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5[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/06931_the_encyclopedia_of_politics_the_left_and_the_right_volume_two_the_right.jpg]]
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7->''"The art of the compromise\
8Hold your nose and close your eyes\
9We want our leaders to save the day\
10But we don’t get a say in what they trade away"''
11-->-- "The Room Where It Happens," ''Theatre/{{Hamilton}}''
12
13Tropes that are related to governmental systems, political ideologies, policies, and practices, and the way they shape historical/current events in both fiction and the real world.
14
15Political facts and useful notes can be found on the UsefulNotes index.
16%%
17%%
18%% Politics by their very nature can be a very incendiary topic - please keep in mind the Rule of Cautious Editing Judgment when editing within this topic.
19%%
20%%
21----
22[[index]]
23[[foldercontrol]]
24
25[[folder:General politics tropes]]
26[floatboxright:
27'''UsefulNotes:'''
28+ '''{{Politicians}}'''
29++ HeadsOfState
30+ {{UsefulNotes/Activists}}
31
32'''Related indexes'''
33+ AuthorityTropes
34+ CapitalismIsBad
35+ CensorshipTropes
36+ CivilUnrestTropes
37+ ClassRelationsIndex
38+ CrimeAndPunishmentTropes
39+ DirtyCommunists
40+ EspionageTropes
41+ HelpHelpThisIndexIsBeingRepressed
42+ HumanRightsIssues
43+ TheIndexIsWatchingYou
44+ MilitaryAndWarfareTropes
45+ MoneyTropes
46+ TheNationalIndex
47+ NewsTropes
48+ TheOnlyRighteousIndexOfFanatics
49+ PatrioticTropes
50+ PoliticalCartoons
51+ PrejudiceTropes
52+ RebelTropes
53+ {{Reichstropen}}
54+ RoyaltyAndNobilityTropes
55+ ScrewThisIndexIHaveTropes
56+ TerrorismTropes
57+ TheWarOnStraw
58]
59* ArtisticLicensePolitics: Inaccurate depictions of real-life politics in fiction.
60* TheChainOfCommand: The power structure that identifies the level of authority and responsibility members of a political system might have.
61* TheGovernment: The organized system in charge of making and enforcing the laws of society.
62* GovernmentProcedural: Fiction that revolves around politicians and government officials at work.
63* IssueDrift: A work of fiction becomes more increasingly partisan in its politics.
64* PoliticalProgrammes: Programs depicting RealLife political occurrences.
65* PoliticalStrategyGame: Games focusing on political maneuvering in order to attain (or depending on the game, ''maintain'') power.
66* RoyalMess: Royal authority is depicted in ways rarely if ever seen in reality.
67* SpyFiction: Thriller fiction about international espionage and other forms of geopolitical conflict.
68* TatteredFlag: A damaged flag is shown for dramatic effect.
69* TheWhiteHouse: The official headquarters and residence of the UsefulNotes/PresidentOfTheUnitedStates in UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC.
70[[/folder]]
71
72[[folder:Mass media politics]]
73* AntiPoliceSong: A song specifically protesting against [[DirtyCop corruption]] or [[PoliceBrutality violence]] by law enforcement.
74* BackedByThePentagon: The entertainment industry maintains business connections with the national government; for example, Hollywood asking the US Department of Defense to loan military equipment for use in films.
75* BannedInChina: A work of media has been (legally) prohibited from being released or distributed in a specific country.
76* BookBurning: The physical desecration of literature, which may be done as an act of politically motivated censorship (or protest).
77* ConvictedByPublicOpinion: When the public pre-assumes someone's guilt based on their feelings rather than facts.
78* DistancedFromCurrentEvents: When media gets censored in order to avoid accidentally drawing parallels to controversial news stories from real life.
79* FoxNewsLiberal: A token liberal (or conservative) on a conservative (or liberal) talk show or news network.
80* HailToTheThief: A satirical song which mocks a particular politician.
81* MediaWatchdog: Activist groups who want to protest or censor objectionable content in the media, perhaps for ideological reasons.
82* MovementMascot: When a fictional character becomes political.
83* NoSwastikas: Media depicting UsefulNotes/NaziGermany avoids any display of swastikas.
84* NuclearWeaponsTaboo: Media skirts around the depiction or discussion of [[AtomicHate nukes]].
85* PoliticalCorrectnessIsEvil: The belief that society has gone to pot because too many people are overly concerned about being politically correct.
86* PoliticalOvercorrectness: Exaggerated depictions of political correctness PlayedForLaughs.
87* PropagandaMachine: When mass media is used as an instrument of state propaganda that promotes the government's policies.
88* PropagandaPiece: A work of media or entertainment which was intended to politically indoctrinate its viewers.
89* ProtestSong: A song opposing some sort of government policy or political ideology.
90* StrawmanNewsMedia: Journalism is portrayed as a corrupt industry which only exists to brainwash people with biased propaganda serving corporate/political interests.
91* WartimeCartoon: Animated films as pro-war propaganda, meant to instill viewers with militaristic and nationalistic sentiments against the enemy.
92* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotPolitical: Audiences see political undertones in works where none were intended.
93* WrittenByTheWinners: Political news and historical accounts are biased in favor of whoever came out victorious and stayed in power.
94[[/folder]]
95
96[[folder:Political officials and citizens]]
97* ActionPolitician: An elected official who happens to be an awesome badass.
98* {{Ambadassador}}: A diplomat who can be brave and tough when negotiations break down.
99* AntagonisticGovernor: The corrupt leader of a sub-national (provincial/regional/state) government.
100* ApatheticCitizens: The average person either knows or cares very little about politics and other important social issues.
101* AssInAmbassador: A dignitary who is very mean towards their host nation.
102* BenevolentDictator: A dictator or throne usurper who has good intentions and is liked by most people.
103* BlackRepublican: African-American members of the US Republican Party (or any conservative people from a mostly progressive-aligned demographic).
104* BlondeRepublicanSexKitten: A conventionally attractive woman, often blonde, who is touted as the face of conservative groups.
105* TheCaligula: A [[AxCrazy completely]] [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} insane]] king who is definitely not mentally fit to lead.
106* CategoryTraitor: Someone who's a member of a particular group is labelled a traitor for holding beliefs or opinions that the rest of their particular community strongly disagrees with.
107* ConspiracyTheorist: Someone who believes in conspiracy theories. They especially like to claim that various alleged {{Government Conspirac|y}}ies are completely real.
108* CorruptBureaucrat: An unelected government official who uses their position to enrich themselves and undermine beneficial policies.
109* CorruptPolitician: Government officials who are very immoral and self-serving.
110* CultOfPersonality: Using mass media to promote an (idealized) politician.
111* DepartmentOfMajorVexation: A government agency (like the Department of Motor Vehicles) is filled with too much ObstructiveBureaucracy and general incompetence/inconvenience for anyone who's forced to interact with them.
112* ADoormatToHisMen: The government is effectively ''too'' nice to exercise authority.
113* EasilySwayedPopulation: The people are easy to manipulate.
114* EliteAgentsAboveTheLaw: Government agents who operate without the normal oversight structures, answering only to the state's leader, or possibly to no one but themselves.
115* TheEmperor: A monarch who rules TheEmpire.
116* EvilChancellor: The king's top royal adviser is evil and disloyal to their boss.
117* EvilOverlord: The emperor is a cruel tyrant who [[DespotismJustifiesTheMeans rules through fear and brutality]].
118* TheEvilPrince: A ruthlessly ambitious royal who plots to take the throne for himself and get crowned as the EvilOverlord.
119* FeudalOverlord: A powerful nobleman in a feudal social system.
120* GayConservative: LGBT people who identify as being more right-wing instead of left-wing.
121* GeneralRipper: A brutal and often insane military leader who is obsessed with the idea of a particular enemy.
122* TheGeneralissimo: Military leader who rises to become dictator of a nation.
123* TheGoodChancellor: The king's top royal adviser is honest and loyal to their boss.
124* GloriousLeader: A political outsider who uses romantic and idealist rhetoric to hide some malevolent agenda.
125* TheHighQueen: The ultimate female monarch: regal, beautiful, moral, powerful.
126* InfamousButInCharge: Politician does terrible and immoral things, but is still in power for whatever reason.
127* IntimidatingRevenueService: Nobody likes having to deal with tax collection agencies.
128* InvisiblePresident: The president exists, but we never see them.
129* IronLady: A powerful, non-royal, no-nonsense female politician.
130* JustTheFirstCitizen: A ruler has ultimate power but settles for a simple, humble title.
131* LoyalToThePosition: A character's loyalty is to the position of power, not whoever has held it.
132* ManifestoMakingMalcontent: When an individual writes a manifesto explaining their beliefs.
133* MayorPain: The leader of a local/municipal government is either corrupt, incompetent, or both.
134* NotInMyBackyard: I support building that prison or landfill, as long as it's not built near me.
135* ObstructiveBureaucrat: A government official or employee who makes everything far more frustratingly complicated than they need to be.
136* OnlyServesForLife: A ruler for life learns the hard way that their reign will be cut short when their life ends prematurely.
137* OurPresidentsAreDifferent: Various types of fictional HeadsOfState.
138* PenPushingPresident: The president is buried under so much paperwork they never get to do anything else.
139* PermanentElectedOfficial: A politician who is serving an indefinite, if not lifelong, term in office without limits.
140* PersonaNonGrata: Someone is banned from a particular location.
141* ThePoliticalOfficer: A politician oversees the country's military and ensure their subordination to the civilian government.
142* PoliticallyActivePrincess: A female member of the monarchy (but not TheHighQueen) who is involved with politics.
143* PoliticallyMotivatedTeacher: An educator who is (not so) subtly trying to indoctrinate their students.
144* PoliticianGuestStar: A real-life politician makes an appearance AsHimself in a work of fiction.
145* PompousPoliticalPundit: Highly arrogant political commentators.
146* PowerHair: Women in politics keep a specific short hairstyle.
