Changes

For example, the term "trial balloon" has an important political meaning:  it refers to "leaking" a planned decision to the media to see the public reaction is negative before the decision is officially announced, much like floating a balloon into the air to see if it pops.  If the public reaction is negative to a "trial balloon," then the politician can change the decision before officially making it.  He can even claim that the advance "leak" of the news of the decision was false, despite having privately authorized it himself.

For example, the term "trial balloon" has an important political meaning:  it refers to "leaking" a planned decision to the media to see the public reaction is negative before the decision is officially announced, much like floating a balloon into the air to see if it pops.  If the public reaction is negative to a "trial balloon," then the politician can change the decision before officially making it.  He can even claim that the advance "leak" of the news of the decision was false, despite having privately authorized it himself.

There are many more tricks about politics, which are aptly described by other terminology.

There are many more tricks about politics, which are aptly described by other terminology. Once you'll be hearing about in the next six weeks in the media is the term "coattails", which refers to how the success of a presidential candidate can lift members of his same political party to success when they are on the same ballot for other offices.  If Obama does well on Election Day, then his "coattails" may cause Democratic Senate candidates to win also; the converse will likely be true if Romney does well on Election Day.  Ronald Reagan had enormous coattails in the Election of 1980, but less of a coattail effect when he won by an even bigger margin in 1984.

== Homework ==

== Homework ==