wedge+issue%22+-wikipedia&tbs=ar:1">news</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?&q=%22Wedge+issue%22&tbs=bkt:s&tbm=bks">newspapers</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?tbs=bks:1&q=%22Wedge+issue%22+-wikipedia">books</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%22Wedge+issue%22">scholar</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/action/doBasicSearch?Query=%22Wedge+issue%22&acc=on&wc=on">JSTOR</a></span></small></span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">June 2020</span>)</i></span><span class="hide-when-compact"><i> (<small><a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove this message</a></small>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>A wedge issue in politics is any issue used to create a division within a political party. These issues are usually employed as a tactic by a minority party against a governing majority party, with the aim of splitting the majority's electorate into two or more camps.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Although any issue could potentially be used as a wedge, some of the most common examples are often concerned with social justice issues like abortion or civil rights.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-:1_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:1-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Due to the prevalence of social justice issues as a wedge, the tactic is often most effectively employed by Conservative parties against Liberal parties. American political strategist <a href="/wiki/Lee_Atwater" title="Lee Atwater">Lee Atwater</a> has been noted as an early champion of wedge issue politics during the <a href="/wiki/Ronald_Reagan" title="Ronald Reagan">Reagan</a> era.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Examples">Examples</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wedge_issue&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Examples"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Australia"><span class="anchor" id="Wedge_politics_in_Australia:_the_Tampa_incident"></span> Australia</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wedge_issue&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Australia"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/Tampa_affair" title="Tampa affair">Tampa affair</a></div> <p>A case study of the use of wedge issues in practice comes from the 2001 federal election campaign in <a href="/wiki/Australia" title="Australia">Australia</a>. In early and mid-2001, a great deal of public attention was focused on <a href="/wiki/Boat_people" class="mw-redirect" title="Boat people">boat people</a> (asylum seekers arriving on unauthorised vessels), there having been several widely publicised landings of hundreds of people. On August 24, 2001, a ship illegally bearing 460 such people became distressed, and its passengers were picked up by the <a href="/wiki/Norway" title="Norway">Norwegian</a> cargo vessel <a href="/wiki/MV_Tampa" title="MV Tampa">MV Tampa</a>. </p><p>The governing <a href="/wiki/Liberal_Party_of_Australia" title="Liberal Party of Australia">Liberal Party of Australia</a> took the opportunity to appear tough on asylum seekers. The <a href="/wiki/Opposition_(Australia)" title="Opposition (Australia)">opposition</a> <a href="/wiki/Australian_Labor_Party" title="Australian Labor Party">Australian Labor Party</a> (ALP) had a slight majority of people strongly favouring more sympathetic treatment, and was hence perceived as internally split. This provoked a fierce debate within the ALP on the relative merits of siding with national opinion (in favour of the Government's actions) or standing on party principle (opposing). But with over 90% of some television polls supporting the government's stance, the leader of the ALP <a href="/wiki/Kim_Beazley" title="Kim Beazley">Kim Beazley</a> chose to silence the majority and agree to the tougher policy—though it ended up opposing certain elements of proposed legislation, which the Liberal Party blasted as "weak on border security". </p><p>The damage was done, with the party appearing inconsistent and divided. The Liberal Party campaigned largely on a platform of border security and increased its support at the <a href="/wiki/2001_Australian_federal_election" title="2001 Australian federal election">federal election</a> that November despite being the <a href="/wiki/Incumbent" title="Incumbent">incumbent</a>. Some who would typically vote Labor voted instead for the <a href="/wiki/Australian_Greens" title="Australian Greens">Greens</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Australian_Democrats" title="Australian Democrats">Democrats</a> in protest against what they saw as the ALP's complicity. </p><p>It was later claimed that the controversial campaign strategists <a href="/wiki/Lynton_Crosby" title="Lynton Crosby">Lynton Crosby</a> and <a href="/wiki/Mark_Textor" class="mw-redirect" title="Mark Textor">Mark Textor</a> had an active role in making the Tampa incident a wedge issue for Howard to exploit.<sup id="cite_ref-NZ_Herald_10519252_7-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-NZ_Herald_10519252-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="United_States"><span class="anchor" id="Wedge_politics_in_the_United_States"></span> United States</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wedge_issue&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: United States"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>During the Civil Rights era, Republicans attempted to drive a wedge between Democrats on the issue of race. In the <a href="/wiki/1968_US_Presidential_Election" class="mw-redirect" title="1968 US Presidential Election">1968 US Presidential election</a>, northern Democratic support of the Civil Rights Act caused a cleavage with southern Democrats which led to Democratic Alabama Governor George Wallace mounting a third party campaign.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-:0_9-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:0-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p><a href="/wiki/Gay_marriage" class="mw-redirect" title="Gay marriage">Gay marriage</a> was considered a wedge issue in 1990s Democratic politics, with President <a href="/wiki/Bill_Clinton" title="Bill Clinton">Bill Clinton</a> signing into law the <a href="/wiki/Defense_of_Marriage_Act" title="Defense of Marriage Act">Defense of Marriage Act</a> (DOMA) in 1996 amidst pressure from Centrist Democrats, but its efficacy was lost in later years as support for gay marriage in the electorate grew.<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Reform of the laws regarding <a href="/wiki/Illegal_immigration_to_the_United_States" title="Illegal immigration to the United States">illegal immigration to the United States</a> operated as a wedge issue in 2007. Some Republican legislators, with the backing of President George W. Bush, sought to address the dual issues of ongoing illegal immigration to the United States and the illegal status of an estimated 12 million people currently living in America. Other Republicans bitterly opposed any "amnesty" for illegal immigrants, out of fear that their constituents were unsupportive of immigration reform. Some Democrats pitched in to keep the issue alive as they recognized the issue was deeply dividing the Republican party between advocates of reform and advocates of the status quo. The result was a bitter division in Republican ranks and a stalled bill in Congress. After the election of <a href="/wiki/Donald_Trump" title="Donald Trump">Donald Trump</a> in 2016, the views of American voters shifted to align more closely with their parties along partisan lines, reducing immigration policy's status as a wedge issue.