Party Whip
A legislator appointed by a political party to ensure members attend votes and support the party line.
Explanation
The whip is responsible for party discipline in a legislature — tracking members, communicating the party's voting instructions, and pressuring legislators to vote with the party. The term comes from fox hunting, where the "whipper-in" kept the hounds together. In the UK, a "three-line whip" is the strongest instruction to attend and vote with the party; defying it is a serious act of rebellion. In the U.S. Congress, the Majority Whip and Minority Whip are key leadership positions. The effectiveness of whips varies by system — parties with strong discipline (UK) control members tightly; more individualistic systems (U.S.) see frequent defections.
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