147* PresidentEvil: The nation's president is ruthlessly corrupt and sinister.
148* PresidentForLife: A nation's democratically elected president changes the rules to ensure they stay in the position for life.
149* PresidentSuperhero: When {{superhero}}es decide to run for the highest political office in their country.
150* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: A government official who actually cares about fulfilling the responsibilities of their job, and is willing to listen to whoever they're supposed to be accountable for.
151* ReluctantRuler: Some monarchs or other government leaders never really had a strong desire to become a big authority figure, because the role was just thrust upon them.
152* RoyalFavorite: Often enjoys a great deal of political power due to the monarch's favoritism.
153* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Royalty who are actually interested in being personally involved with politics rather than just lounging around in their palaces all day.
154* RulerProtagonist: The protagonist happens to be the ruler or leader of a state.
155* SketchySuccessor: The new (hereditary) leader is far less competent than the old one was.
156* SleazyPolitician: A government official who takes bribes and embezzles state funds to personally enrich themselves or their family and friends, all at the expense of their taxpaying constituents.
157* TopWife: The favorite spouse ([[{{Polyamory}} out of many]]) of a powerful person.
158* {{Trumplica}}: [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed An expy of]] [[UsefulNotes/ThePresidentsOfTheUnitedStates the 45th U.S. President]] UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump.
159* UltimateAuthorityMayor: A mayor who is the highest elected official portrayed and who holds immense executive power.
160* UnexpectedSuccessor: The successor to a ruler who no one saw coming.
161* VicePresidentWho: Nobody cares about the second-in-command of a national government.
162* WindbagPolitician: A politician who is impressed with the sound of their voice (and is the only one impressed).
163* TheWisePrince: A male member of the monarchy (but not the king) who is learned and kind, and manages to rule with some degree of competence.
164[[/folder]]
165
166[[folder:Political concepts and philosophies]]
167* AllIssuesArePoliticalIssues: Some people view all problems through their political lens.
168* AnarchyIsChaos: The belief that having no government leads to utter chaos and lawlessness. Also related to the stereotype that anarchists hold no political goals beyond abolishing statism, and just want to live without any laws or rules.
169* AnimalWrongsGroup: Animal rights activism is often portrayed as just a useless movement for whiny vegans who think animals deserve to be treated equally to humans, if not outright valuing animals over people.
170* BanOnPolitics: Talking about politics in a non-political forum is considered bad form.
171* BombThrowingAnarchists: Militant anarchists who believe that violent revolution is the best way to overthrow governments, corporations, and the mainstream social order.
172* ChummyCommies: Communists who are not so bad.
173* CommieNazis: The evil bastard offspring of DirtyCommunists and ThoseWackyNazis.
174* DemocracyIsBad: Democratic governments are depicted as being terribly corrupt and incompetent, to the point that autocracy or anarchy is preferable.
175* DemocracyIsFlawed: While democratic governments are overly bureaucratic and inefficient, they're still better than any other alternatives.
176* DivideAndConquer: Keeping groups in disharmony to prevent them from allying.
177* ElectiveMonarchy: A system of government in which kings are voted into power instead of inheriting it by blood relations.
178* EnlightenedSelfInterest: The belief that helping others will create benefits for oneself.
179* FailedState: A country unable to provide for its citizens.
180* FascistButInefficient: Autocratic governments may promise to bring order and stability, but they ultimately fail to even accomplish that.
181* GodwinsLaw: A (fallacious) accusation that one's political opponents are [[ThoseWackyNazis literal fascists, Nazis, or even Hitler reincarnated]].
182* GoldenMeanFallacy: Coming to the conclusion that the right answer is moderation between the two extremes, even if that doesn't actually make much sense.
183* TheGoldenRule: The principle of treating others the way you would want to be treated.
184* GoodCapitalismEvilCapitalism: A work includes positive and negative examples of capitalistic practices.
185* HatesRichPeople: Extreme hatred for wealthy people for various reasons.
186* HereditaryRepublic: A system of government in which presidents inherit their power from relatives instead of being chosen by voters.
187* HobbesWasRight: The belief that humans are inherently base and cruel, and that they require tyranny to be kept in line.
188* TheHorseshoeEffect: When two political extremes aren't that different from each other.
189* LibertyOverProsperity: A character chooses to be free and impoverished rather than to be prosperous but controlled.
190* TheMagocracy: A government run by magicians and mages.
191* MajoredInWesternHypocrisy: A character who is educated in the West comes to believe it to be evil (or at least severely flawed).
192* MightMakesRight: Using superior military strength to determine what is moral and good.
193* ANaziByAnyOtherName: A not-so-subtle expy or parody of Nazis and their ideology.
194* TheNecrocracy: A government run by TheUndead.
195* OpinionOverride: Someone complains about something that they see as offensive to a particular group that they are not a part of, when actual members of that group make it clear that they don't care.
196* PatrioticFervor: Nationalistic pride for one's country.
197* PrivatelyOwnedSociety: A place run by private corporations instead of public governments, where capitalist economics are prioritized over rule of law.