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p><a href="/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic" title="COVID-19 pandemic">Covid-19</a> served as wedge issue for both political parties in the <a href="/wiki/2020_United_States_presidential_election" title="2020 United States presidential election">2020 US Presidential election</a>, with both the Democratic and Republican electorate divided over whether candidates <a href="/wiki/Joe_Biden" title="Joe Biden">Joe Biden</a> or Donald Trump could effectively handle the pandemic. Biden sought to divide the Republican base by claiming Trump had mismanaged the response to the Covid crisis, while Trump contended that Biden, if elected, would shut down the economy.<sup id="cite_ref-:1_5-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:1-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>During the 2024 election cycle, Republicans sought to drive a wedge between Democratic voters by portraying Democrats as taking a radical stance by aligning themselves with the <a href="/wiki/Transgender_rights_movement" title="Transgender rights movement">transgender rights movement</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wedge_issue&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Attack_ad" title="Attack ad">Attack ad</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cleavage_(politics)" title="Cleavage (politics)">Cleavage (politics)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cross-cutting_cleavage" title="Cross-cutting cleavage">Cross-cutting cleavage</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Divide_and_rule" title="Divide and rule">Divide and rule</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dog-whistle_politics" class="mw-redirect" title="Dog-whistle politics">Dog-whistle politics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Negative_campaigning" title="Negative campaigning">Negative campaigning</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Propaganda" title="Propaganda">Propaganda</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Push_poll" title="Push poll">Push poll</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Salami_tactics" class="mw-redirect" title="Salami tactics">Salami tactics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Third_rail_(politics)" title="Third rail (politics)">Third rail (politics)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Issue_voting" title="Issue voting">Issue Voting</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Wedge_issue&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Seo, Jungkun. (2010). “<i>Wedge-issue dynamics and party position shifts: Chinese exclusion debates in the post-Reconstruction US Congress</i>, 1879-1882”. Party Politics. 17(6) 823-847</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-2">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Wilson, S. and Turnbull, N. (2001) "<i>Wedge Politics and Welfare Reform in Australia"</i> Australian Journal of Politics & History, 47: 384-404. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8497.00235</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-3">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">van de Wardt, M., De Vries, C. E., & Hobolt, S. B. (2014). "<i>Exploiting the Cracks: Wedge Issues in Multiparty Competition"</i>. 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href="/wiki/Template_talk:Media_manipulation" title="Template talk:Media manipulation"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Media_manipulation" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Media manipulation"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Media_manipulation" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Media_manipulation" title="Media manipulation">Media manipulation</a></div></th></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Context</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Media_bias" title="Media bias">Bias</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Crowd_psychology" title="Crowd psychology">Crowd psychology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Deception" title="Deception">Deception</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dumbing_down" title="Dumbing down">Dumbing down</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/False_balance" title="False balance">False balance</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Half-truth" title="Half-truth">Half-truths</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mass_media" title="Mass media">Media</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Obfuscation" title="Obfuscation">Obfuscation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Orwellian" title="Orwellian">Orwellian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Persuasion" title="Persuasion">Persuasion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Manipulation_(psychology)" title="Manipulation (psychology)">Manipulation (psychology)</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Activism" title="Activism">Activism</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Advocacy" title="Advocacy">Advocacy</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Advocacy_group" title="Advocacy group">group</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Alternative_media" title="Alternative media">Alternative media</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Boycott" title="Boycott">Boycott</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Call-out_culture" class="mw-redirect" title="Call-out culture">Call-out culture</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cancel_culture" title="Cancel culture">Cancel culture</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Civil_disobedience" title="Civil disobedience">Civil disobedience</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Culture_jamming" title="Culture jamming">Culture jamming</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Political_demonstration" title="Political demonstration">Demonstrations</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Deplatforming" title="Deplatforming">Deplatforming</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Grassroots" title="Grassroots">Grassroots</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Guerrilla_communication" title="Guerrilla communication">Guerrilla communication</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hacktivism" title="Hacktivism">Hacktivism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Internet_activism" title="Internet activism">Internet</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Media_activism" title="Media activism">Media</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Occupation_(protest)" title="Occupation (protest)">Occupations</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Petition" title="Petition">Petitions</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Protest" title="Protest">Protests</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Youth_activism" title="Youth activism">Youth</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Advertising" title="Advertising">Advertising</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Billboard" title="Billboard">Billboards</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/False_advertising" title="False