UK Case Study Vocab Flashcards
Tony Blair
Labour prime minister from 1997 to 2007
Brexit
British exit from the European Union, realized in a 2016 referendum
cabinet
The appointed officials who serve the executive in overseeing the various state bureaucracies
David Cameron
Conservative prime minister from 2010 to 2016, resigned following the Brexit referendum, which he campaigned against
Celtic fringe
Refers to Scotland and Wales, which were not conquered by the Angles and Saxons.
collective responsibility
Tradition that requires all members of the cabinet either to support government policy or resign.
collectivist consensus
Postwar consensus between the United Kingdom’s major parties to build and sustain a welfare state.
common law
Legal system based on local customs and precedent rather than formal legal codes.
Commonwealth
Organization that includes the United Kingdom and most of its former colonies.
Confederation of British Industry (CBI)
The United Kingdom’s most important group representing the private sector.
Conservatives (Tories)
One of the United Kingdom’s largest two parties; in government from 2010 to 2024.
Jeremy Corbyn
Leader of the opposition Labour Party from 2015 to 2020.
Crown
Refers to the British monarchy and sometimes to the British state; head of state.
English Civil War
17th-century conflict between Parliament and the monarch that temporarily eliminated and permanently weakened the monarchy.
Nigel Farage
Outspoken leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) until 2016 and member of the European Parliament.
Good Friday Agreement
Historic 1998 accord between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland that ended decades of violence.
hereditary peers
Aristocratic family members with seats in the House of Lords; these seats were largely eliminated with recent legislation
House of Commons
Lower house of the UK legislature.
House of Lords
Upper house of the UK legislature, whose reform is currently being debated.
hung parliament
An election result in which no party wins a majority of parliamentary seats, such as the 2010 and 2017 British elections.
Boris Johnson
Former British prime minister and member of the Conservative party who was instrumental in the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union.
Labour Party
One of the United Kingdom’s two largest parties; since 2024, it has been the party of His Majesty’s Government.
Liberal Democratic Party
Centrist third party in the United Kingdom and junior member of a coalition government from 2010 to 2015.
Liberals (Whigs)
Historically, the United Kingdom’s first opposition party; one of its two major political parties until the early 20th century.
life peers
Distinguished members of society who are given lifetime appointments to the House of Lords.
Magna Carta
The 1215 document signed by King John that set the precedent for limited monarchial powers.
majoritarian
Term describing the virtually unchecked power of a parliamentary majority in the UK political system.
Theresa May
Prime minister of the United Kingdom and leader of the Conservative Party from 2016 to 2019.
Member of Parliament (MP)
An individual legislator in the House of Commons.
neoliberalism
A set of policies championed by Thatcher’s Conservative Government in the 1980s, aimed at diminishing the role of the state in the economy.
Northern Ireland
Northeastern portion of Ireland that is part of the United Kingdom; also known as Ulster.
Parliament
Name of the UK legislature.
prime minister
Head of government
quangos
Quasi-autonomous nongovernmental organizations that assist the government in making policy
Scottish National Party (SNP)
Nationalist political party promoting Scottish independence, currently in control of the Scottish regional government.
Margaret Thatcher
Conservative prime minister from 1979 to 1990
The Troubles
Name given to three decades of extreme ethnic conflict (late 1960s to late 1990s) between Northern Ireland’s nationalists or republicans, who are mostly Catholic, and unionists or loyalists, who are mostly Protestants.
Third Way
Term describing recent policies of the Labour Party that embrace the free market.
Trades Union Congress (TUC)
A confederation of the UK’s largest trade unions.
United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP)
Populist and Europskeptic political party favoring British exit from the European Union.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Official name of the British state.
vote of no confidence
Vote taken by a legislature as to whether its members continue to support the current prime minister; depending on the country, a vote of no confidence can force the resignation of the PM and/or lead to new parliamentary elections.
