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Third rail (politics)

The third rail of a nation's politics is a metaphor for any issue so controversial that it is "charged" and "untouchable" to the extent that any politician or public official who dares to broach the subject will invariably suffer politically. The metaphor comes from the high-voltage third rail in some electric railway systems.

Examples by country
Argentina • The Falkland Islands sovereignty dispute Australia • Policies to address climate change • Introducing Constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, Makarrata Commission and Indigenous treaties • Removing or reforming negative gearing Canada • Reforming or privatizing public health care • Reforming or privatizing the Canada Pension Plan China • Advocating for Hong Kong independence Germany • Introducing a speed limit on Autobahns India • The introduction of income tax for agricultural income IrelandAbortion was viewed as a third rail prior to the Thirty-sixth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland which legalised it in 2018 • The provision of medical cards (which grant free or low-price healthcare to people on low incomes and the chronically ill) United KingdomDrug policy • Reform of the National Health ServiceSocial careWest Lothian question • Rejoining the European Union United States A wide range of issues might be claimed detrimental to politicians tackling them, but those below have all been explicitly described using the "third rail" metaphor: • Withdrawal of Social Security and Medicare benefits • Sex offender registry • Debate of race issuesAntidumping and countervailing duty withdrawal • Opposition to abortion for rape victims • Resuming the draft • The role that gifted education plays in modern public school segregation • Debate about U.S. support for Israel • Guns, including semi-automatic weapons and child safety locks. • The transfer of federal lands over to states ==See also==
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