Unit Two Vocabulary Flashcards
constituency
A geographical area that an elected official represents
first past the post
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.
initiative
A national vote called by members of the public to address a specific proposal.
mixed electoral system
An electoral system that uses a combination of single-member districts and proportional representation.
multimember district (MMD)
a political district with more than one representative.
parliamentary system
A political system in which the roles of head of state and head of government are assigned to separate executive offices.
presidential system
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.
proportional representation (PR)
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.
referendum
a national vote called by a government to address a specific proposal, often a change to the constitution.
republicanism
Indirect democracy that emphasizes the separation of powers within a state and the representation of the public through elected officials.
single-member district (SMD)
An electoral district with one seat
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 prime minister and/or lead to new parliamentary elections.
intergovernmental system
A system in which two or more countries cooperate on issues.
supranational system
An intergovernmental system with its own sovereign powers over member states
European Union
a supranational political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe.
Schengen Area
a zone where 26 European countries, abolished their internal borders, for the free and unrestricted movement of people
European Single Market
a unified trading territory that functions without the border regulations and tariffs which typically apply to trade between countries.
Member of Parliament (MP)
An individual legislator in the House of Commons
Brexit
British exit from the European Union, realized in a 2016 referendum.
collective responsibility
Traditions that requires all members of the cabinet either to support government policy or to resign.
Collective Consensus
Postwar consensus between the United Kingdom’s major parties to build and sustain a welfare state.
Euroskeptic
People opposed to expansion of the EU’s power.
Conservatives (Tories)
One the United Kingdom’s two largest parties; in government since 2010
Third-way
Term describing recent policies of the Labour Party that embrace the free market
Labour Party
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.
Common Law
Legal system based on custom and precedent rather than formal legal codes.
Magna Carta
The 1215 document signed by King John that set the precedent for limited monarchial powers.
Good Friday Agreement
Historic 1998 accord between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland that ended decades of violence.
Peers
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.
Quangos
Quasi-autonomous nongovernmental organizations that assist the government in making policy.
Celtic Fringe
Refers to Scotland and Wales, which were not conquered by the Angles and Saxons
