political animals
Those craving influence
Humans considered as beings who naturally form communities and engage in public life.
The phrase comes from Aristotle's observation that humans are inherently social creatures who organize themselves into political societies.
More loosely, political animals are people who thrive on politics—those drawn to power, maneuvering, and public affairs: Washington is full of political animals who live for the next election.
- campaignerOne who advocates publicly
- legislatorElected maker of laws
- public sphereRealm of civic discourse
- strategistExpert in planning campaigns
- spin doctorFavorable interpretation specialist
power play · lobbyist · backroom deals · smoke-filled rooms · candidate · Aristotle · senator · diplomat · representative · society · human nature · cooperation · elections · grass roots · hierarchy · pundit · ethics · rhetoric
- sycophantssycophant, sycophants, toady, toadies, bootlicker
political animalsfence-sitters
People refusing to choose
nonvoters · hermits · dropouts · silent majority · abstainers
political animalsrecluses
People avoiding all society
hermits · loners · introverts · misanthropes · lone wolves
political animalsidealists
Pursuers of perfect visions
purists · ideologues · true believers · utopians · dogmatists
political, animal, politic, politics, politically, politicize, politicized, politicization, politician