Activist (noun): someone who actively tries to achieve social or
political change, most often by joining an activist group – Even before
she joined Greenpeace, Liz was an environmental activist.
Advocate (verb): to publicly support something like a policy or plan – Does your party advocate stronger regulation of social media?
Ally (noun):
countries that have agreed to help each other, especially in a war, are
allies –
In 2011 the USA persuaded allies like the UK, France and Canada to join them in
attacking Libya.
Alliance (noun): a
formal agreement between two or more countries or political parties to work
together in certain ways – NATO is a military alliance that around 30 European and North
American countries have joined.
Anarchism (noun): the
belief that local co-operatives freely established and run by the people they
serve work better than centralized governments run by powerful elites and
politicians – Kurdish anarchism was developed by Abdullah Öcalan, and he was
inspired by Murray Book chin.
(The) Anglo sphere (noun): the UK and countries the UK colonized such as the
USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand – English is the main language used throughout the Anglo sphere.
Austerity (noun): a
policy of cutting government spending to reduce public debt, with cuts to
welfare, health and education often being significant – Is austerity
a better way of reducing public debt than raising taxes?
Authoritarian (adjective):
of governments that demand absolute obedience and will use violence, unjust
laws, surveillance, etc to destroy opposition – Authoritarian governments will do
anything to stay in power.
Autocracy (noun): a
country or government that is controlled by a single person – Which of the
countries on the Korean peninsula is an autocracy?
Autonomous (adjective):
able to govern oneself without outside control – Three of our country's regions
are autonomous, but the rest are controlled by the central government.
Backbencher (noun):
a Member of Parliament who isn't a government minister or an opposition
leader –
The education minister lost his portfolio and became a backbencher again. (Also
"backbench MP")
Bailout (noun): money
given to a company, country or an organization that's in financial
trouble –
Should governments give bailouts to failing private companies?
Ballot (noun): a vote
to find out what people think about something – Before going on strike, we held a
secret ballot to make sure our members supported it.
Battleground state (noun): a state that doesn't always elect the same party's
candidate –
We spent most of our election campaign in three battleground states. (also
"swing state")
Bureaucracy (noun):
a hierarchy of officials who administer an organisation or a government
department –
I hate dealing with government bureaucracies.
Benefits (noun): welfare
payments such as sickness benefits and unemployment benefits – I was out of
work, but at least I could get unemployment benefits.
Biased (adjective):
unfairly favouring or judging someone or something because of personal
preference or prejudice – Political parties were biased against women and wouldn't let them
run for office.
Bill (noun): a
document outlining a proposed new law that will be voted on by elected
representatives – Do you think the new environmental protection bill will be passed? (also
"legislation", "legislative proposal")
Bipartisan (adjective):
involving two political parties or both sides of a political division – Defense
budget increases usually get bipartisan support.
Budget (noun): a
government's stated projection on income and spending, most often over the
coming year – Couldn't the government balance the budget by spending less on
weapons and other military stuff?
Cabinet (noun): a group
of government members who have important jobs like running ministries – The prime
minister will announce the new cabinet next week.
Candidate (noun): someone
who's competing for votes in an election – How many candidates are running
in next month's election?
Capitalism (noun): an
economic system based on privately-owned businesses that have to make a profit
to survive –
If capitalism isn't regulated, the need to make a profit can lead to
mistreatment of workers, consumers and the environment.
Caucus (noun): a group
of politicians with similar aims or interests – A bipartisan congressional caucus
aims to boost trade with China.
Citizen (noun): a
person with the legal right to live in and be part of a country – If you're a
UK citizen you can get a British passport.
Civil rights (noun):
rights to equal treatment and equal opportunities regardless of one's race, gender,
sexual preference, religion, etc – Have you heard Martin Luther King's I Have a
Dream civil
rights speech?
(the) civil service (noun): government departments and the people who work for
them –
My father began his career in the civil service before shifting to
journalism. (also "the Civil Service")
Civil war (noun): a war
between different groups or regions in the same country – In the
American Civil War, southern states fought for the right to buy and sell people
and use them as slaves.
