retail politics
plural noun [treated as singular or plural] US
A style of political campaigning in which the candidate attends local events in order to target voters on a small-scale or individual basis.For states so vast and populations so large, the old-fashioned art of retail politics, meeting voters individually, has diminished in importance....
- The state's brand of retail politics brings its most powerful leaders into frequent contact with voters.
- The candidate and his manager were also careful not to underestimate the importance of old-fashioned retail politics.
Origin
Early 20th century: first referring to the practice of paying for votes.