Politics and Government Vocabulary in English: Words, Examples and Quiz
The words you need to follow the news, talk about an election or discuss a new law: from parliament and policy to turnout, coalition and veto, with clear definitions and real examples.
53 words · By LearnLingo Team · Updated
Tap to hear a word. Pronunciation is American English. Levels follow the CEFR scale. Turkish translations are given as a quick check.
Government and the state
The people and bodies that run a country or a city. Some words differ between countries: the UK has a Parliament and a prime minister, the US has Congress and a president.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
government ⁄ˈɡʌvɚnmənt⁄ · noun A2 | the group of people who control a country and make decisions for it The government has promised to build more homes. | hükümet |
state ⁄steɪt⁄ · noun B1 | a country and its government, or one part of a country like the US or Germany Healthcare is paid for by the state. | devlet; eyalet |
parliament ⁄ˈpɑːrləmənt⁄ · noun B1 | the group of elected people who make the laws in many countries The new law was debated in parliament for three days. | parlamento, meclis |
Congress ⁄ˈkɑːŋɡrəs⁄ · noun B2 | the group of elected people who make the laws in the US Congress must approve the budget every year. | Kongre (ABD) |
politician ⁄ˌpɑːləˈtɪʃən⁄ · noun B1 | a person whose job is in politics, especially an elected one Very few politicians answer the question directly. | siyasetçi, politikacı |
minister ⁄ˈmɪnɪstɚ⁄ · noun B1 | a senior politician who is in charge of one area, such as health or education The health minister visited the hospital this morning. | bakan |
prime minister ⁄ˌpraɪm ˈmɪnɪstɚ⁄ · noun B1 | the leader of the government in countries like the UK, Canada or India The prime minister will speak to the nation tonight. | başbakan |
president ⁄ˈprezɪdənt⁄ · noun A2 | the leader of a country that has no king or queen She was the first woman to become president. | cumhurbaşkanı, devlet başkanı |
cabinet ⁄ˈkæbɪnət⁄ · noun B2 | the small group of top ministers who make the main decisions The cabinet meets every Tuesday. | kabine, bakanlar kurulu |
mayor ⁄ˈmeɪɚ⁄ · noun B1 | the elected leader of a town or city The mayor wants to close the city center to cars. | belediye başkanı |
official ⁄əˈfɪʃəl⁄ · noun B2 | a person with an important job in a government or organization Officials say the bridge will reopen next month. | yetkili, memur |
the authorities ⁄ði əˈθɔːrətiz⁄ · noun B2 | the people or organizations that have the power to make decisions and enforce rules The authorities closed the beach after the storm. | yetkililer, makamlar |
constitution ⁄ˌkɑːnstɪˈtuːʃən⁄ · noun B2 | the basic laws and rules that say how a country is run Freedom of speech is protected by the constitution. | anayasa |
democracy ⁄dɪˈmɑːkrəsi⁄ · noun B1 | a system where people choose their government by voting In a democracy, people can criticize their leaders. | demokrasi |
Elections and voting
Use these words to talk about how people choose their leaders. Notice the verbs: you vote for a party, a candidate runs for office, and voters elect a president.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
election ⁄ɪˈlekʃən⁄ · noun B1 | a time when people vote to choose their leaders The next general election is in two years. | seçim |
vote ⁄voʊt⁄ · verb B1 | to show your choice in an election, usually by marking a paper or pressing a button Who did you vote for last time? | oy vermek |
voter ⁄ˈvoʊtɚ⁄ · noun B2 | a person who votes or has the right to vote Young voters care a lot about housing. | seçmen |
candidate ⁄ˈkændɪdət⁄ · noun B1 | a person who wants to be elected There are four candidates for mayor. | aday |
campaign ⁄kæmˈpeɪn⁄ · noun B1 | a planned set of activities to win an election or change something Her campaign focused on schools and transport. | kampanya |
run for ⁄rʌn fɔːr⁄ · phrasal verb B2 | to try to be elected to a position (British English also: stand for) He's running for president for the second time. | aday olmak |
elect ⁄ɪˈlekt⁄ · verb B1 | to choose someone for a job by voting She was elected in 2022. | seçmek |
ballot ⁄ˈbælət⁄ · noun C1 | the paper you mark when you vote, or a secret vote Voters put their ballots in a sealed box. | oy pusulası |
opinion poll ⁄əˈpɪnjən poʊl⁄ · noun B2 | a survey that asks people what they think, often about how they will vote The latest opinion poll shows a close race. | kamuoyu yoklaması, anket |
polls ⁄poʊlz⁄ · noun B2 | the place where people vote, or the voting itself, as in go to the polls The country goes to the polls in May. | sandık, seçim |
