Relating to ordinary people at the local level rather than powerful leaders or large organizations.
Compound of 'grass' and 'roots,' literally referring to the roots of grass plants at ground level. By the 1950s, it was used metaphorically to describe movements starting from common people at the 'ground level' of society.
This is a perfect example of how metaphors shape politics—calling something 'grassroots' makes it sound natural, organic, and genuine, even if it's actually organized behind the scenes. The word itself makes us think of growing upward from the earth!
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