Coalition (noun): a
government made up of two or more political parties who agree to work
together –
Will your party join the governing coalition or the opposition?
Colonization (noun):
the act of invading and settling on lands that don't belong to you – For us indigenous
Australians, colonization was the worst thing that ever happened to us. (also
"to colonize" (verb) and "colonial" (adjective))
Communism (noun): a
political system in which a central government makes economic plans and fairly
distributes wealth created by workers who produce goods and services – Communism
can work in small communities, but it can become authoritarian when used to
govern an entire country.
Congress (US noun): the
body elected to govern the US at the federal level, consisting of the House of
Representatives and the Senate – Congress has approved a bill that legalizes same-sex marriage.
Conservative (adjective):
believing in traditional ideas and values rather than progressive ideas and
social change – Aren't right-wing parties more conservative than left-wing
parties?
Constitution (noun):
a document that states the principles and rules that a country's system of
government is based on – Human rights are protected in our country's constitution.
Constituent (noun):
a person who lives and votes in a particular constituency – Before the
election, our candidate got to know many of her constituents.
Consumerism (noun):
the belief that buying material things makes people happy - Is
Western-style consumerism the way of the future?
Corporate (adjective):
relating to big companies and corporations – The corporate sector uses
advertising to sell its products to consumers.
Corporation (noun):
a large company–
Corporations has to sell more and more products in order to make bigger and
bigger profits.
Corrupt (adjective):
related to corruption – Since the 2021 coup, corrupt army generals have stolen billions of
dollars.
Corruption (noun): the
dishonest or illegal use of power or authority, usually for money or
gifts –
How much money does our country lose to corruption every year?
Coup d’état or coup (noun): the illegal and often violent overthrow of government,
usually by military officers – The coup was carried out by a bunch of greedy, power-hungry
generals.
Deficit (noun): the
amount by which money earned or received is less than the amount spent or owed
in a particular period of time – If a government spends 3 trillion dollars and its income is only 2
trillion; its budget deficit is 1 trillion dollars.
Demagogue (noun): a
political leader who arouses emotions like fear, greed, anger and prejudice to
get people's support – The world's most dangerous leaders are fascist demagogues like
Hitler and Mussolini.
Democracy (noun): a
political system in which people choose their own governments by voting in free
and fair elections – Some countries are true democracies, but those with rigged
elections are fake democracies. (Also "democratic"
(adjective))
(The) Democratic Party (US noun): one of the two main political parties in the US – The
Democratic Party is more likely to adopt progressive policies than the
Republican Party. (also "the Democrats")
Democratic socialism (noun): a left-wing political philosophy that combines democracy
with a highly-regulated market economy, state-run essential services and a
state-financed welfare system – Unlike communism, democratic socialism can't produce a one-party
state.
Depression (noun): the
period in a capitalist economic cycle when many banks and companies fail,
production falls, unemployment increases and many workers fall into
poverty –
Even little kids went to bed hungry during the depression. (see
also "recession")
Dictatorship (noun):
an authoritarian government that uses force to hold onto power – At first he
was a democratically-elected demagogue, but then he banned elections and
established a dictatorship. (Note: a "dictator"
(noun) is the person who controls a dictatorship)
Diplomacy (noun): the
managing of relations between countries – Why aren't we using diplomacy instead of threats of war to resolve
our disagreements? (Note: a "diplomat" (noun) is
someone who works in the field of diplomacy)
Disinformation (noun):
deliberately false information that's used to deceive or wrongly persuade
people –
The USA used disinformation to persuade other countries to join its illegal
2003 invasion of Iraq. (Note: "misinformation" has a
similar meaning)
Domestic terrorist (noun): someone who violently attacks people or places in
their own country for political reasons – SWAT teams in heavy armour used military weapons to arrest a group
of domestic terrorists. (also "homegrown terrorist")
Draconian (adjective):
extremely strict and severe (esp of a law or punishment) – Draconian
drug laws meant kids spent years in jail for possessing a little marijuana, and
their lives were ruined.
