A wedge issue is a rhetorical strategy, usually focused on a social concern, that is intentionally constructed to divide party voters and polarize the public in order to gain political advantage. Often gaining currency through the media, such issues may be considered to coarsen political discourse by exploiting factions. This article defines the term “wedge issue,” discusses the persuasion and argumentation strategies that make wedge issues effective, and illustrates how wedge issues have been used in a number of political campaigns. The author suggests that it is one role of the rhetorician to explain these issues to the public so that voters will become more aware of how they may be manipulated.