Status Quo - Political Usage

Political Usage

The original phrase from 14th-century diplomatic Latin was in statu quo res erant ante bellum, meaning "in the state in which things were before the war". This gave rise to the shorter form status quo ante bellum "the state in which (it was) before war" (indicating the withdrawal of enemy troops and restoration of power to prewar leadership), as well as other variations such as status quo itself.

The social movement is an example of the status quo being challenged. The term frequently refers to the status of a large issue, such as the current culture or social climate of an entire society or nation.

Politicians sometimes refer to a status quo. Often there is a policy of deliberate ambiguity, referring to the status quo rather than formalizing the status. Clark Kerr is reported to have said, "The status quo is the only solution that cannot be vetoed", meaning that the status quo cannot simply be decided against; action must be taken if it is to change.

Status quo can also refer to a situation that stakeholders find mutually undesirable but the outcome of any changes to it may be overly risky; at the same time they recognize that eventual change will occur, and openness to the potential that a better alternative solution may emerge over time. For example, in the current state of affairs, Taiwan's political status straddles the line of a sovereign state in its own right and a non-sovereign area of China. Neither a full declaration of independence nor a forceful incorporation of the island into China is considered ideal by both parties at the current stage. Thus 'pro status-quo' in this case generally means 'wait-and-see'.