Election (noun): a
democratic process in which people vote for politicians to represent them in a
government –
Who are you voting for in the election?
Election campaign (collocation): a series of events and advertisements in
the run-up to an election that try to persuade people to vote for a particular
politician or party – How much will the party spend on the election campaign?
Electoral college (US noun): a small group of unelected people in each US
state who elect the president and vice-president even though a nation-wide vote
has just taken place – In 2016 the electoral college gave Donald Trump the presidency
even though he'd lost the popular vote.
Empire (noun): all the
countries, colonies, overseas lands, etc that a powerful country controls after
invading or occupying them – Many countries including Canada, Australia, South Africa, Kenya
and Jamaica were claimed by the British empire after being invaded.
Endorse (verb): to
openly express support for someone or something – The
electoral board can't endorse any of the candidates before an election.
Equal rights (collocation):
the idea that people of all kinds should have the same access to things like
education, medical care, police protection, justice, etc – Prisoners,
drug users and disabled people still don't have equal rights. (also
"civil rights")
(The) establishment (noun): the most powerful and privileged group in a country,
most of whom support conservative parties and policies – In British
politics, the Tories are seen as the party of the establishment. (Also
"the Establishment")
Exploit (verb): to
treat someone or something badly in order to get some benefit for you – Workers are
still being exploited in these factories. (Also
"exploitation" (noun))
(the) far left (noun):
people of the left who believe radical or extreme forms of social, economic and
political change are needed – Some on the far left still believe in taking the revolution to the
streets. (Also "the hard left")
(the) far right (noun):
people of the right with extremely conservative views, some of whom have racist
and fascist beliefs of the sort found in Nazi Germany – These days
the far right is mostly just a bunch of boys who dress up like fascists in
order to shock their parents. (Also "the hard
right")
Fascism (noun): an
extreme right-wing dictatorial political system based on racial purity and the
violent hatred of racial and other minorities – Fascism is a vile political
system that we must stamp out forever.
Feminism (noun): a
movement for social change that aims to rid society of beliefs and traditions
that stop women from having the same rights, powers and opportunities as
men –
In many countries, feminism is still seen as a threat to traditional male
dominance.
Federal (adjective): of
a central government in a federation, as opposed to governments of individual
states –
The US federal government is made of up the legislative branch which includes
the House of Representatives and the Senate, the executive branch which
includes the President and Vice President, and the judicial branch which
includes the Supreme Court and other federal courts.
Federation (noun): a
country made up of several states that have united under a central or federal
government –
Many of the world's biggest countries are federations, including Russia and the
USA.
Fiscal (adjective):
related to public finances, including the collection of taxes and the spending
of government money – The federal government's fiscal policy caused a number of economic
problems.
Foreign relations (collocation): a country's dealings with other countries,
including establishing friendly relationships, negotiating trade deals,
arranging scientific and cultural exchanges, etc – Our
diplomats are improving foreign relations right across Asia. (also
"foreign affairs" and "international relations")
Foreign aid (noun):
assistance or help given by one country to another, including economic aid,
development projects, disaster relief, etc – How much money does your country
spend on foreign aid every year?
Foreign policy (noun):
how a country plans to further its national interests when dealing with other
countries and regions – Our foreign policy mustn't damage our relations with our neighbors.
Fundraising (noun):
trying to get people to give money to a charity or an organization – Lots of
people give money to the Greens at their fundraising dinners.
Geopolitics (noun):
the study of how a country or region fits into the global network of political
and economic alliances and rivalries – The main struggle in geopolitics now is between the West and
countries the West doesn't trust, like China and Russia.
Government (noun): those
who govern a country, state or region and make decisions about laws, taxes,
budgets, welfare funding, etc – Why does the government spend so much on foreign aid?