majority ⁄məˈdʒɔːrəti⁄ · noun B1 | more than half of the votes or seats The party won a clear majority. | çoğunluk |
turnout ⁄ˈtɝːnaʊt⁄ · noun C1 | the number of people who vote in an election Turnout was higher than at the last election. | seçime katılım oranı |
term ⁄tɝːm⁄ · noun B2 | the fixed period of time that someone stays in office The president can serve two terms. | görev süresi, dönem |
landslide ⁄ˈlændslaɪd⁄ · noun C1 | a very big win in an election The opposition won by a landslide. | ezici zafer |
Parties and ideas
Words for the groups and beliefs in politics. Left and right are general labels and mean slightly different things in different countries.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
political party ⁄pəˌlɪtɪkəl ˈpɑːrti⁄ · noun B1 | an organized group of people with similar ideas who try to win elections How many political parties are there in your country? | siyasi parti |
policy ⁄ˈpɑːləsi⁄ · noun B1 | a plan or set of ideas that a government or party agrees on The government changed its policy on immigration. | politika, izlenen yol |
opposition ⁄ˌɑːpəˈzɪʃən⁄ · noun B2 | the parties in parliament that are not in the government The opposition voted against the budget. | muhalefet |
coalition ⁄ˌkoʊəˈlɪʃən⁄ · noun C1 | a government formed by two or more parties working together No party won enough seats, so they formed a coalition. | koalisyon |
left-wing ⁄ˌleftˈwɪŋ⁄ · adjective C1 | supporting ideas like more equality and a bigger role for the state She writes for a left-wing newspaper. | sol görüşlü, solcu |
right-wing ⁄ˌraɪtˈwɪŋ⁄ · adjective C1 | supporting ideas like lower taxes, tradition and a smaller role for the state He joined a right-wing party at university. | sağ görüşlü, sağcı |
liberal ⁄ˈlɪbɚəl⁄ · adjective B2 | open to new ideas and supporting personal freedom (in the US, it usually means left of center) She has quite liberal views on education. | liberal, özgürlükçü |
conservative ⁄kənˈsɝːvətɪv⁄ · adjective B2 | preferring traditional ideas and slow change Rural areas tend to be more conservative. | muhafazakâr |
reform ⁄rɪˈfɔːrm⁄ · noun B2 | a change that is meant to improve a system Many people support reform of the voting system. | reform |
debate ⁄dɪˈbeɪt⁄ · noun B1 | a formal discussion where people give different opinions The two candidates will meet for a TV debate. | tartışma, münazara |
issue ⁄ˈɪʃuː⁄ · noun B1 | an important subject or problem that people discuss Climate change was the main issue in the election. | konu, mesele |
Laws, money and protest
What governments do, and how people react. A law starts as a bill, and it becomes law when parliament passes it.
| Word | Meaning and example | Turkish |
|---|---|---|
law ⁄lɔː⁄ · noun A2 | an official rule that everyone in a country must follow There's a new law against using phones while driving. | yasa, kanun |
bill ⁄bɪl⁄ · noun B2 | a written plan for a new law that parliament discusses The bill will be voted on next week. | yasa tasarısı |
pass ⁄pæs⁄ · verb B2 | to officially approve a new law Parliament passed the bill by 320 votes to 290. | (yasayı) kabul etmek |
ban ⁄bæn⁄ · verb B2 | to officially say that something is not allowed The city has banned plastic bags. | yasaklamak |
tax ⁄tæks⁄ · noun B1 | money that people and companies must pay to the government The new government promised to cut taxes. | vergi |
budget ⁄ˈbʌdʒɪt⁄ · noun B1 | the government's plan for how much money it will spend and raise The budget includes more money for hospitals. | bütçe |
public spending ⁄ˌpʌblɪk ˈspendɪŋ⁄ · noun C1 | money that the government spends on services like schools and roads Public spending on health has gone up. | kamu harcaması |
citizen ⁄ˈsɪtɪzən⁄ · noun B1 | a person who legally belongs to a country Every citizen over 18 can vote. | vatandaş |
rights ⁄raɪts⁄ · noun B1 | things that the law says every person is allowed to have or do Workers' rights are protected by law. | haklar |
protest ⁄ˈproʊtest⁄ · noun B1 | a public event where people show they are against something Thousands joined the protest outside parliament. | protesto, eylem |
corruption ⁄kəˈrʌpʃən⁄ · noun B2 | dishonest behavior by people in power, for example taking money for favors The minister was accused of corruption. | yolsuzluk |
scandal ⁄ˈskændəl⁄ · noun B2 | an event that shocks people because someone behaved badly The scandal ended his career. | skandal |
resign ⁄rɪˈzaɪn⁄ · verb B2 | to officially leave your job The minister resigned after the scandal. | istifa etmek |
veto ⁄ˈviːtoʊ⁄ · verb C1 | to officially refuse to allow a law or decision The president vetoed the bill. | veto etmek |
Useful phrases and collocations
vote for a party
Most people in my town voted for the same party.
