Watergate affair The illegal activities and subsequent cover-up of the Nixon administration. Figures within the Campaign to re-elect the President (CREEP) broke into Democrat HQ in the Watergate building, Washington DC. Watergate instigated a series of events that led to Nixon’s eventual resignation in 1974. The term ‘gate’ is routinely added to controversies that imply an abuse of power.

Wedge issue An issue considered so important that it divides two or more strands of a political party/ideology. There are several obvious examples to consider, but an unusual one is the creation of gambling casinos. Fiscal conservatives in the GOP favor such moves, but social conservatives equate gambling with a sin that is contrary to God’s teachings.

Weltanschauung An outlook taken by an individual (or social group) upon the world around them. The weltanschauung of the founding fathers was unmistakably liberal and fearful of absolutist rule.

Whip system An organization of House leaders who work to disseminate information and promote party unity in voting on legislation. It must be noted that party discipline is relatively weak in the states.

Wholesale politics A means of campaigning that involves indirect contact with citizens, such as running campaign advertisements.

Winner-take-all The practice of assigning all of a given state’s delegates to the candidate who receives the most popular votes. In recent years, there has been a shift towards proportional allocation.

Workfare A set of measures designed to get welfare claimants back to work via changes to the tax and benefit system (such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)). The aim of workfare is to reduce the number of claimants within the United States. The Clinton administration granted waivers from federal rules to over 40 states in order to enable them to pursue their own way of ending welfare as we know it. Under the Obama administration, the fiscal stimulus expanded the numbers eligible for the EITC.

World Bank A non-governmental organization that provides financial support for economic development projects in developing nations.

World Trade Organization An international organization created to oversee trade agreements between nations by facilitating negotiations and handling disputes.

Writ of certification An uncommon way in which a case is brought before the Supreme Court, whereby an appeals court asks the judicial branch to clarify federal law in regards to a particular case.