Head of state (noun):
a country's official leader, such as a republic's president or a monarchy's
king or queen – The UK's head of state is the king, with the prime minister being
the head of government.
(The) House of Representatives (noun): the name of the lower house in certain parliaments
like the US Congress and the Parliament of Australia – Is the House
of Representatives as powerful as the Senate?
Human rights (noun):
the rights we all have to be treated fairly and without cruelty or
injustice –
The arrest and jailing of peaceful protesters is a clear violation of their
human rights. (See also "civil rights" and
"women's rights")
Ideology (noun): a
system of beliefs, goals and ethics that form the basis of an economy, a
society, a political party, etc – Anti-capitalist ideologies claim that capitalism exploits workers,
creates inequality, and puts profits above human and environmental
health. (Also "ideological" (adjective))
Inclusive (adjective):
wanting to include people of all kinds, especially those previously excluded
from mainstream society – Ireland is much more inclusive these days. (also
"inclusivity" (noun))
Incumbent (noun): someone
holding an official position at a certain time – Most incumbents are elected for a
second term.
Independent (noun):
an elected representative who isn't a member of a political party – More
independents were elected this time than ever before.
Indigenous governance (collocation): forms of social organization, law and
diplomacy that indigenous peoples practiced, many of which were lost after
colonization – Luckily some forms of indigenous governance are still passed on by
the elders.
Inflation (noun): rising
prices –
The government's doing whatever it can to reduce inflation. (also
"inflationary' (adjective))
Issue (noun): an
important topic that people are discussing, debating or having disputes
about –
Climate change is an issue that all parties have to have a policy on.
Insurrection (noun):
a violent attempt to take power from a government – The people
who planned the insurrection were arrested and sentenced to death. (also
"uprising")
(the) judiciary (noun):
the judges and court officials that run trials and issue punishments in a
particular country – If the judiciary were independent, would they be jailing peaceful
protesters? (also "judicial" (adjective))
Junta (noun): a
military government that has taken power by force – The junta
killed thousands of protesters after staging their coup.
Justice (noun): the
fair treatment of people of all kinds – Children seem to have a natural sense of justice.
Labor (noun): work,
especially manual work – Who decides how much our labor is worth? (Note:
used in many collocations like "labor law", "labor costs",
"forced labor", "child labor", etc.)
(The) Labor Party (noun): the more left-wing of the UK's two main political
parties –
The Labor Party has always claimed to be the party of the workers. (Note:
The equivalent party in Australia is the differently-spelled "Labor
Party")
Landslide (noun): an
election victory in which the winning party wins by a very big margin – Our party
has won in a landslide!
Law and order (phrase):
a situation in which laws and the police are obeyed by nearly everyone – Political
parties often promise to improve law and order when campaigning.
Leader (noun): a
person with enough power, status or charisma to become the head of a country,
an organisation, a gang, etc. – Was the leader of your country democratically elected, and did
they take power by force?
(the) Leader of the Opposition (noun): the leader of the parties that didn't have enough
seats in parliament to form the government – The Leader of the Opposition
accused the Prime Minister of being corrupt. (also
"minority leader")
Left-wing (adjective): believing
that power and wealth should be shared fairly and that services like health
care and education should be free – Most countries in South America have left-wing governments at the
moment. (also "of the left", "leftist",
"progressive" and "liberal")
Legislation (noun):
a law or a set of laws – New legislation on the clearing of forests was passed in
parliament today. (also "to legislate" (verb) and
"legislative" (adjective))
Legislative agenda (noun): new laws that a party or politician promises to introduce – The
government's tertiary education bill was part of its legislative agenda.
Liberal (US adjective):
supporting the fair sharing of power and wealth and strong protection of human
rights, civil liberties and freedom of speech – My grandfather has become more
liberal the older he gets. (also "progressive")
Liberal democracy (noun): a democratic, market-based political system in
which human rights, civil liberties and basic freedoms are
constitutionally-protected – India, Brazil, Japan and South Africa are among the many countries
now seeing themselves as liberal democracies. (Note: don't
confuse with the idea of "social democracy" in which capitalism
gradually shifts towards socialism)
Libertarian (adjective):
believing that personal freedom should only be subject to minimal government
control –
My uncle says he's libertarian, but he does exactly what he's expected to do.
