wedge issue

noun

1. an issue that divides or causes conflict in an otherwise unified group:

   Abortion is a wedge issue for the Republican Party.

wedge issue

noun

1. an issue that is likely to cause division between the members of a group

Word History and Origins

Origin of wedge issue¹

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

A Democrat and daughter of immigrant farmworkers from Mexico, Romero said that Trump and Republicans have turned immigration into a “wedge issue” while “spewing lies” about migrants with “cruel and dehumanizing” language.

From Los Angeles Times

The opposition made cannabis a wedge issue in last year’s elections, and having stepped into power, nearly backtracked on the reforms that made the Thai kingdom a pioneer in Southeast Asia.

From Salon

He was a master of the wedge issue and flooded the public space with fake news and incendiary stories with the intent of polarizing public opinion, hollowing out the political center and letting democracy collapse of its own accord.

From Salon

For Operation Watchtower, Wallnau explained in a members-only video that transgender policy was a “wedge issue” that could be decisive in turning out voters tired of hearing about Trump.

From Salon

The EU election shows the power of immigration as a wedge issue and reinforces the “absolute necessity” that Democrats in the U.S. focus on kitchen-table economics and abortion — the latter an issue that European parties did not have, said Celinda Lake, who led President Biden’s 2020 polling, in an email.

From Los Angeles Times