selectorate

British  

/ sɪˈlɛktərɪt /

noun

1. a body of people responsible for making a selection, esp members of a political party who select candidates for an election

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Etymology

Origin of selectorate

C20: from _select + ( _elect ) _orate

Example Sentences

"In short, what political scientists call 'the selectorate' looks pretty different to the electorate."

From BBC

In their 2005 academic study The Logic of Political Survival and its 2011 mass-market adaptation The Dictator’s Handbook, they propose a model for why some leaders are overthrown and other survive, known as selectorate theory.

From Slate

Although suspected by some on the left of intending to move the party to the centre, he has gone out of his way to reassure the sizeable left-wing slice of the selectorate that he won't "over-steer" to the right.

From BBC

The next question for the Tory selectorate, then, is who is best placed to lead them to victory when the time comes.

From The Guardian

After winnowing the field to two candidates next week, the contest will go before the Tory “selectorate,” which will pick a winner by the end of July.

From Washington Post