Lobby (verb): to try
to get a politician or government to do something for you, such as change a
regulation that harms your business – If we elect someone, shouldn't they put our interests ahead of the
companies that lobby them? (also "lobbyist" (noun))
Lower class (noun):
the social class that poor people with low status belong to – Lower-class
people are looked down on by just about everyone. (also
"the lower classes" and "working class")
Lower house (noun):
another name for the House of Representatives (US) or the House of Commons
(UK) –
How many parties won seats in the lower house in last year's election? (Note:
the opposite of "upper house")
Mainstream (adjective):
considered normal due to widespread acceptance in society – Why don't
mainstream media like CNN and the BBC fact-check government claims?
Market economy (noun):
an economy in which the forces of supply and demand determine prices and
wages –
We have a market economy, but the government adjusts prices and wages as
necessary. (also "free market economy")
Meritocracy (noun):
a system in which a person's talents and achievements determine their position,
income and status instead of their social class, race or gender – It's fairer
than it was fifty years ago, but it still isn't a true meritocracy.
Middle class (noun):
the social class between the lower classes and the upper classes – I'm glad I
was born into the middle class.
Midterms (short for "midterm elections") (US noun): the election of a certain number of seats
around halfway through the term of office of a president or government – The
Democrats could lose their Senate majority in the next midterms.
Military dictatorship (noun): an authoritarian government run by military
officers who took power by force – How many people has the military dictatorship tortured and killed
in order to stay in power? (also "military regime")
Moderate (adjective):
not considered extreme or unreasonable – We might get elected if we advocate moderate tax increases.
Monarchy (noun): a
country in which the head of state is a king or queen – France used
to be a monarchy, but the French Revolution put an end to that.
Nation (noun): an
individual country made up of people from one or more ethnic groups who live
together under one government – Many African nations are trading with Asia these days. (also
"nation state")
National People's Congress (noun): the national legislature and supreme state
authority of the People's Republic of China – Most of the nearly 3,000
delegates to the National People's Congress are elected by local people's
congresses.
National security (noun): a nation's efforts to protect its territory and
people –
There are better ways to protect national security than spending a fortune on
weapons.
Nationalize (verb):
to transfer a privately-owned company or industry to state ownership and
government control – The government has had to nationalize essential utilities like
water and power again.
Neoconservative (adjective): related to the militaristic conservatism adopted by
the US Republican Party from the 1980s to the 2000s that led to several failed
wars –
Why hasn't neoconservative US president George W Bush been put on trial for
starting illegal wars? (Note: often abbreviated to
"neocon")
Neo-Nazi (noun): a
member or supporter of any group that promotes white supremacy, violent attacks
on minorities or mass murder of the sort Nazi Germany committed – My brother
says he joined the neo-Nazis because he was lonely and they made him feel good
about himself.
Nominee (noun): someone
who is nominated for a political position, a job or an award of some sort – For the
first time ever the Republican Party's nominee for president is Asian.
Oligarchy (noun): a small
group of powerful people who control a country, an organization or an
industry –
She must've been put in power by the oligarchy that really runs the country. (Note:
an "oligarch" (noun) is a member of an oligarchy)
(the) opposition (noun): politicians who sit in parliament but aren't part
of the party or coalition in power – The leader of the opposition has blamed the prime minister for
wrecking the country's economy.
Oppression (noun): the
cruel and unfair treatment of people – The refugees are fleeing political oppression in their own
country. (also "oppressive" (adjective) as in
"He fled his country's oppressive rulers.")
Overthrow (verb): to
force a leader or a government to give up power – The
government was overthrown by an invading army.
