Talking about Politics: English Vocabulary List

a type of politics that purports to represent the opinions and desires of ordinary people in order to gain their support

"Populism appeals to ordinary people's concerns."

"The candidate's populism appealed to working-class voters who felt ignored by wealthy elites and forgotten by the political establishment."

the doctrine of absolute governmental power

"Totalitarianism is when the state has total control over life."

"Totalitarianism is a dictatorial political system where the government recognizes no limits to its authority"

involving the cooperation or agreement of two political parties, especially those usually opposed to each other, to achieve a common goal or outcome

"The bill has bipartisan support."

"The bipartisan bill passed with overwhelming support from both political parties and was signed into law by the president last week."

a party meeting to discuss policy or select candidates

"The party caucus met to choose their candidate for the race."

"Party members gathered in a local caucus to discuss which candidate they would support in the upcoming primary election."

the scientific study of elections, including the analysis of voting patterns, behavior, and electoral systems, to understand and predict political outcomes

"He studies psephology."

"Psephology is the quantitative social science of analyzing election results"

the political propaganda, especially in the form of art, literature, or media, used to promote a particular ideology, cause, or political agenda

"The old posters were agitprop designed to stir political feelings."

"The government used agitprop films to spread revolutionary ideas among the population."

the practice of pushing a dangerous situation or confrontation to the edge of disaster, often with the intention of achieving a specific outcome

"The nuclear brinkmanship of the Cold War scared the whole world."

"Brinkmanship is the diplomatic strategy of pushing a dangerous situation to the edge of disaster to force an opponent to back down and concede to one's demands."

the advocacy or support of government according to constitutional principles

"Constitutionalism means that government power must be limited by law."

"Constitutionalism is the political doctrine that a government's authority is derived from and strictly limited by a fundamental charter"

a coded message intended to be understood by a particular group while remaining unnoticed or ambiguous to others

"The politician used a dog whistle phrase to appeal to some voters."

"His speech contained a dog whistle that only certain groups could understand."

the study of how geography influences global political and economic interactions

"Geopolitics studies how geography affects power between countries."

"Understanding geopolitics helps explain why nations compete for natural resources."

the use of political, economic, or military power to achieve and maintain influence and control on the global or national stage

"Power politics influences international relations."

"The small nation was caught in the middle of power politics between two larger neighboring countries that were competing for regional dominance."

the extreme political or religious beliefs often accompanied by intolerance for different views

"His fanaticism for the cause made him blind to other views."

"Religious fanaticism can lead to violence and intolerance toward other beliefs."

an individual or group advocating for radical or extreme left-wing political positions and policies

"The hard left of the party demanded radical and immediate change."

"The hard left proposed nationalizing all major industries within five years."

extremely conservative or right-wing political ideologies, often associated with more radical views within the right-wing spectrum

"The hard right members opposed any form of immigration reform."

"The hard right faction refused to compromise on any social policy changes."

the belief that a country must have a strong military force in order to seem more powerful

"Militarism is the belief that a country needs a very strong army."

"Militarism is an ideology that places military power at the center of a nation's identity and policy"

the belief in or practice of giving a central government significant control over social and economic affairs

"Statism favors heavy government control over the economy and society."

"Statism is a political doctrine advocating for extensive state intervention in economic and social affairs"

the practice or principle of a nation or party taking actions, making decisions, or forming alliances without seeking or considering the approval, consensus, or cooperation of others

"Unilateralism is when a country acts alone without asking its allies."

"Unilateralism is a foreign policy approach where a state acts independently on the global stage"

the current holder of a particular office or position, especially in politics

"The incumbent mayor is running for office again this year."

"An incumbent is the current holder of a political office who is seeking re-election"

the act of rebellion or resistance against established authority, typically through speech or conduct

"The rebels were charged with sedition against the king."

"Sedition is the incitement of resistance to lawful authority"

the right or privilege of casting a vote in public elections

"Women fought for suffrage for many years to win the vote."

"The women's suffrage movement fought for decades to win the right for women to vote in national elections."

the act of surrounding the enemy, a town, etc. and cutting off their supplies so that they would surrender

"The castle was under siege for six months."

"The city was under siege for six months before the defenders finally ran out of food and were forced to surrender to the attacking army."

official procedures or rules that are unnecessary and time-consuming

"Too much red tape delayed the new building project."

"Starting a small business requires dealing with so much government red tape that many entrepreneurs become frustrated with the endless paperwork and delays."

the principle or system of unlimited and unchecked governmental power

"Absolutism is when a king or queen has all the power."

"Absolutism is a monarchical system where the sovereign ruler holds unrestricted political power"