Hi! My name is Alexia and I study at Cégep du Vieux Montréal. I have been studying Social Sciences, in Actions for change profile, for two semesters. I created this Political Science Glossary, that contains 20 terms, to make politics more accessible for people who want to learn more about it and to discover specific terms related to this field.
activist
noun
a person who campaigns to bring about political or social change.
Example: This climate ACTIVIST is calling for a great and fast ecological transition.
fr: activiste, militant
citizen
noun
a legally recognized subject or national of a state or commonwealth, either native or naturalized.
Example: A CITIZEN has the right to vote.
fr: citoyen
Constitution
noun
a body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed.
Example: The Canadian CONSTITUTION came into operation in 1867.
fr: Constitution
democracy
noun
a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.
Example: Capitalism and DEMOCRACY are ascendant in the third world.
fr: démocratie
disinformation
noun
false information which is intended to mislead, especially propaganda issued by a government organization to a rival power or the media.
Example: The USA used DISINFORMATION to persuade other countries to join its illegal 2003 invasion of Iraq.
fr: désinformation
election
noun
a formal and organized choice by vote of a person for a political office or other position.
Example: There are three big cultural issues of this ELECTION : guns, abortion and gay rights.
fr: élection
ideology
noun
a system of ideas and ideals, especially one which forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy.
Example: This position seems quite incompatible with a political IDEOLOGY that claims ethical and moral superiority.
fr: idéologie
issue
noun
an important topic or problem for debate or discussion.
Example: The ISSUE of global warming has to be taken seriously.
fr: problème, enjeu
left-wing
adjective
advocating for or taking measures to promote greater social and economic equality, and typically favoring socially liberal ideas; liberal or progressive.
Example: This may have contributed to a greater feeling of despondency and apathy among LEFT-WING voters, who may have resorted to abstention.
fr: de gauche
lobby
noun
a group of people seeking to influence politicians or public officials on a particular issue.
Example: In contrast, the environmental LOBBY with limited funds, donated $1.9 million in the same period, 88% of which went to Democrats.
fr: lobby, groupe de pression
opposition
noun
resistance or dissent, expressed in action or argument; the principal political party opposed to the one in office.
Example: There was considerable OPPOSITION to the proposal.
fr: opposition
partisanship
noun
prejudice in favor of a particular cause; bias.
Example: Clearly, in the 2004 election party identification and PARTISANSHIP played a large part for many voters; especially in an election where the traditional values of each party were highlighted in both campaigns.
fr: partisanerie
platform
noun
the declared policy of a political party or group.
Example: Their electoral PLATFORM was incomplete.
fr: plateforme
power
noun
the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events.
Example: The government has the POWER to stop the strike.
fr: pouvoir
referendum
noun
a general vote by the electorate on a single political question that has been referred to them for a direct decision.
Example: Even the credit for the REFERENDUM on reform of the electoral system can be put down to the effectiveness of the Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform.
fr: référendum
right-wing
adjective
advocating for or taking measures to promote free enterprise and private ownership, and typically favoring socially traditional ideas; conservative.
Example: Steward describes a time in which she could not meet an activist from an anti-racist organization at his office for fear of arson attacks from nearby extreme RIGHT-WING groups.
fr: de droite
seat
noun
a place in an elected legislative or other body.
Example: He won his SEAT by two votes.
fr: siège
society
noun
the community of people living in a particular country or region and having shared customs, laws, and organizations.
Example: Without these 'enforcers' of the will of the governement, SOCIETY would be in complete disarray.
fr: société
state
noun
a nation or territory considered as an organized political community under one government.
Example: Within this context, decentralisation could be a way of devolving away some of the STATE's power and allocate it within the civil society.
fr: État
vote
noun
a formal indication of a choice between two or more candidates or courses of action, expressed typically through a ballot or a show of hands or by voice.
Example: She decided to give her VOTE to the Green Party.