Parliament (noun): all the
people elected to make or change a country's laws – The Green
Party won six seats in parliament this time.
Patriarchy (also The Patriarchy) (noun): a society or political system ruled by men – Feminists
speak about how oppressive the patriarchy has always been.
Patriotism (noun): love of
one's country and the willingness to fight and die for it – Right-wing
demagogues know how to turn feelings of patriotism into hatred of foreigners.
Patriot (noun): someone
with an extreme love of their own country, often combined with an extreme
distrust or fear of foreign countries and people – Were those
who attacked the US Capitol in 2021 loyal patriots or the brainwashed puppets
of a power-hungry demagogue?
Platform (noun): the
policies of a political party or an independent candidate, esp as expressed
during an election campaign – If a party's platform includes raising taxes, it's unlikely to win
an election.
Plutocracy (noun): a
country or government controlled by the wealthy, either directly or
indirectly –
After gaining independence from our colonial masters, we became a plutocracy
rather than a proper democracy.
Policy (noun): a plan
that a political party or a government department promises to put into
action –
The Republican Party says it's developing a new education policy.
Political correctness (noun): the effort to challenge language and acts that
express dislike or prejudice towards people of certain races, genders,
ethnicities, sexual preferences, etc. – Some conservatives see political correctness as a threat to their
right to be prejudiced.
Political science (noun): the study of politics and systems of
government –
My political science course covers comparative politics, international
relations and political theory.
Politician (noun): a
person who is elected to represent voters in a democracy – Most people
around here don't trust politicians.
Politics (noun): the
ways power is gained, held, used and lost in a particular society – We got into
politics to make the world a better place, not to make money.
Politicize (verb): to use
an event or an issue to change public opinion on a political party or politician – The gun
lobby says anyone who expresses shock at mass shootings is politicizing them to
help anti-gun politicians.
Poll (noun): a
survey in which many people are asked for their opinion on something– According to
the latest poll, over 60% of voters intend to vote for the opposition party.
Polling booth (noun):
a place in which people can cast their vote in an election– Privacy is
ensured in a polling booth, so nobody will know who you've voted for.
Populism (noun): a
political movement that targets the votes of ordinary working people by using
emotive language and pretending to share their pain and frustration – A
billionaire got elected by using the tricks of populism to convince millions of
workers that he was one of them.
Populist (adjective):
related to politicians who claim to share the frustrations and anger of
ordinary workers in order to get their votes – Populist politicians can turn a
crowd of normal people into an angry mob. (also
"populist" (noun) means someone who uses populist techniques to win
votes)
Prejudice (noun): a
deep-seated bias against, and dislike of, a particular group of people, most
often based on their race, ethnicity or sexual preference – Where did
this prejudice against people with dark skin come from in the first place?
President (noun): the
political leader and head of state of a republic – The French
president is meeting the British prime minister next month.
Prime minister (noun):
the person who leads a parliamentary government – The prime
minister lost the support of her own party, so they replaced her with another
one.
Private enterprise (noun): an economic system in which privately-owned
companies create and market products and services in order to make a
profit –
Private enterprise works best if regulations prevent companies from exploiting
their workers, damaging the environment and minimizing their taxes. (also
"free enterprise")
Privatize (verb): to sell
a government-owned company and allow it to become a profit-seeking
privately-owned company – After the government privatized our state-owned power plants,
electricity prices went way up.
Progressive (adjective):
promoting changes in society that make life better and fairer for
everyone –
The Greens always have the most progressive policies. (see
"liberal")
Propaganda (noun): biased
information that's meant to make a country, government or political system seem
better or worse than it really is – Authoritarian governments use state media to spread their
propaganda.
Public opinion (noun):
the opinions and views of the majority of people in a particular society – If your
policies don't take public opinion into account, you won't win the election.
Racism (noun): the
belief that people of some races are better than those of other races – Can we
really understand the pain that racism causes if we haven't experienced it
ourselves? (also "racial prejudice")
Ratify (verb): to make
an agreement official by signing a document or voting to confirm it – The trade
deal wasn't ratified until each country's leader had signed it.
