preponderance, credit, prestige, prerogative, jurisdiction; right &c
(title) 924; direction &c 693; government &c 737.1.
divine right, dynastic rights, authoritativeness; absoluteness,
absolutism; despotism; jus nocendi [Lat.]; jus divinum [Lat.].
mastery, mastership, masterdom†; dictation, control.
hold, grasp; grip, gripe; reach; iron sway &c (severity) 739;
fangs, clutches, talons; rod of empire &c (scepter) 747.
[Vicarious authority] commission &c 755; deputy &c 759; permission
&c 760.
V. authorize &c (permit) 760; warrant &c (right) 924; dictate &c
(order) 741.
be at the head of &c adj.; hold office, be in office, fill an
office; hold master, occupy master, a post master, be master &c 745.
have the upper hand, get the upper hand, have the whip, get the
whip; gain a hold upon, preponderate, dominate, rule the roost; boss
[U.S.]; override, overrule, overawe; lord it over, hold in hand, keep
under, make a puppet of, lead by the nose, turn round one's little
finger, bend to one's will, hold one's own, wear the breeches; have the
ball at one's feet, have it all one's own way, have the game in one's
own hand, have on the hip, have under one's thumb; be master of the
situation; take the lead, play first fiddle, set the fashion; give the
law to; carry with a high hand; lay down the law; ride in the whirlwind
and direct the storm [Addison]; rule with a rod of iron &c (severity)
739.
Adj. at the head, dominant, paramount, supreme, predominant,
preponderant, in the ascendant, influential; arbitrary; compulsory &c
744; stringent.
at one's command; in one's power, in one's grasp; under control.
Adv. in the name of, by the authority of, de par le Roi [Fr.], in
virtue of; under the auspices of, in the hands of.
at one's pleasure; by a dash if the pen, by a stroke of the pen;
ex mero motu [Lat.]; ex cathedra [Lat.], from the chair.
Phr. the gray mare the better horse; every inch a king [Lear].
780,
737a. Government — N. government, legal authority, soveriegn,
sovereign authority; authority &c 737; master &c 745; direction &c 693.
[nations] national government, nation, state, country, nation-
state, dominion, republic, empire, union, democratic republic; kingdom,
principality.
[subdivisions of nations] state government [Lat.], state; shire
[Brit.]; province [Can.]; county [Ire.]; canton [Switz.]; territory
[Austral.]; duchy, archduchy, archdukedom†; woiwodshaft; commonwealth;
region &c 181; property &c 780.
[smaller subdivisions] county, parish city, domain, tract,
arrondissement [Fr.], mofussil†, commune; wappentake, hundred, riding,
lathe, garth†, soke†, tithing; ward, precinct, bailiwick.
command, empire, sway, rule; dominion, domination; sovereignty,
supremacy, suzerainty; lordship, headship†; chiefdom†; seigniory,
seigniority†.
rule, sway, command, control, administer; govern &c (direct) 693;
lead, preside over, reign, possess the throne, be seated on the throne,
occupy the throne; sway the scepter, wield the scepter; wear the crown.
state, realm, body politic, posse comitatus [Lat.].
[person in the governing authority] judicature &c 965; cabinet &c
(council) 696; seat of government, seat of authority; headquarters.
[Acquisition of authority] accession; installation &c 755;
politics &c 737.1.
reign, regime, dynasty; directorship, dictatorship; protectorate,
protectorship; caliphate, pashalic†, electorate; presidency,
presidentship†; administration; proconsul, consulship; prefecture;
seneschalship; magistrature†, magistracy.
monarchy; kinghood†, kingship; royalty, regality; aristarchy†,
aristocracy; oligarchy, democracy, theocracy, demagogy; commonwealth;
dominion; heteronomy; republic, republicanism; socialism; collectivism;
mob law, mobocracy†, ochlocracy†; vox populi, imperium in imperio
[Lat.]; bureaucracy; beadledom†, bumbledom†; stratocracy; military
power, military government, junta; feodality†, feudal system, feudalism.
thearchy†, theocracy, dinarchy†; duarchy†, triarchy, heterarchy†;
duumvirate; triumvirate; autocracy, autonomy; limited monarchy;
constitutional government, constitutional monarchy; home rule;
representative government; monocracy†, pantisocracy†.
gynarchy†, gynocracy†, gynaeocracy†; petticoat government.
