POLITICS
Act = law
Apolitical
Ballot = vote
Bill a formal statement of a planned new law
that is discussed before being voted on
Con. WRITTEN ABBREVIATION FOR Conservative
(POLITICAL PARTY)
the Democratic Party one of the two main
political parties in the US
elder statesman a respected leader, often one
who no longer has an active job, who is thought
of as having good advice to give
engag especially of a writer, musician, artist,
etc. interested in and taking part in politics
Eurosceptic a person, especially a politician,
who opposes closer connections between Britain
and the European Union
flower power the ideas and beliefs of some
young people in the 1960s and 1970s who
opposed war and encouraged people to love
each other
gesture politics DISAPPROVING any action by a
person or organization done for political
reasons and intended to attract public attention
but having little real effect
the GOP ABBREVIATION FOR the Grand Old Party: the
Republican political party in the US
Lab Labour WRITTEN ABBREVIATION FOR Labour
(POLITICAL PARTY), the political party in Britain that
believes in social equality, a more equal sharing
out of wealth, and the rights of workers
Left, leftist
left of centre describes a political belief that is
accepted by most people and contains some
socialist ideas
Lib ABBREVIATION FOR liberal (POLITICS)
Lib Dem INFORMAL a member of the Liberal
Democrats liberal
Liberal Democrats in Britain, a political party
that believes in more power for local
government, more personal freedom and a
gradual development towards a fairer sharing of
wealth and power within society
the Liberal Party in Britain, a political party that
joined with the Social Democratic Party to
become the 'Liberal Democrats'
ministerial relating to or involving a minister (=
country's representative abroad)
moderate
the National Front (ABBREVIATION NF) small British
political party with extreme views on race
on-message A politician who is on-message
says things in public which sup-port the official
ideas of their political party.
party politics political activity and discussion
within or relating to political parties rather than
the whole country
personality cult
pink pinko OLD-FASHIONED DISAPPROVING (slightly)
supporting socialist ideas and principles
platform IDEAS all the things that a political
party promises to do if they are elected
populism populist
progressive
radical
Social Democrat Social Democratic Party
sovereign state
state statesman/woman statesmanlike
the Third Way politics in which the
development of business is balanced with the
needs of society
Tory, (a member) of the British Conservative
Party Toryism
tour of duty a period of time which someone,
especially a soldier or an official, spends
working in a foreign country
nationalise, nationalize,nationalisation
politicise, politicize
far left / right refers to political groups whose
opinions are very extreme
sb's politics someone's opinions about how a
country should be governed
a political football a problem that politicians
from different parties argue about and try to use
in order to get an advantage for themselves
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Politically correct / incorrect (PC) To use or not use language that will cause offence - often
shortened to PC.
domestic international local national regional world politics
left-wing mainstream radical politics election-year electoral presidential politics
multi-party party partisan politics contemporary modern politics
gender sexual politics student politics

enter get into go into / [be/get] involved / participate in politics

stay out of politics discuss talk politic

[a career/interest/role, etc.] in politics / the politics of sth / the world of politics

o She's a staunch (= very loyal) Conservative.

o The candidate is clearly on-message with the Tory party leader.
o We campaigned on a platform of low taxation.
o The Tories (= the Tory party) have dropped in the opinion poll ratings.
o Tory voters vs. supporters of the far left
o We don't want the immigration issue to become a political football.
o Recently he has been heavily focused on domestic politics and trying to get himself re-elected.
o Many of these groups have now been brought into mainstream politics.
o The cooperative spirit quickly gave way to election-year politics.
o The church tries not to get directly involved in party politics.
o He's a key player in the big-money world of contemporary politics.
o The play examines the female role in sexual politics.
o At university, he got involved in student politics.
o More young women are now entering politics.
o Both of her parents were involved in politics.
o Most businessmen are reluctant to participate in politics.
o It is generally accepted that the military should stay out of politics.
o What counts in the world of politics is perception more than reality.
o The bill was amended (= changed).
o When a bill is passed in parliament it becomes law.
o Representatives were elected by ballot. They decided to hold a ballot.

o The party in the opposition is pleading to call an election before the arranged ones
o Obama was the first back person to run for president and to win
o This scandal will be a political hot potato. Sth. potentially dangerous or embarrassing
o Many people in Africa vote with their feet (= leave) and emigrate.

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 o To call an Afro-American a nigger is not PC.
o Political campaign includes a lot of flesh pressing (=shaking hands).
o In Poland we always have a hung parliament. (= parliament in which no political party has an outright majority)
o The Socialist party have been in office (= governing) / out of office (= not governing)
for almost ten years.

GOP: Grand Old Party, nickname of the Republican Party.

Lobby: A group seeking to influence an elected official, or the act of doing so. The term
originated in the 17th century, when people waiting to speak with legislators at the
English House of Commons waited in a large atrium outside the legislators' hall,
called the lobby.
Platform: The positions that a party adopts, and stands on, at the beginning of
an election campaign.
Political Party: An organization that seeks to achieve political power by elect-
ing its members to public office.
Poll: A survey used to gauge public opinion concerning issues or to forecast an election.
Pundit: A political analyst, commentator, or columnist who usually works for a newspaper or
magazine, or in broadcasting. Derived from a Hindi phrase meaning "learned one."
Red Tape: Government paperwork and procedures that are slow and difficult. Stems from an
18th-century British practice of binding official papers with a reddish twine.
Swing Vote: The undecided, usually independent, portion of the electorate that can "swing" the
outcome of an election one way or the other.

I'm not very politically aware. No me va mucho la poltica / No tengo mucha concienciacin poltica.
What we need is a bit more honesty and openness. honestidad y franqueza
No-one won an overall majority. mayora absoluta (tambin absolute majority)
The party's suffered from a lot of in-fighting. luchas / discrepancias internas
It's a fine line between smooth and smarmy. Hay una gran diferencia entre ir con cuidado y ser un
listillo.
I just keep out of it all. Me mantengo al margen de todo.
You're so apathetic! Eres tan aptico!
What bugs me is the amount of money they've wasted. Lo que me fastidia es
I'm your typical floating voter. Soy tu tpico votante incondicional.
He comes across as being very down-to-earth. Da la imagen de ser muy mundano / realista / prctico.
She never seems to get flustered. Nunca parece aturullarse.
They're so patronising. Son tan condescendientes.
He's just power-mad. Est loco por el poder.
I don't like their stance on pensions. No me gusta su postura acerca
de las pensiones.
The election was rigged. La eleccin fue amaada.
Well, in my humble opinion, it's just blatantly unfair. Bueno, en mi
humilde opinin, fue descarada-mente injusto.
They need to encourage greater participation. Tienen que hacer que
participe ms gente.