Key Terms Flashcards
define civil service
individuals who are employed by the government
give examples of new media
the internet and social media
define a post holder
a formal person with a particular job
define rights
a right is something we are entitled to by law
define direct democracy
where the people are directly involved on a decision by voting
define human rights
basic rights and freedoms which all people are entitled to
define taxation
the way in which the government finances some of its spending by imposing charges on citizens and corporations
define commonwealth
an international organisation between the UK and other countries who use to be a part of the British empire
define coalition
an agreement between political parties to form a government when no party has won the majority
define active citizenship
participating in society to bring about change
define local government
a system of government that operates at a local level providing services to its community
define the monarchy
a form of government in which a king or queen reigns as the head of state.
define justice
the fairness as a result of the application of a law, usually by a judge in society
define immigration
the process of people moving from one country to another to settle (live and work)
define UN
an international organisation composing of most countries in the world which aims to promote peace, security and international cooperation. We are a permanent member of the security council so we can veto any decision
define interest group
an organisation which tries to influence the government to change certain policies on particular issues
define British values
a set of standards which reflects the ideas of British society
define multiculturalism
the co-existence of different ethnic races, cultures or religions
define house of commons
a part of parliament where 650 members of parliament are elected. This is where laws are debated.
define house of lords
a part of parliament where members are not elected where life peers and hereditary peers scrutinise the bills made in the house of lords
define legislature
the law making body of parliament
define juries
a group of local people who are chosen randomly to make a decision in a legal case
define executive
a branch of the government, which is responsible for putting law or decisions into effect
define general election
the election that takes place to appoint a new government every 5 years
define localism
where people in a particular local area are able to make decisions about policies which affect their local area
define pressure group
a group of citizens who work together to influence the government on a certain issue
define trade unions
a group of workers in the same trade or profession who have joined together to protect their rights
define civil law
law that deals with disputes between individuals or groups. there are civil courts that awards money payments
define police
an official state organisation which is responsible for maintaining public order by preventing and detecting crime
define active citizen
a person who actively takes responsibility, becomes involved in areas of public concern and tries to make a difference
define judiciary
a branch of state that is responsible of enforcing the law. these consist judges and other legal officials
define parliament
the institution of government in the UK. It comprises of three parts: The house of commons, the house of lords and the monarch
define citizenship
being a citizen of a country and having the rights and responsibility of that state.
define volunteering
when one person gives their own time to help others without being paid
define responsibilities
a duty that we are expected to do as a citizen of a country
define common law
law made by the decisions of judges over the years
what does NATO stand for?
north Atlantic treaty organisation
define censorship
where by the government controls information or ideas within a society
define society
the people living together in an ordered community
give examples of mass/traditional media
television, radio and printed media which can reach a large number of people
define NATO
an international military defence organisation comprising of different countries who work together to try and settle disputes amongst nations
define campaigning
actions or events organised by an individual or a group of people to achieve an aim
define demonstartion
a public meeting or march protesting against a specific issue
define charities
organisations which are set up to help those in need. The term also has a legal status as charities are registered with the government to revive tax benefits
define Representative democracy
when the citizens of a country elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf
define advocacy
representing or supporting a person or an organisation by writing speaking or taking action on behalf of that person/ organisation
define prime minister
the head of government
define a by-election
an election when a post holder dies or resigns between elections
define government
the individuals who win the general election
define voter apathy
when a lot of people decide not to vote in an election
define referendum
a general vote by the electorate on a single issue which has been referred to them as a direct decision
define first past the post
a voting system where there are a number of constituencies have a candidate who the public vote for. Whoever wins the constituency will represent their views in the house of commons
define WTO (world trade organisation)
an international organisation which deals with the global rules of trade between nations
define equal opertunities
allowing all people to access the same possibilities no matter race, sexuality, gender or disability
define multiple identities
when an individual is able to assume a range of different identities. These identities may clash
define lobbying
a person or group of people meeting or taking action to try and persuade a politician to take up their cause
define public spending
the money spent by the state
define migration
the movement of people between different countries
define criminal law
law which deals with individuals who break the law, and which punishes offenders because they have broken laws that parliament has stated we must all obey
define the council of Europe
an international organisation founded in 1949, which encourages European countries to cooperate with each other. It is a separate organisation to the EU and the European Court of Human Rights is a well know body within the council of Europe
define the media
a means of communication
define sentencing
the process of giving a punishment to a person found guiltily in a court case
define petition
a formal, written request, usually signed by many people, which appeals to the authorities to bring about change in regards to a particular issue
define the EU
an economic and political union where a number of European countries work closely together
define democracy
a system of beliefs where the citizens have a say in how the country is run
define devolution
a transfer of power form a larger body to a smaller body
