Unit Two Vocabulary

Question 1

constituency

Answer 1

A geographical area that an elected official represents

Question 2

first past the post

Answer 2

An electoral system in which individual candidates compete in single-member districts; voters choose between candidates and the candidate with the largest share of the vote wins the seat.

Question 3

initiative

Answer 3

A national vote called by members of the public to address a specific proposal.

Question 4

mixed electoral system

Answer 4

An electoral system that uses a combination of single-member districts and proportional representation.

Question 5

multimember district (MMD)

Answer 5

a political district with more than one representative.

Question 6

parliamentary system

Answer 6

A political system in which the roles of head of state and head of government are assigned to separate executive offices.

Question 7

presidential system

Answer 7

the President is both the chief executive of the government and the head of state. The President oversees the executive branch of government, which includes the cabinet, or heads of various executive departments, and various administrative bureaus and agencies.

Question 8

proportional representation (PR)

Answer 8

An electoral system in which political parties compete in multimember districts; voters choose between parties and the seats in the district are awarded proportionally according to the results of the vote.

Question 9

referendum

Answer 9

a national vote called by a government to address a specific proposal, often a change to the constitution.

Question 10

republicanism

Answer 10

Indirect democracy that emphasizes the separation of powers within a state and the representation of the public through elected officials.

Question 11

single-member district (SMD)

Answer 11

An electoral district with one seat

Question 12

vote of no confidence

Answer 12

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 prime minister and/or lead to new parliamentary elections.

Question 13

intergovernmental system

Answer 13

A system in which two or more countries cooperate on issues.

Question 14

supranational system

Answer 14

An intergovernmental system with its own sovereign powers over member states

Question 15

European Union

Answer 15

a supranational political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe.

Question 16

Schengen Area

Answer 16

a zone where 26 European countries, abolished their internal borders, for the free and unrestricted movement of people

Question 17

European Single Market

Answer 17

a unified trading territory that functions without the border regulations and tariffs which typically apply to trade between countries.

Question 18

Member of Parliament (MP)

Answer 18

An individual legislator in the House of Commons

Question 19

Brexit

Answer 19

British exit from the European Union, realized in a 2016 referendum.

Question 20

collective responsibility

Answer 20

Traditions that requires all members of the cabinet either to support government policy or to resign.

Question 21

Collective Consensus

Answer 21

Postwar consensus between the United Kingdom’s major parties to build and sustain a welfare state.

Question 22

Euroskeptic

Answer 22

People opposed to expansion of the EU’s power.

Question 23

Conservatives (Tories)

Answer 23

One the United Kingdom’s two largest parties; in government since 2010

Question 24

Third-way

Answer 24

Term describing recent policies of the Labour Party that embrace the free market

Question 25

Labour Party

Answer 25

a political party in the United Kingdom that has been described as an alliance of social democrats, democratic socialists and trade unionists. The party sits on the centre-left of the political spectrum.

Question 26

Common Law

Answer 26

Legal system based on custom and precedent rather than formal legal codes.

Question 27

Magna Carta

Answer 27

The 1215 document signed by King John that set the precedent for limited monarchial powers.

Question 28

Good Friday Agreement

Answer 28

Historic 1998 accord between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland that ended decades of violence.

Question 29

Peers

Answer 29

The peerages in the United Kingdom are a legal system comprising both hereditary and lifetime titles, composed of various noble ranks, and forming a constituent part of the British honors system.

Question 30

Quangos

Answer 30

Quasi-autonomous nongovernmental organizations that assist the government in making policy.

Question 31

Celtic Fringe

Answer 31

Refers to Scotland and Wales, which were not conquered by the Angles and Saxons