198* TheRepublic: Governments run by appointed/elected officials (presidents, prime ministers) instead of hereditary aristocrats (monarchs).
199* RedAndBlackTotalitarianism: A repressive regime uses red and black colors.
200* RedScare: Fear and paranoia over radical socialists (like DirtyCommunists or BombThrowingAnarchists), or anyone alleged to be such, supposedly being great menaces to society.
201* RepressiveButEfficient: An autocratic government succeeds at achieving its policy goals due to being able to circumvent the factional/partisan squabbling and legislative chaos associated with democracy.
202* TheRightOfASuperiorSpecies: A more-advanced species justifies its mistreatment of a lower species.
203* RobotRepublic: A government run by {{robot}}s.
204* SlidingScaleOfLibertarianismAndAuthoritarianism: Personal freedom vs state control.
205* SoapboxSadie: A super-preachy activist girl.
206* TheSocialDarwinist: Survival of the fittest.
207* StrawCharacter: A character who mainly serves as a political strawman (a one-dimensional caricature of any beliefs that the author disagrees with).
208* StrawCivilian: A civilian (usually a [[ObstructiveBureaucrat government official/employee]]) who is portrayed as an obstacle to the military or war effort.
209* StrawFeminist: The stereotype that feminists are misandrists who use fighting for equal rights as an excuse to demean, insult, harm, and discriminate against men.
210* StrawHypocrite: When the political strawman fails to practice whatever they preach, with hints that their beliefs and goals are just an insincere facade for more selfish motives.
211* StrawmanU: Unflattering stereotypes of (usually left-wing) political activism amongst college/university students or their professors.
212* StrawMisogynist: The stereotype of sexist men who strongly believe that women don't deserve equal human rights and should just StayInTheKitchen.
213* StrawVegetarian: Unflattering stereotypes of vegans and other vegetarians who refuse to consume meat for ideological reasons.
214* TheSuffragette: Feminist activists who fought for the right of female citizens to vote in elections or run for political offices.
215* TheTheocracy: A government run by priests and clergymen through religious laws, as opposed to a secular state.
216* ThoseWackyNazis: (Neo-)Nazis and similar fascist movements.
217* TooGoodForExploiters: A system is exploited, and those who exploit it seek to keep it in place so they can keep exploiting it.
218* WhyWeAreBummedCommunismFell: Missing the benefits of Communism and/or the UsefulNotes/ColdWar.
219* WindmillCrusader: Someone is obsessed with taking down a threat that doesn't really exist.
220* WindmillPolitical: Someone whose ideology is based around nonexistent issues or problems.
221* YouCannotKillAnIdea: Political ideologies can survive even the most brutally violent forms of political repression, and even outlast its original proponents.
222[[/folder]]
223
224[[folder:Political actions and policies]]
225* TwentyFifthAmendment: The 25th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which details the [[UsefulNotes/ThePresidentsOfTheUnitedStates U.S. presidential]] [[SuccessionCrisis line of succession]].
226* ApocalypticGagOrder: An apocalyptic event is on the way but the government denies it or keeps knowledge of it under wraps.
227* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: A royal assumes their place on the throne, and everyone rejoices.
228* BrainDrain: A group or country becomes less competent because all their talented people leave.
229* EasilyElected: A nation/organization seems to have no screening process or election protocol, that anyone can rise to the highest position of power without any qualification.
230* EasyEvangelism: You can instantly convert a person to a different belief just by informing them that this other belief exists.
231* EmergencyPresidentialAddress: The lead authority official gives a national address to let the public know of a sudden danger.
232* GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion: Pregnant women are portrayed as being more good for choosing to carry their pregnancies.
233* GovernmentConspiracy: When the government is [[TheConspiracy secretly plotting some sinister schemes]]...
234* GovernmentDrugEnforcement: The state pumps its citizens full of toxic substances to keep them complacent.
235* HeadInTheSandManagement: Ignoring a problem that should be acted on.
236* JustFollowingOrders: Someone excuses their bad actions because they were ordered to do it by a superior.
237* JustGivingOrders: Someone excuses their bad actions because they just gave the orders, it was their subordinates who carried it out in a bad way.
238* LegallyOustedLeader: A leader is removed by non-violent, democratic means.
239* LetNoCrisisGoToWaste: Taking advantage of a crisis in some way.
240* MyCountryRightOrWrong: When patriots and nationalists refuse to accept that their country can do any wrong.
241* MyCountryTisOfTheeThatISting: A character expresses disagreement or despair over their country's perceived wrong actions.
242* NewEraSpeech: A speech that talks about how things are about to change.
243* NominatedAsAPrank: Someone is nominated for an office, not out of genuine support, but for malicious reasons.
244* NonAnswer: A character - often a politician - is asked a difficult questions with potentially-controversial answers, and chooses to deflect the question instead.
245* PhotoOpWithTheDog: A shady politician does good things in public in order to build up their public image.
246* PoliticiansKissBabies: A tradition for politicians to kiss their constituents' infants, especially during election time.
247* PointlessCivicProject: The government spends money on a completely unnecessary project.