Reactionary (adjective):
highly conservative and automatically reacting against progressive change in
society –
My uncle bored everyone to death with all his reactionary nonsense.
Rebel (verb): to
oppose or reject something you're expected to support – Some mps are
rebelling against their party's tax cuts. (also
"rebel" (noun), as in "James was a young rebel who often got
into trouble.")
Real wages (noun): the
true value of wages in terms of what you can buy with the money you've
earned –
If inflation rises but your wages don't, your real wages fall even if you're
getting as much as before.
Recession (noun): a
period when a country's economy does badly, with falling productivity and
rising unemployment – I lost my job during the recession and couldn't even pay my
rent. (also see "depression")
Referendum (noun): a
national poll in which everyone can vote on an important issue such as a
constitutional change – Have you thought about which way you'll vote in the referendum?
Reform (noun): a
change that improves an existing situation, such as a legal reform, educational
reform, economic reform, etc. – Left-wing people want taxation reform that increases the tax that
big companies pay.
Representative (noun):
a person who's chosen or elected by one or more people to make choices or act
for them –
The candidate that most of us voted for is our new representative. (see
also "House of Representatives")
Republic (noun): a
country with an elected head of state, usually a president – The referendum
shows that most of us want to live in a republic instead of a monarchy.
Republican Party (noun): the more conservative or right-wing of the two
main political parties in the US – The Republican Party usually gets more votes in rural areas than
the Democratic Party. (also "the GOP")
Revolution (noun): a
successful uprising by many people that overthrows a political or economic
system and replaces it with their preferred system – The
communist revolution in Cuba overthrew the right-wing government established
after the coup in 1952.
Rig (verb): to make
something like an election, a sporting event or an exam unfair by giving one
side or one person an unfair advantage – After losing, the former president falsely claimed the election
was rigged.
(the) right (noun):
conservative political parties or people who oppose progressive reforms – Which group
wants taxes for the rich increased, the left or the right?
Right-wing (adjective): of
conservative people and organizations that oppose regulating business, giving
welfare to the poor, reforming institutions, etc. – Which news
organizations are the most right-wing?
Run for office (phrase):
to join a list of electoral candidates and campaign for votes – I ran for
office because I wanted to make things better.
Safety net (noun): help
that a government gives to people in difficulty, including housing for the
poor, medical care for the sick and financial help for the unemployed – Luckily our
country has a good safety net for those who need it.
Seat (noun): a
position in something like a house of parliament, a company board, a jury,
etc. –
How many seats did your party win in the last election? (Note:
in politics, there are seats in parliament, in Congress, in the House of
Representatives, in The Senate, etc.)
Senate (noun): the
upper house of the two-house parliament in countries like the US, France, the
Philippines, Brazil and Argentina – Legislation has to be passed by the senate before it becomes law.
Senator (noun): a
member of a senate – Julia has been a senator since 2020.
Social justice (noun):
the idea that everyone should have the same rights and opportunities regardless
of their class, race, religion, gender or sexuality – Social
justice legislation has begun to reduce inequality for some groups. (Note:
a "social justice warrior" is someone who fights for social justice)
Social welfare (noun):
support that a government provides to people in need – Countries
that spend lots of money on social welfare are sometimes called welfare states.
Socialism (noun): a
political and economic system that ensures that a country’s wealth is shared
fairly and that essential services are provided by the government instead of
profit-seeking companies – Is socialism fairer than capitalism?
State (noun): 1. A country
and its government's administration 2. One region of a country with its own
state legislature, laws and elected representatives – One of the
world's most powerful states1 is the United States2 of
America.
(the) State Duma (noun): the lower house of the two-house Federal Assembly
of Russia –
All the elected members of the State Duma serve for a period of five years.