[government functions] legislature, judiciary, administration.
[Government agencies and institutions] office of the president,
office of the prime minister, cabinet; senate, house of
representatives, parliament; council &c 696; courts, supreme court;
[U.S. national government departments], state, interior, labor, health
and human services, defense, education, agriculture, justice, commerce,
treasury; Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI; Central Intelligence
Agency, CIA; National Institutes of Health, NIH; Postal Service, Post
Office; Federal Aviation Administration, FAA.
[national government officials] president, vice president, cabinet
member, prime minister, minister; senator, representatative, president
pro tem [Lat.], speaker of the house; department head, section head,
section chief; federal judge, justice, justice of the supreme court,
chief justice; treasurer, secretary of the treasury; director of the
FBI.
[state government officials] governor, state cabinet member; state
senator, assemblyman, assemblywoman.
V. govern, rule, have authority, hold authority, possess authority,
exercise authority, exert authority, wield authority &c n.; reign, be
sovereign.
[acquire authority] ascend the throne, mount the throne; take the
reins, take the reins into one's hand; assume authority &c n., assume
the reins of government; take command, assume command.
[contend for authority] politics &c 737.1.
be governed by, be in the power of, be a subject of, be a citizen
of.
Adj. regal, sovereign, governing; royal, royalist; monarchical, kingly;
imperial, imperiatorial†; princely; feudal; aristocratic, autocratic;
oligarchic &c n.; republican, dynastic.
ruling &c v.; regnant, gubernatorial; imperious; authoritative,
executive, administrative, clothed with authority, official,
departmental, ex officio, imperative, peremptory, overruling, absolute;
hegemonic, hegemonical†; authorized &c (due) 924.
[pertaining to property owned by government] government, public;
national, federal; his majesty's [Brit.], her majesty's; state, county,
city, &c N..
Phr. a dog's obeyed in office [Lear]; cada uno tiene su alguazil [Sp.];
le Roi le veut [Fr.]; regibus esse manus en nescio longas [Lat.];
regnant populi [Lat.]; the demigod Authority [Lat.Tran] [Measure for
Measure]; the right divine of kings to govern wrong [Pope]; uneasy lies
the head that wears a crown [Henry IV].
737b. Politics [contention for governmental authority or influence]. —
N. politics; political science; candidacy, campaign, campaigning,
electioneering; partisanship, ideology, factionalism.
election, poll, ballot, vote, referendum, recall, initiative,
voice, suffrage, plumper, cumulative vote, plebiscitum [Lat.],
plebiscite, vox populi; electioneering; voting &c v.; elective
franchise; straight ticket [U.S.]; opinion poll, popularity poll.
issue; opinion, stand, position; program, platform; party line.
[ideologies] democracy, republicanism; communism, statism, state
socialism; socialism; conservatism, toryism; liberalism, whigism;
theocracy; constitutional monarchy.
[political parties] party &c 712; [U.S: Political parties list],
Democratic Party, Republican Party, Socialist Party; Communist Party;
[U.S. defunct parties: list], Federalist Party, Bull Moose Party,
Abolitionist Party; [Germany: list], Christian Democratic Party, Social
Democratic Party; National Socialist Worker's Party; [Germany, 1930-
1945], Nazi Party; [Great Britain:list], Liberal Party, Labor Party,
Conservative Party.
ticket, slate.
[person active in politics] politician activist; [specific
politicians: list], candidate, aspirant, hopeful, office-seeker, front-
runner, dark horse, long shot, shoo-in; supporter, backer, political
worker, campaign worker; lobbyist, contributor; party hack, ward
heeler; regional candidate, favorite son; running mate, stalking horse;
perpetual candidate, political animal.
political contribution, campaign contribution; political action
committee, PAC.
political district, electoral division, electoral district,
bailiwick.
electorate, constituents.
get-out-the-vote campaign, political education.
negative campaigning, dirty politics, smear campaign.
[unsuccessful candidate] also-ran, loser; has-been.
[successful candidate] office holder, official, occupant of a
position; public servant, incumbent; winner.
V. run for office, stand for office; campaign, stump; throw one's hat
in the ring; announce one's candidacy.
Adj. political, partisan.
Phr. Money is the mother's milk of politics [Tip O'Neill].