Trial Balloon in the United States

Trial Balloon (in Politics)

Related to political science, the following is a definition of Trial Balloon in the U.S. practice of politics: An idea suggested by a politician in order to observe the reaction. If public reaction is favorable, the politician pursues the idea and takes full credit.

The term originates with the testing of the first hot air balloons in the late 18th century. Unmanned balloons were sent up into the atmosphere to determine if they were safe for human travel.