Instead, they argue, it could force black politicians to move more toward the center and to work harder at building multi-ethnic coalitions.

"It's forcing politicians to sit up and take notice."

Its aim was to collect 20,000 signatures and thus force politicians to take the issue to a local referendum.

It forced people, or at least politicians, to think beyond the immediate season.

These demographic changes are forcing politicians on all levels to adjust their calculations.

The law is intended to force all top civil servants and politicians to disclose past complicity with state security bodies.

But he is already forcing politicians to re-examine the relationship between religious faith and political action.

Washington is still circling these ideas too slowly, forcing too many people and politicians to take matters into their own hands.

Anti-government crusaders say big deficits may even be a good thing by forcing politicians to cut spending.

But while the sparring in Greenburgh continues, the issue has forced local politicians to walk a difficult political line.