run for office
She's thinking about running for office next year.
win or lose an election
The party lost the election after twelve years in power.
hold an election
The country will hold an election in the spring.
form a government
The two parties agreed to form a government together.
come to power
The current government came to power in 2023.
pass a law
Parliament passed a law to protect forests.
introduce a policy
The city introduced a new parking policy.
raise or cut taxes
No politician likes to raise taxes before an election.
hold a protest
Students held a protest against higher fees.
a landslide victory
It was a landslide victory for the opposition.
a public inquiry
The government has ordered a public inquiry into the accident.
step down
The leader stepped down after the poor result.
a heated debate
There was a heated debate about the new tax.
How to learn these words
Learn this set as a story. Follow one election from start to finish: candidates run for office, they campaign, opinion polls make predictions, voters go to the polls, one party wins a majority or several form a coalition, and the new government passes laws. Say the story out loud with real names from your country, then review it after a day and again after a week. Short, spaced reviews work better than one long session; see spaced repetition.
Three words are easy to mix up. Politics is the activity and is usually treated as singular: Politics is interesting. A policy is a specific plan: the government's housing policy. A politician is the person. There is no noun politic for a person, and political is the adjective: a political party.
British and American English use different words for some institutions. The UK has Parliament, MPs (Members of Parliament) and a prime minister; the US has Congress, made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives, and a president. In British English candidates usually stand for election; in American English they run for office. To follow real news stories with these words, see media and news vocabulary.
Use the words: speaking and writing tasks
- Explain how your country chooses its leader in five sentences, using election, vote, candidate, majority and term.
- Read one political news story today and write down every word from this page that you find. Then retell the story in your own words.
- Write a short speech as a candidate for mayor. Say which three issues matter most and what policy you would introduce for each.
- Give your opinion on one law you would like to pass and one thing you would ban. Use the phrases in giving opinions.
- Record yourself explaining the difference between politics, policy and politician, with an example sentence for each.
Common mistakes
Politics are my favorite subject at university.
Politics is my favorite subject at university.
As a subject or activity, politics is uncountable and takes a singular verb, like economics or physics. Politics are is used only for a person's political opinions: His politics are quite conservative.
He is a famous politic man.
He is a famous politician.
The person who works in politics is a politician. Political is the adjective (a political party), and politic is a rare formal word meaning wise.
The government announced a new politics on energy.
The government announced a new policy on energy.
A specific plan is a policy. Politics is the whole activity of government, so it cannot be one new plan.
I voted to the Green Party.
I voted for the Green Party.
In English you vote for a party or a person, and vote against something you do not want. Vote to is followed by a verb: They voted to leave.
Parliament made a new law last week.
Parliament passed a new law last week.
The natural verb for officially approving a law is pass. Make laws is possible in general statements (Parliament makes the laws), but for one law that was approved, say passed.
Practice quiz
10 questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
1. The party won more than half the seats, so it has a ___ .
2. Choose the correct sentence.
3. She is ___ president again. She hopes to win this time.
4. What is a bill?
5. No party won enough seats, so two parties formed a ___ .
6. Only 45 percent of people voted. The ___ was low.
7. The minister ___ after the corruption scandal.
8. Which word means the parties that are not in the government?
9. In the US, laws are made by Congress. In the UK, they are made by ___ .
10. Choose the correct sentence.
0 of 10 answered
Show all answers
- majority
- Politics is a difficult job.
- running for
- A plan for a new law
- coalition
- turnout
- resigned
- the opposition
- Parliament
- Who did you vote for?
See what the B2 English course covers, or test your level first.
People also ask
What is the difference between politics, policy and political?+
Politics is the activity of government and is usually singular: Politics is changing. A policy is one plan or set of rules: a new tax policy. Political is the adjective: a political party, a political debate.
Is it stand for election or run for election?+
Both are correct. British English usually says stand for election or stand for Parliament, and American English usually says run for office or run for president. Run is now common in British English too.
What is the difference between a prime minister and a president?+
A prime minister leads the government and usually comes from the largest party in parliament. A president is the head of state; in some countries, like the US, the president also leads the government, while in others the role is mainly ceremonial.
Is government singular or plural?+
In American English, government is singular: The government has decided. In British English you can use a singular or plural verb, because the government can be seen as one unit or as a group of people: The government have decided is also correct in the UK.
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