Theme B - Democracy at Work in the UK Flashcards
canvassing
when people try to persuade others to vote for them in an election
constituency
the area represented by an MP
direct democracy
a form of democracy in which everyone votes on every situation through referendums
First Past The Post (FPTP)
an electoral system where voters have one vote in their constituency and the candidate with the most votes wins
General Election
an election for a new Government.
In the UK these take place at least every 5 years
hustings
a meeting at which candidates in an election speak to the voters
referendum
a vote by the whole electorate on a particular issue
representative democracy
a form of democracy in which people elect a representative to make decisions for them
Proportional Representation (PR)
an electoral system in which the number of seats a party wins is roughly proportional to its share of the votes in an election
closed-list system
a form of PR in which a party puts forward a list of candidates in the order that they will be elected
MEP
Member of the European Parliament
MP
Member of Parliament
back benchers
MPs who do not hold office in the Government or Opposition - they sit on the back benches in the House of Commons - they are not in the Cabinet or Shadow Cabinet
Cabinet
a group of MPs who head major Government departments - it meets weekly to make decisions about how government policy will be carried out. Senior Ministers from the House of Lords are also represented
coalition
a government made of more than one party. It is formed when no one party has enough seats to form a government.