248* PrideParade: {{UsefulNotes/LGBT}} activists have a public rally or demonstration to celebrate their gender/sexual identities.
249* {{Scandalgate}}: Political scandals tend to be nicknamed after the Watergate scandal. [[SarcasmMode How original]].
250* SuccessionCrisis: When the most recent former ruler doesn't have a designated heir, this will obviously cause some huge problems.
251%%* SuperficialSolution
252* ThereShouldBeALaw: A character wants something to be made illegal because they don't like it.
253* ThinkOfTheChildren: Emotional appeals on how a policy may affect our precious youths.
254* TreacheryCoverUp: It's better if the public doesn't learn of someone's acts of betrayal.
255* VillainousGentrification: The act of building new apartments in place of older ones (usually in poorer locations) is done by people with malicious intent, or at least portrayed as an act of aggression against prior residents.
256* {{Warhawk}}: Someone who's really eager to start bombing their country's (real or imagined) enemies.
257* WithUsOrAgainstUs: You're either part of our sociopolitical group, or you're our sociopolitical enemy. No exceptions!
258[[/folder]]
259
260[[folder:Democratic and bureaucratic politics]]
261* AllElectionsAreSeriousBusiness: If there's an election being held, then expect the main characters to go all in, no matter how minor the post.
262* AttackOfThePoliticalAd: Electoral candidates are fond of mudslinging against their rivals through media advertisements.
263* BloodOnTheDebateFloor: Just when you thought that watching politics was too boring, suddenly the legislators start fighting each other in a physical brawl.
264* DarkHorseVictory: When the least expected candidate manages to win the election.
265* DecidedByOneVote: Someone won an election by a minuscule - but significant - margin.
266* DisasterDemocracy: A democracy rising out of some catastrophic event.
267* ElectionDayEpisode: A storyline about an election commencing.
268* FictionalPoliticalParty: A political organization that only exists in-universe instead of real-life.
269* GenericistGovernment: There are some elements of a ruling body (such as royalty) here and there but no clear indication of the system of government that's actually in place.
270* GovernmentAgencyOfFiction: A fictional, often secretive, agency belonging to a real-world government which usually deals with SpeculativeFiction elements.
271* HauledBeforeASenateSubcommittee: A character is required to publicly answer questions in front of a governmental body.
272* IApprovedThisMessage: Parodies of political advertisements and their messages of approval.
273* InherentInTheSystem: Societal problems portrayed as being part of the established system, rather than due to the actions of any individual or group.
274* LandslideElection: A particular candidate enjoys an overwhelming victory over their opponents.
275* NeverFilledOutOfficialPaperwork: A candidate is disqualified due to not filling out the proper paperwork declaring them an official candidate.
276* NoPartyGiven: A politician's political affiliation is not mentioned.
277* NoSuchAgency: The government says this agency does not exist, no matter what you see or hear.
278* NotSoOmniscientCouncilOfBickering: The OmniscientCouncilOfVagueness is a lot less organized than you might think.
279* ScareCampaign: Fearmongering propaganda against your opponents can be a great way of energizing your own supporters to rally behind you.
280* SkeletonGovernment: There is a government but very little is shown of how it is actually run.
281* VastBureaucracy: A bureaucratic entity is far more expansive than what we see in real life.
282* VetinariJobSecurity: A character will always have their job purely because nobody else can do it.
283* VoteEarlyVoteOften: Someone votes! ...multiple times in a single election, as an act of election fraud.
284[[/folder]]
285
286[[folder:Rebellious and repressive politics]]
287* TwoPlusTortureMakesFive: Torturing prisoners into accepting a government-mandated idea that is factually (often obviously) false.
288* AnarchoTyranny: A corrupt government or tyrannical regime creates a state of [[AnarchyIsChaos perpetual lawlessness]], so that everyone is too busy fighting each other to worry about them, which is criminal neglect on a nationwide scale.
289* AssassinationAttempt: Government officials and political activists of all kinds tend to attract enemies who want them to be killed, sometimes successfully.
290* BananaRepublic: An {{expy}} of a Latin American country, usually portrayed as being poor and weak due to being ruled by a cruel and/or incompetent leader.
291* BigBrotherIsEmployingYou: A character, up to and including the protagonist, works for the dystopian government.
292* BigBrotherIsWatching: Mass surveillance of the general population by state security forces.
293* BigotWithABadge: A racist law enforcement officer.
294* BreadAndCircuses: When media, entertainment, and other distractions are used to keep the masses too content and stupid to care about whatever shady shit that the government or corporations are up to.
295* BrokenSystemDogmatist: Someone defends a broken sociopolitical system, even if it's clear it's beyond saving.
296* BurningTheFlag: The desecration of a national flag (whether of one's own country or a foreign one), often as a statement of protest.
297* ChurchPolice: TheTheocracy has an agency which enforces religious laws, cracking down on infidels and sinners.
298* CivilWar: An internal military conflict in which the government and their security forces fight with rebel factions that want to overthrow them.
299* LesCollaborateurs: Traitors who actively serve a foreign military occupation in their own country.
