"Standpatter", or "stand-patter", was a term used in US political history in the early 20th century, during the Progressive Era, to describe the more conservative members of the Republican Party[1][2] than other members, who were called "insurgents" or "progressives". The former were said to be philosophically similar to those of the earlier Stalwart faction.[3]
The term is said to have first been used in a political context by Joseph G. Cannon in 1896 with regard to US tariffs.[4] It was popularised following Senator Mark Hanna's "stand pat speech" in 1901, which suggested that "all that was necessary for Republican victory was, in poker parlance, to stand pat".[3] In poker, a player who does not want to trade any cards declares his intention to "stand pat." A standpatter Republican was particularly conservative and was unwilling to trade or compromise.[5] The poker parlance "stand pat" has since been used in political contexts to refer to a conservative viewpoint although the description of individuals as "standpatters" is less common.[4][6]
After the term's popularisation, even those unfamiliar with the game of poker understood the description.[7]