advertising">False</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Infomercial" title="Infomercial">Infomercials</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mobile_marketing" title="Mobile marketing">Mobiles</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Promotional_model" title="Promotional model">Modeling</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Radio_advertisement" title="Radio advertisement">Radio</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sex_in_advertising" title="Sex in advertising">Sex</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Advertising_slogan" title="Advertising slogan">Slogans</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Testimonial" title="Testimonial">Testimonials</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Television_advertisement" title="Television advertisement">TV</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Criticism_of_advertising" title="Criticism of advertising">Criticism of advertising</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Annoyance_factor" title="Annoyance factor">Annoyance factor</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><div class="hlist"><ul><li><a href="/wiki/Censorship" title="Censorship">Censorship</a></li><li><a href="/wiki/Media_regulation" class="mw-redirect" title="Media regulation">Media regulation</a></li></ul></div></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Book_censorship" title="Book censorship">Books</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Broadcast_law" title="Broadcast law">Broadcast law</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Burning_of_books_and_burying_of_scholars" title="Burning of books and burying of scholars">Burying of scholars</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catch_and_kill" title="Catch and kill">Catch and kill</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_censorship" title="Corporate censorship">Corporate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cover-up" title="Cover-up">Cover-ups</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Euphemism" title="Euphemism">Euphemism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Film_censorship" title="Film censorship">Films</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Historical_negationism" title="Historical negationism">Historical negationism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Internet_censorship" title="Internet censorship">Internet</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Political_censorship" title="Political censorship">Political</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Religious_censorship" title="Religious censorship">Religious</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Self-censorship" title="Self-censorship">Self</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Hoax" title="Hoax">Hoaxing</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Alternative_facts" title="Alternative facts">Alternative facts</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/April_Fools%27_Day" title="April Fools' Day">April Fools'</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Deepfake" title="Deepfake">Deepfake</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fake_news" title="Fake news">Fake news</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Fake_news_website" title="Fake news website">websites</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fakelore" class="mw-redirect" title="Fakelore">Fakelore</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/False_document" title="False document">False document</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fictitious_entry" title="Fictitious entry">Fictitious entries</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Firehose_of_falsehood" title="Firehose of falsehood">Firehose of falsehood</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Forgery" title="Forgery">Forgery</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gaslighting" title="Gaslighting">Gaslighting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_hoaxes" title="List of hoaxes">List</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Literary_forgery" title="Literary forgery">Literary</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lying_press" title="Lying press">Lying press</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Photograph_manipulation" title="Photograph manipulation">Photograph manipulation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Racial_hoax" title="Racial hoax">Racial</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Urban_legends_and_myths" class="mw-redirect" title="Urban legends and myths">Urban legend</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Virus_hoax" title="Virus hoax">Virus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Video_manipulation" title="Video manipulation">Video manipulation</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Marketing" title="Marketing">Marketing</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Brand" title="Brand">Branding</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Loyalty_marketing" title="Loyalty marketing">Loyalty</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Product_marketing" title="Product marketing">Product</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Product_placement" title="Product placement">Product placement</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Publicity" title="Publicity">Publicity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Market_research" title="Market research">Research</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Word-of-mouth_marketing" title="Word-of-mouth marketing">Word of mouth</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/News_media" title="News media">News media</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Agenda-setting_theory" title="Agenda-setting theory">Agenda-setting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/News_broadcasting" title="News broadcasting">Broadcasting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Media_circus" title="Media circus">Circus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/24-hour_news_cycle" title="24-hour news cycle">Cycle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Emotive_conjugation" title="Emotive conjugation">Emotive conjugation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/False_balance" title="False balance">False balance</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Infotainment" title="Infotainment">Infotainment</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Managing_the_news" title="Managing the news">Managing</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Narcotizing_dysfunction" title="Narcotizing dysfunction">Narcotizing dysfunction</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Newspeak" title="Newspeak">Newspeak</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Media_event" title="Media event">Pseudo-event</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Media_scrum" title="Media scrum">Scrum</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sensationalism" title="Sensationalism">Sensationalism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tabloid_journalism" title="Tabloid journalism">Tabloid journalism</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Political_campaign" title="Political campaign">Political campaigning</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Campaign_advertising" title="Campaign