300* {{Conscription}}: When the state legally forces people to join the military rather than only recruiting volunteers. Can become a political controversy when draft-dodgers and anti-war activists oppose the practice.
301* TheCoup: The current government leader(s) get overthrown and replaced by some of their own subordinates.
302* CrushingThePopulace: A ruler of a newly-conquered land proceeds to oppress much of its population.
303* CulturePolice: Law enforcement agencies that enforce cultural policies, such as by censoring any media the government deems unacceptable.
304* DayOfTheJackboot: A democracy is successfully taken over by evil dictators.
305* TheDictatorship: An autocratic government where every decision is made by one person. Distinct from an absolute monarchy due to using a quasi-republican government system.
306* DraftDodging: Someone refuses to follow draft laws which compel them to enlist in the military, whether out of moral/political/religious beliefs or for more personal (self-serving) reasons.
307* DystopianEdict: A dystopian nation is built around one very specific, very absurd law.
308* EatTheRich: Blame is placed on the wealthy upper-class elites for causing all of society's problems, and therefore they all need to be punished.
309* EcoTerrorist: An individual or organization commits violent acts in the name of protecting nature/the environment.
310* EmergencyAuthority: A public official is given more power than they normally have in order to deal with an emergency situation, which often ends badly.
311* FantasticTerrorists: Terrorists in a SpeculativeFiction setting.
312* FascistButInefficient: A repressive government is both cruel and ineffective.
313* FascistsBedtime: Curfews. Never leave home with them.
314* FinalSolution: Genocide, or the systematic mass murder of entire ethnic/religious communities that are strongly despised and persecuted by the state.
315* FullCircleRevolution: When an old tyrannical government gets replaced by another new government that is just as (if not even more) repressive as the old regime.
316* GovernmentExploitedCrisis: The government causes or exploits a disaster to further its own goals.
317* HappinessIsMandatory: Pretend that you're completely okay with your mediocre living conditions or else...
318* IOwnThisTown: A rich and powerful member of the elite who runs a city like their own personal fiefdom.
319* IconOfRebellion: A symbol for resistance against the establishment.
320* IllegalReligion: The government bans an entire religious sect, and punishes anyone caught practicing it.
321* KangarooCourt: An authoritarian sham court.
322* KillThePoor: When the "war on poverty" becomes a horrifyingly literal campaign to persecute the poorest of lower-class folks.
323* TheKingslayer: Someone who has committed regicide (the murder of a monarch).
324* LegalizedEvil: Acts of evil and malevolence against another are permitted and unpunished under the law of the land.
325* LingeringSocialTensions: Tensions remain between certain groups after society goes through a major cultural shift .
326* MandatoryMotherhood: Everyone ''must'' make babies or else.
327* MilitaryCoup: When military commanders seize power from (usually civilian) government leaders.
328* {{Newspeak}}: Politically charged alterations of language, especially in the context of certain groups trying to manipulate people's speech and thoughts through propaganda.
329* OppressiveStatesOfAmerica: A dystopian version of the United States of America.
330* PeoplesRepublicOfTyranny: The common tendency for dictatorships to (poorly) masquerade as democracies.
331* PersecutedIntellectuals: Smart people are discriminated against.
332* PoliceBrutality: It can become politically charged when law enforcement officers engage in excessively violent force against political protesters and anti-government dissidents. Also, the whole phenomenon of police violence can inspire protests and activism against this specifically.
333* PoliceState: Totalitarian governments make sure to monitor and control as much of their citizens' lives as possible.
334* PopulationControl: The government tries to keep their country's population from growing out of control, usually through coercive methods (like forced abortions and sterilizations).
335* ThePurge: When the government (or another political faction) cracks down on all (real or imagined, usually internal) dissent and opposition; often through mass arrests and detention of these alleged enemies, or even by executions and massacres.
336* ReignOfTerror: When a rebel movement trying to overthrow the old regime eliminate all their loyalists.
337* RenegadeSplinterFaction: A faction splits off from its parent group due to ideological differences, and is often considered dangerous (or at least ''more'' dangerous than the parent group).
338* RepressiveButEfficient: A dictatorship is cruel, but efficient.
339* LaResistance: Underground rebel forces who oppose the current regime in power.
340* RevolutionariesWhoDontDoAnything: Activists who talk a great deal about overthrowing the government or resisting political corruption, but don't actually try to even make any meaningful changes to the status quo.
341* TheRevolutionWillNotBeBureaucratized: A regime was just overthrown, NowWhat
342* TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized: Rebels and revolutionaries are not too merciful towards pro-government loyalists (or even their own allies who start getting the wrong ideas).
343* TheRevolutionWillNotBeVilified: A rebel revolutionary force are the good guys.
344* RevolvingDoorRevolution: A politically unstable country keeps getting new governments that seem to rise and fall with the changing seasons.
345* RightWingMilitiaFanatic: Extremist conservatives who ''really'' like their guns and violence, and ''really'' dislike the government.
346* SecretPolice: A covert intelligence/law-enforcement agency that is responsible for monitoring and suppressing political dissent.
