Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
to Political Terms
ISBN 1-871737-67-2
Our plain English guide focuses on political terms this year as part of
our campaign on literacy and political participation. We have chosen
this theme in light of an expected general election by mid-2007.
1
Aa Absentee ballot
2
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland Aa
Alliance Party of Anti-social behaviour
Northern Ireland Any behaviour likely to cause
A political party without harassment, alarm or distress
nationalist or unionist roots
that aims to achieve and Anti-Social Behaviour
promote justice, diversity, Order (ASBO)
prosperity and peace and is A court order against a child
opposed to any form of aged 10 to 18 to prevent anti-
violence social behaviour; currently used
in Britain but not yet
Amendment introduced in Ireland
A change to the detail of a law
or contract Áras an Uachtaráin
Official home of the President
Anarchy of Ireland
A society with political and
social disorder caused by lack See also President of Ireland.
of laws and government control
Ard Fheis
Annexe An Irish term for the official
Taking over an area under the gathering of a political party
control of a ruler or a state and each year to discuss policies
adding it to a larger state and how the party is organised
and to vote on any changes to
Anthem the party's policies or rules
A song of praise; called a
national anthem when it is Aristocracy
about a country A ruling system based on social
class, wealth and noble birth
3
Aa Arts, Sports and Tourism, Department of
Bb Ballot box
A container for storing
completed ballot papers during
Backbench an election and only opened
The seats occupied in Dáil when votes are ready to be
Eireann by any member of the counted
4
Ballot box stuffing Bb
Ballot box stuffing 'Big Brother'
An illegal action that involves A type of state, envisaged by
voting many times to affect the George Orwell in his novel
result of an election Nineteen Eighty Four, in which
the government monitors each
Ballot paper person's movements and knows
A slip of paper, usually with everything about all citizens
representatives' names and
photos, that registered voters Bill (law)
use to record their preferences A draft of a new law or change
in an election or referendum to a current law that has yet to
be passed by the Oireachtas
Bandwagon effect
The tendency for a candidate or See also Act and Oireachtas.
proposal that seems to be
winning to gather extra support Bill, Private Member's
simply because of being ahead; A proposal for a law that comes
also called the 'snowball effect' from an individual TD or senator
Bias Bi-partisanship
Favouring one argument or Co-operation on an issue or
person over others, usually issues by two people or groups
unfairly; prejudice
Borough council
Bi-cameral legislature A local authority, usually in
A law-making body, known in larger towns; found in Ireland in
Ireland as the Oireachtas, that is Clonmel, Drogheda, Kilkenny,
divided into an upper and a Sligo and Wexford
lower house
'Brown envelope'
A term referring to the practice
of politicians receiving illegal
Cc
payments (in brown envelopes)
in exchange for favours
Cabinet
The group of Government
ministers, the Taoiseach and the
Branch Attorney General, which
A section of a political party decides policy and is
that draws members from a responsible for all the
local area Government departments
Bunreacht na Campaign
hÉireann An organised competition for
Irish Constitution - see votes by people who are
Constitution of Ireland seeking a particular result from
an election or referendum or
who are seeking to change the
Bureaucracy behaviour of government,
A system involving many rules business, other large
and procedures and several institutions and the general
levels of management and population through the media,
relying on written protests, written proposals,
communication public meetings and so on
6
Candidate Cc
Candidate Ceann Comhairle
Someone who stands for The chairperson of Dáil Éireann,
election to a representative who chairs its proceedings and
office must make sure that all parties
and independent members are
Canvassing treated fairly
Trying to win votes by
contacting voters directly, for See also Dáil Eireann.
example by going door to door
Census
Capitalism A detailed count by the Central
An economic system in which Statistics Office (CSO) of every
private individuals and person in Ireland, including
corporations own goods, aim to people who don't usually live
make a profit and have freedom here, on a particular date
to set prices for goods and roughly every five years
services
Centre
Cathaoirleach The middle point of the
The Irish word for chairperson political spectrum, ranging from
'far left' (communism) to 'far
right' (fascism)
Caucus
A group or a meeting of people, See also Conservative, Fascism,
especially members of a Left-wing, Neo-conservative,
political party with power to Right-wing and Socialism.