advertising">Advertising</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Astroturfing" title="Astroturfing">Astroturfing</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Attack_ad" title="Attack ad">Attack ad</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Canvassing" title="Canvassing">Canvassing</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Character_assassination" title="Character assassination">Character assassination</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dog_whistle_(politics)" title="Dog whistle (politics)">Dog whistle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Election_promise" title="Election promise">Election promises</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lawn_sign" title="Lawn sign">Lawn signs</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Party_platform" title="Party platform">Party platforms (or manifestos)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Name_recognition" title="Name recognition">Name recognition</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Negative_campaigning" title="Negative campaigning">Negative</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Push_poll" title="Push poll">Push polling</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Smear_campaign" title="Smear campaign">Smear campaign</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Wedge issue</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Propaganda" title="Propaganda">Propaganda</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bandwagon_effect" title="Bandwagon effect">Bandwagon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Big_lie" title="Big lie">Big lie</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Crowd_manipulation" title="Crowd manipulation">Crowd manipulation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Disinformation" title="Disinformation">Disinformation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fearmongering" title="Fearmongering">Fearmongering</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Framing_(social_sciences)" title="Framing (social sciences)">Framing</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Indoctrination" title="Indoctrination">Indoctrination</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Loaded_language" title="Loaded language">Loaded language</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/National_myth" title="National myth">National mythology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rally_%27round_the_flag_effect" title="Rally 'round the flag effect">Rally 'round the flag effect</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Propaganda_techniques" title="Propaganda techniques">Techniques</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Psychological_warfare" title="Psychological warfare">Psychological warfare</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Airborne_leaflet_propaganda" title="Airborne leaflet propaganda">Airborne leaflets</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/False_flag" title="False flag">False flag</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fifth_column" title="Fifth column">Fifth column</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Information_warfare" title="Information warfare">Information (IT)</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lawfare" title="Lawfare">Lawfare</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Political_warfare" title="Political warfare">Political</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Public_diplomacy" title="Public diplomacy">Public diplomacy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sedition" title="Sedition">Sedition</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Subversion" title="Subversion">Subversion</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Public_relations" title="Public relations">Public relations</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Cult_of_personality" title="Cult of personality">Cult of personality</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Doublespeak" title="Doublespeak">Doublespeak</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Non-apology_apology" title="Non-apology apology">Non-apology apology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Reputation_management" title="Reputation management">Reputation management</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Slogan" title="Slogan">Slogans</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sound_bite" title="Sound bite">Sound bites</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Spin_(propaganda)" title="Spin (propaganda)">Spin</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Transfer_(propaganda)" title="Transfer (propaganda)">Transfer</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Understatement" title="Understatement">Understatement</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Weasel_word" title="Weasel word">Weasel words</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Corporate_propaganda" title="Corporate propaganda">Corporate propaganda</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Sales" title="Sales">Sales</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Cold_calling" title="Cold calling">Cold calling</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Door-to-door" title="Door-to-door">Door-to-door</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pricing" title="Pricing">Pricing</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Product_demonstration" title="Product demonstration">Product demonstrations</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sales_promotion" title="Sales promotion">Promotion</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Spaving" title="Spaving">Spaving</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Promotional_merchandise" title="Promotional merchandise">Promotional merchandise</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Telemarketing" title="Telemarketing">Telemarketing</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Related</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Influence-for-hire" title="Influence-for-hire">Influence-for-hire</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Media_bias" title="Media bias">Media bias</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Media_bias_in_the_United_States" title="Media bias in the United States">United States</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Concentration_of_media_ownership" title="Concentration of media ownership">Media concentration</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Media_democracy" title="Media democracy">Media democracy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Media_ecology" title="Media ecology">Media ecology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Media_ethics" title="Media ethics">Media ethics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Media_franchise" title="Media franchise">Media franchise</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Influence_of_mass_media" title="Influence of mass media">Media influence</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Media_proprietor" title="Media proprietor">Media proprietor</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wedge_issue&oldid=1259358715">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wedge_issue&oldid=1259358715</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Help:Category" title="Help:Category">Categories</a>: 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