Terms to UK History Flashcards
MP
A member of Parliament (in the house of Commons)
Plurality of votes
More votes than the others
Majority of votes
More than 50% of the votes
Representative government
The people in the government are chosen by the people to make descisions in their behalf.
Constitution
The set of laws and principles under which the United Kingdom is governed.
Constitutional monarchy
A form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified, or blended constitution.
Parliamentary democracy
The political power is held by an elected parliament representing the people.
Constituency
Each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly.
Electorate
The voters
General election
Elections must be held every five years
Election campaign
Election in each constituency. They travel around. Also TV-debates. Lasts for at least 3 weeks.
Election day
The day the people vote for their chosen representatives. Always on a Thursday. Voting by post, counting by hand. Polling stations open.
First-past-the-post system
Name for the situation when after an election no political party has an overall majority in the UK House of Commons = Plurality of votes
Wasted votes
A wasted vote may be defined in two different ways:
Proportional representation
A concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. Proportional Representation means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received.