347* SentencedWithoutTrial: Sentencing someone without giving them a trial.
348* ShadowGovernment: Democracy is a lie. These people are the ''real'' authority behind everything.
349* SlaveLiberation: Freeing people who live in forced servitude, whether by peaceful or violent means.
350* SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Slavery is such an awful violation of human rights, that it has inspired political movements to legally abolish this system.
351* StagedPopulistUprising: A popular rebellion that is actually being led by an elite or outsider who isn't loyal to the people's cause.
352* TheStateless: Someone who is not a citizen or national of any sovereign nation-state. Sometimes this can be done voluntarily, but otherwise it happens because no country is willing to legally recognize them (or the government of their homeland may have even forcibly stripped them of their former citizenship/nationality).
353* StateSec: A paramilitary police force designed for terrorizing all enemies of the state.
354* SuperRegistrationAct: When the state attempts to legally regulate [[DifferentlyPoweredIndividual superhuman beings with special powers]], or at least [[{{Superhero}} costumed vigilantes]] and [[{{Supervillain}} costumed criminals]].
355* TaughtToHate: When society teaches hatred of an outgroup to its members.
356* ThousandYearReign: A faction declares it will rule for a very, ''very'' long time.
357* {{Thoughtcrime}}: When it's not enough for a totalitarian government to just censor whatever you try to say; they need to ensure you're unable to even ''feel'' any disagreement with them.
358* TyrantTakesTheHelm: A repressive autocrat replaces a former ReasonableAuthorityFigure.
359* VelvetRevolution: A revolution that is fought with little to no violence (at least, from the rebels).
360* VoiceOfTheResistance: All rebel propaganda requires a good spokesperson to represent them.
361* WeAreEverywhere: A member of a group is taken out, but they assert that other members of that group are so pervasive in society.
362* WeAreStrugglingTogether: Factions that are nominally allied find it hard to focus on their common enemy because they're too preoccupied with fighting each other.
363* WouldBeRudeToSayGenocide: The denial, whitewashing, or justification of a genocide.
364* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: Depending on one's personal bias, political militants can be either villains or heroes in their eyes.
365[[/folder]]
366
367[[folder:International and interstellar politics]]
368* AgentProvocateur: An individual who pretends to be on the other side and who tries to provoke the other side.
369* AllNationsAreSuperpowers: Every country is far more powerful than they are in real life.
370* TheAlliance: When two or more sovereign countries agree to team up together for common diplomatic/economic/military interests.
371* AltarDiplomacy: ArrangedMarriage between members of different royal/noble families to build a political alliance tying them together.
372* AmericaTakesOverTheWorld: The whole world is led by the USA.
373* ArmiesAreEvil: A work portrays formal military as being a violent group of warmongers.
374* BalanceOfPower: An international status quo between states of relatively-even power and influence, with several smaller states allying themselves with one or the other in order to preserve the balance and, ultimately, peace.
375* BindingAncientTreaty: A formal agreement from an era long gone is still applicable in the present day.
376* ChinaTakesOverTheWorld: The whole world is led by China.
377* CulturalPosturing: A character invokes their culture as being superior to another culture.
378* DiplomaticBackChannel: Unofficial means for governments to talk.
379* DiplomaticCoverSpy: When employees of an embassy or consulate hide behind the cover of diplomatic immunity to engage in espionage.
380* DiplomaticImpunity: When foreign dignitaries abuse their legal immunity to the laws of the country they are staying in.
381* DiversionaryForeignPolicy: The deliberate invasion of a foreign party to quell domestic disputes.
382* TheEmpire: An aggressively expansionist and militaristic empire bent on conquering everyone else.
383* EnforcedColdWar: An ongoing proxy conflict stays "cold", because turning it into an outright "hot" war would be more counterproductive to international interests.
384* ExpandedStatesOfAmerica: The USA has expanded and incorporated other countries into itself.
385* FalseFlagOperation: Some entity (such as a government) stages some sort of violent act, and then frames their enemies for it as a pretext to declare a war against them. A very common component of countless conspiracy theories.
386* TheFederation: A large (con)federacy/federation of various states which are partially or completely united together as one political force, sometimes even under a single centralized (federal) government.
387* FictionalCountry: Many examples of fictitious nations are {{exp|y}}ies of real-world nations, or at least allegories for real-life international politics.
388* FictionalGenevaConventions: UsefulNotes/TheLawsAndCustomsOfWar are a bit different in fantasy/science-fiction settings.
389* FictionalUnitedNations: An international diplomatic organization that acts an {{expy}} for the real-life UsefulNotes/UnitedNations.
390* GalacticSuperpower: A supremely powerful spacefaring nation.
391* GenericFederationNamedEmpire: TheFederation or TheAlliance doesn't have much of a unique name, while TheEmpire does.
392* GoodRepublicEvilEmpire: A ([[TheFederation federal]]) republic is portrayed as being good, while TheEmpire is a force of evil.
393* GovernmentInExile: The leaders of a former national government now live in another country (while still claiming sovereign authority which they no longer have).
