Law and Politics: English Vocabulary List

the legislative body of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives

"The Congress met today."

"Congress debated the new law for hours before reaching a decision."

a group of elected people who govern a city, town, etc.

"The council voted on the issue."

"The council met to discuss local transport and public services."

the job, skill, or act of managing the relationships between different countries

"The crisis was resolved through quiet diplomacy."

"The conflict was resolved through careful diplomacy rather than military action between the two nations."

the process in which people choose a person or group of people for a position, particularly a political one, through voting

"The presidential election is held every four years."

"The national election will take place on the first Tuesday of November this year."

to choose a person for a specific job, particularly a political one, by voting

"The citizens elect their representatives."

"The citizens will elect their new mayor in the upcoming election scheduled for next month."

the government of a city or town and not of a country

"Local government handles services."

"The local government decided to build a new public library after residents submitted a petition with over three thousand signatures supporting the project."

a person who is in charge of a state, region, or territory

"The governor visited the school."

"The governor announced a new regional plan for the area."

someone who is elected to be the head of a town or city

"The mayor leads the city."

"The mayor is the elected head of a municipal government"

related to or involving the governance of a country or territory

"The debate is political."

"The political debate on television lasted for two hours and was very heated and intense."

the act of making someone suffer because they have done something illegal or wrong

"The punishment was very harsh."

"The judge decided that the punishment for the crime was not severe enough to deter future offenders."

to officially forbid a particular action, item, or practice

"The city will ban plastic bags."

"The city council voted to ban single use plastic bags in an effort to reduce environmental pollution."

to unlawfully and intentionally kill another human being

"The suspect planned to murder his rival."

"The suspect was charged with attempting to murder his neighbor after a long standing dispute over the property line."

to cause someone suffering for breaking the law or having done something they should not have

"Parents must punish bad behavior appropriately."

"Parents should punish their children appropriately when they misbehave but physical violence is never an acceptable response."

someone who steals something from a person or place without using violence or threats

"The thief escaped."

"The thief was caught on security camera but his face was covered by a hood making identification difficult for the police investigation."

an official meeting where a group of people discuss a certain matter, which often continues for days

"The conference was useful."

"The medical conference brought together thousands of doctors and researchers who shared findings about the latest treatments for various diseases."

an amount of money given by law to the close relatives of a murdered victim

"The blood money was paid."

"The story described blood money as payment for a terrible crime."

to release someone from captivity or arrest

"Animal rights activists free the caged animals."

"The animal rights activists worked hard to free the dolphins from the small and dirty swimming pool."

the punishment of killing a criminal, which is officially ordered by a court

"The death penalty is controversial."

"The death penalty is a state-sanctioned execution of a person as a punishment for a crime"

a set of ideas and activities involved in governing a country, state, or city

"Politics can be complicated."

"Politics affects how a country is run and how public money is spent."

someone who is competing in an election or for a job position

"She is the leading candidate for the job."

"The presidential candidate gave a passionate speech about creating more jobs for the working class."

a line that separates two countries, provinces, or states from each other

"They crossed the border yesterday."

"The soldiers guarded the national border carefully to prevent anyone from crossing without a valid passport or official permission."

the legislative body of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives

"Congress meets in Washington."

"The new legislation was debated extensively in Congress before its final passage."

(in the US) one of the areas into which a state is divided and has a local government of its own

"The county is large."

"The county government is responsible for maintaining local roads managing public parks and operating the county jail and courthouse."

the place in which legal proceedings are conducted

"The case went to court."

"The judge presided over the proceedings in the high court of justice."

the ambassador and the staff who represent their government in a foreign country

"The embassy is downtown."

"He went to the embassy to renew his passport because his old one had expired and he needed to travel internationally for work next month."

the group of politicians in control of a country or state

"The government made a new rule."

"The government announced new policies aimed at reducing unemployment including tax breaks for small businesses that hire local workers."

a country's rules that all of its citizens are required to obey

"Everyone must follow law."

"The new law was passed by parliament to protect the environment and reduce pollution in major cities."

the group of elected representatives whose responsibility is to create, amend, and discuss laws or address political matters

"Parliament met yesterday."

"Parliament debated the budget and voted late into the night."

an official political group with shared beliefs, goals, and policies aiming to be a part of or form a government

"The party won the vote."

"The Green Party advocates for environmental protection and sustainable policies, aiming to influence government decisions."

the leader of a country that has no king or queen

"The president gave a speech."

"The president addressed the nation regarding the economic challenges facing the country."

a society's ordinary people

"The public wants answers."

"The new policy was met with mixed reactions from the public, with many expressing concerns about its potential impact."

a thing that someone is legally, officially, or morally allowed to do or have

"Everyone has the right to speak."

"The defendant claimed his right to remain silent during the police interrogation."

(of law enforcement agencies) to take a person away because they believe that they have done something illegal

"Police arrest the criminal suspect today."

"The police managed to arrest the thief after a short chase through the city streets."

one of the political areas with limited law-making abilities that together form a federal country, like those of Germany or the US

"The state is large."

"Each state in the United States has its own laws regarding education and transportation while federal laws apply to the entire country."

to do a particular thing that is unlawful or wrong

"He did not commit a crime."

"It is imperative that individuals do not commit any acts of vandalism or violence."

to get away from captivity

"The prisoner tried to escape."

"The prisoner tried to escape by digging a tunnel under the prison wall but was caught before he could get out."

to try to find the truth about a crime, accident, etc. by carefully examining its facts

"The police will investigate the crime."

"Detectives will investigate the suspicious circumstances surrounding the sudden disappearance of the valuable artifact from the museum."

to control and be in charge of a country

"The king ruled for many years."

"The ancient king ruled his kingdom with an iron fist for over forty years until his death."

to show which candidate one wants to win in an election or which plan one supports, by marking a piece of paper, raising one's hand, etc.

"Citizens vote for their leaders."

"Citizens over the age of eighteen have the right to vote in national elections and choose their political representatives."

an official announcement regarding something specific

"Read the statement carefully."

"The company issued a public statement clarifying their position on the recent allegations."

a piece of cloth with a mark or pattern that stands for a country, organization, etc.

"The flag was waving."

"We raised the flag outside the building before the ceremony."

related to or involving illegal activities

"It was criminal."

"The police are investigating a series of criminal activities that have been plaguing the downtown area for weeks."

a person who does or is involved in an illegal activity

"The criminal has a long record."

"The criminal has a long record and has been convicted of theft assault and drug possession."