Statesman (noun): an
experienced political leader who is respected for his understanding and
wisdom –
We desperately need more great statesmen like Nelson Mandela. (Note:
the female equivalent is "stateswoman")
Strike (noun): a time
during which workers stop working to force employers to improve their pay or
working conditions – Railway workers are going on strike next week if they don't get a
pay rise.
Surplus (noun): a
situation in which a government spends less than the amount it receives as
revenue during a certain period – This year's surplus will help reduce the deficit that's built up
over the years.
Terrorism (noun): the use
of extreme violence such as shooting and bombing to achieve political
goals –
Terrorism of the sort that the US experienced on September 11 is very
unusual. (Note: a "terrorist" is someone who's
involved in terrorism)
Trade union (noun):
an organization of workers that tries to improve members' pay and working
conditions –
Right-wing governments often pass laws that limit the power of trade
unions. (also "union")
(the) Treasury (noun):
a government department that takes care of public money and oversees taxation,
treasury accounts and national budgets – One of the Treasury's jobs is to produce and issue the nation's
banknotes and coins.
Tyranny (noun): a
brutal government that uses violence and fear to control its own people – The people
couldn't stand living under a tyranny any longer. (Note: a
"tyrant" is the person who controls a tyrannical state)
Unemployed (adjective):
out of work, or not having a job – My brother has been unemployed for months.
Unionize (verb): to
organize a group of workers doing the same type of work into a trade
union –
The government made it illegal for workers to unionize.
(the) United States Capitol (noun): the building in Washington, D.C. in which the US
Congress meets – I could hardly believe it when the United States Capitol was
attacked by the president's own supporters. (also "The
Capitol" or "the Capitol Building")
Upper class (noun):
the social class with the highest status and the most money and power – He speaks
like someone from the upper class, but he's really from the working
class. (Note: the opposite of "lower class" or
"working class")
Upper house (noun):
the smaller house of a two-house parliament, often called the Senate, that
reviews legislation passed by the lower house – Did you know the UK has an
unelected upper house called the House of Lords?
Veto (verb): to use
official power or authority to stop something from happening – In some
countries the head of state can veto legislation.
Vote (verb): to show
which person you want to win an election, most often by marking a piece of
paper or using a voting machine – Have you decided who you're going to vote for in the election yet?(also
"vote" (noun) as in "How many votes did the Liberal Party win
by?")
Wedge issue (US
noun): a divisive issue that a political party uses to draw supporters from
another party – The Republican Party has made gun control a wedge issue to attract
traditional Democrat voters.
Welfare state (noun):
a state that takes care of the welfare of its citizens by providing free health
care, free education and benefits to the elderly, the disabled, the unemployed
and others needing support – People in welfare states like Sweden and Norway don't have much to
worry about, do they?
Western (adjective): of
European countries and places that Europeans took from indigenous people, such
as the USA, Canada and Australia – Even though they're in Asia, settler Australians say they live in
a Western country. (also "The West")
(the) White House (noun): a building in Washington D.C. in which US
presidents live and work while in office – The West Wing of the White House
is where the US president's "Oval Office" is located.
White privilege (noun):
the privileges that white people in some countries have simply because of their
skin colour – Racism will continue until the reality of white privilege is
acknowledged.
White supremacy (noun):
the racist belief that white people are superior to black people and should
have power over them – White kids are being targeted by websites promoting white
supremacy. (also "white supremacist" (noun) as in
"Have you ever met a white supremacist?")
Women's rights (noun):
rights for women that are equal to those of men, including equal pay – Our panel on
women's rights will discuss equal educational and employment opportunities for
women.
(the) working class (noun): people from the lowest and least powerful social
class, most of whom have low-paying jobs and don't own property – In Britain,
most punk bands were from the working class. (also "lower
class" and "the proletariat")
Xenophobia (noun): a
strong dislike or fear of people from other countries, including
immigrants –
He says he's patriotic, but it's more like xenophobia. (also
"xenophobic" (adjective) as in "White supremacists are
xenophobic.")
#politicalterms #politics #literaryterms #political_terms
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