394* TheGreatWall: A city or nation builds a big border wall in order to keep invading armies, foreign migrants, and other unwanted outsiders out of their territory.
395* GunboatDiplomacy: Efforts to create ties between two (or more) states are backed by military threat.
396* HegemonicEmpire: An Empire built through soft power (economics and culture) instead of hard power (military).
397* HufflepuffHouse: A faction is important to the setting's politics, but largely irrelevant to the story.
398* HumansAreDiplomats: Humans constantly find themselves as the peacemaker between warring alien races.
399* InternationalShowdownByProxy: Sports (or some other mundane activity) representing conflict between two countries.
400* JapanTakesOverTheWorld: The whole world is led by Japan.
401* LensmanArmsRace: Two nations trying to outdo one another in military might and weaponry end up creating fantastically powerful (and destructive) technology.
402* LibertariansInSpace: Outer space is the ideal place for anti-statists to live out their fantasies of life without much governmental intervention.
403* MiddleEasternCoalition: Countries in North Africa or West Asia (whether real or [[{{Qurac}} fictional]]) unify to form a single, formally-governed Islamic nation.
404* MultipleGovernmentPolity: A federalized entity of multiple distinct states united together.
405* NeutralInNameOnly: A faction professes neutrality but in practice is heavily aligned with one side.
406* NGOSuperpower: A non-state actor that is so powerful and influential, that it can rival or challenge actual governments in geopolitical affairs.
407* NoMereWindmill: It turns out that the supposedly-imaginary threat that the WindmillCrusader was trying to warn everyone about, is [[RealAfterAll actually quite real]].
408* NonGovernmentalOrganization: A private group that engages in political activities, independently of any state apparatus.
409* OccupiersOutOfOurCountry: When nationalists yearn for the independence of their homeland from a ruling central government or foreign power that they despise.
410* OffendingAForeignCountry: A character's actions or words offend a foreign country.
411* OneWorldOrder: A global government that completely rules over all of Earth (or another planet).
412* PatriotInExile: A person loves their country despite being barred there.
413* PeaceConference: When warring factions sit down to negotiate peace treaties.
414* PoliticalHostage: TheEmpire wants to keep a vassal state in line, so they hold someone important to them as an indefinite "guest".
415* PostSovietReunion: Russia reunites with post-Soviet states into an alliance, supranational union or superstate.
416* PretextForWar: A ''casus belli'', or an excuse/justification for nations to declare war on one another.
417* PrisonerExchange: When warring factions mutually agree to free their prisoners.
418* ProxyWar: When two or more rival nations each support different factions of a military conflict, instead of directly fighting with each other in open warfare. For example, the UsefulNotes/ColdWar.
419* PuppetState: A nominally independent country, which is actually a client/protectorate/satellite/tributary/vassal that is (in)directly controlled or dominated by another, more powerful nation.
420* TheQueenWillBeWatching: A head of state, dignitary, or other important person catches a performance by a theatre group or attends a movie premiere.
421* TheQuisling: A nation's puppet leader who is appointed by a foreign military occupation.
422* {{Realpolitik}}: The ruthlessly pragmatic conduct of political affairs for personal advantage, without any regard for moral principles.
423* RegimeChange: The forceful overthrow and replacement of a national government, supported by a foreign power; usually done by covertly sponsoring [[TheCoup a coup or revolution]], and sometimes much more overtly through invasion and occupation by that foreign power.
424* RussiaTakesOverTheWorld: The whole world is led by Russia or the USSR.
425* SillyReasonForWar: When a ''casus belli'' is overly contrived, petty, or downright illogical.
426* SpaceColdWar: A fictional proxy conflict which parallels the historical UsefulNotes/ColdWar between the USA and the USSR.
427* StateVisit: An official diplomatic visitation by a foreign national leader.
428* TakeOverTheWorld: A specific nation coming to total (or near-total) global domination as the sole superpower.
429* UngovernableGalaxy: A whole galaxy is just way too big for one centralized state to effectively control.
430%%* TheUnifier: Someone who unifies two or more warring factions into a single nation. - Rogue Launched Trope; restore once properly relaunched.
431* UnitedEurope: UsefulNotes/TheEuropeanUnion (plus a few more) as a formally-governed nation.
432* UnitedNationsIsASuperpower: The UsefulNotes/UnitedNations are far more powerful than they are in reality, wielding actual power over individual nation-states
433* UnitedSpaceOfAmerica: Human colonies in space are portrayed as being socioculturally like the United States of America.
434* VoluntaryVassal: A state is willingly subservient to another, more powerful one. Usually allowed to run their own domestic affairs, but foreign policy and trade terms are effectively dictated by their master.
435* WallsOfTyranny: The border walls aren't just for keeping foreigners outside; they're also meant to keep ''citizens trapped inside''.
436* WhatTheRomansHaveDoneForUs: A people's livelihood improves under the rule of TheEmpire.
437* WonTheWarLostThePeace: PyrrhicVictory in war only leads to more conflict down the line.
438[[/folder]]
439
440[[/index]]

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