brokered convention: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal, Technical/Political
Quick answer
What does “brokered convention” mean?
A political convention where no candidate has enough delegates to win on the first ballot, leading to negotiations among party leaders, delegates, and candidates to determine the nominee.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A political convention where no candidate has enough delegates to win on the first ballot, leading to negotiations among party leaders, delegates, and candidates to determine the nominee.
Any formal meeting or assembly where a decisive outcome is achieved not by simple voting but through negotiation, deal-making, and compromise among various factions or stakeholders, often after initial deadlock.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is almost exclusively used in the context of American politics, particularly regarding presidential nominations. In British political discourse, similar processes of leader selection might be described as 'negotiated settlement' or 'deadlocked conference', but the specific phrase 'brokered convention' is not standard.
Connotations
In US usage, it often implies a contentious, dramatic, and potentially divisive party event. In contexts outside the US, the phrase may be used descriptively for any similar process, often with a comparative nod to the American system.
Frequency
Extremely rare in British English. Common only in American English during presidential election cycles when a primary contest is highly contested.
Grammar
How to Use “brokered convention” in a Sentence
The [political party] faced the prospect of a brokered convention.A brokered convention was [verb: brokered, avoided, triggered].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “brokered convention” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The party leaders managed to broker a convention agreement after five ballots.
- They are trying to broker the convention to avoid a public split.
American English
- Party elders may have to broker the convention if no clear winner emerges.
- They successfully brokered the convention, uniting behind a compromise candidate.
adjective
British English
- The brokered-convention scenario seemed increasingly likely.
- We are in a brokered-convention situation.
American English
- The brokered-convention process can be messy and unpredictable.
- He is a brokered-convention candidate, having won few primaries.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rarely used; could metaphorically describe a major corporate meeting where a leadership decision requires extensive negotiation among board factions.
Academic
Used in political science, history, and American studies to analyze party nomination processes and democratic institutions.
Everyday
Almost never used in casual conversation except during intense news cycles about specific political events.
Technical
A precise term in American electoral politics describing a specific procedural scenario defined by party rules and delegate counts.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “brokered convention”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “brokered convention”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “brokered convention”
- Using it to describe any large political meeting. / Mispronouncing 'brokered' as 'broken convention'. / Confusing it with a simple 'political convention'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A normal convention typically ratifies a candidate who has already won a majority of delegates during primaries. A brokered convention has no clear winner, so the nomination is decided through negotiations and multiple rounds of voting at the convention itself.
It is generally seen as risky. It can create unity by producing a compromise candidate, but more often it is viewed as a sign of deep party division, can be chaotic, and may leave the eventual nominee weakened heading into the general election.
Not for several decades. The modern primary system, designed to produce a clear front-runner, has made them very rare. The 1976 Republican Convention was the last instance that approached being brokered, but a candidate clinched the nomination just before the first ballot.
Delegates vote in multiple rounds. Between ballots, candidates, their teams, and party leaders (the 'brokers') negotiate with delegates and each other, offering promises on policy, cabinet positions, or party support to win over blocs of votes until one candidate secures a majority.
A political convention where no candidate has enough delegates to win on the first ballot, leading to negotiations among party leaders, delegates, and candidates to determine the nominee.
Brokered convention is usually formal, technical/political in register.
Brokered convention: in British English it is pronounced /ˌbrəʊkəd kənˈvɛnʃ(ə)n/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌbroʊkərd kənˈvɛnʃən/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Smoke-filled room (historically associated with the backroom deals of a brokered convention)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a stock BROKER making deals between buyers and sellers. A BROKERED CONVENTION is where political 'brokers' make deals between delegates and candidates.
Conceptual Metaphor
POLITICS IS NEGOTIATED COMMERCE (candidates are commodities, delegates are currency, party leaders are brokers).
Practice
Quiz
In which country's political system is the term 'brokered convention' most specifically and commonly used?