decide on policy
Centrist
Cause A person with moderate
A goal or aim of a group of political opinions and policies
people, normally for social or
political change
7
Cc Chancellor
8
Citizenship (Irish) Cc
Citizenship (Irish) City or county
A legal status granted to: manager
anyone born in Ireland if one The person who manages a city
of their parents was an Irish or county council
citizen at the time of their
birth; or
anyone born abroad if one of
City state
their parents was born in A small state consisting only of
Ireland; or a city and its surrounding land,
a child born in Ireland after 1 for example Singapore or the
January 2005 to non-citizen Vatican
parents if one of the parents
was lawfully living in Ireland Civic participation or
for at least three of the four engagement
years before the child's birth A process in which people use
the freedoms of democracy to
Citizenship rights do things such as sign a
Rights that are enjoyed by a petition, contact their local
citizen, such as the right to vote councillor, vote, stand for
and to live permanently in a election and become informed
particular country on issues
9
Cc Civil law
Constitution of Ireland
Known in Irish as Bunreacht na
hÉireann, the document in force
12
Councillor Cc
Councillor Criminal law
A person elected to a county, city The body of laws that ban
or urban district council to certain behaviour - for example
represent the interests of those drunken driving, drug dealing,
living in the area covered by the assault, murder and theft – that
council would otherwise cause social
order to break down
County council
A type of local authority,
covering a county that is
responsible for services including
Dd
housing, planning, roads, water Dáil Committee
supply and recreation facilities A committee of members of the
Dáil, broadly divided according
County Development to the division of Dáil seats
Boards among the political parties and
Boards set up in Ireland to bring independent TDs to consider
together local development matters relating to how TDs and
bodies, State agencies and other certain public bodies carry out
social partners to take part in their functions
long-term planning for counties
over 10 years Dáil Éireann
Known as 'the Dáil' for short, the
See also Social partnership. lower house of the Oireachtas, in
which members carry out a
County Registrar number of functions, such as
A person appointed to make debating and voting on issues
sure that an election or and passing bills
referendum and the return of its
results are carried out properly See also Oireachtas, Seanad
Éireann and TD.
See also Returning Officer.
13
Dd Dark horse candidate
14
Democratic Party Dd
Democratic Party Éireann to represent their
One of the two major political constituency
parties in the United States;
established under its current See also Constituency and TD
name in the 1820s and typically (Teachta Dála).
associated with civil liberties,
workers' rights, social freedoms Despot
and favouring government A ruler who exercises total
measures to tackle social power, especially in a cruel or
injustice harsh way
15
Dd Diplomat
Diplomat
A person appointed to
represent Ireland in other
Ee
countries and to manage our Economic and social
relations with those countries
rights
Rights that help people
Director of Consumer develop and enjoy an adequate
Affairs standard of living, such as the
An independent person right to work, the right to
appointed by Government who education and the right to free
is responsible for defending, time, as outlined in the
enforcing and providing advice Covenant on Economic and
and information on consumer Social Rights adopted by the
rights United Nations 1966
16
Education for Democratic Citizenship (EDC) Ee
Education for Electoral Register
Democratic (also known as
Citizenship (EDC) Register of Electors)
A project organised by the A list of those who have the
Council of Europe to inform right to vote in national, local or
people about their rights and European elections in Ireland,
responsibilities in society and put together by city and county
how they can use them councils
Election Electorate
Choosing a person or a All those who have a right to
government by voting vote in an election
17
Ee Enterprise,Trade and Employment, Department of
22
Incumbent Ii
Incumbent each other and learning about
A person who currently holds a each other's music, art,
post or office literature, customs and so on to
help prevent misunderstandings
and fight racism
Independence
Freedom from the influence or
rule of another person, group or
Interest group
country A group of people organised to
take action about a cause or
interest
Independent
A TD, Senator or Councillor who
does not belong to a political
party
Jj
Indicator
A sign that something is
Joint Oireachtas
happening; used by public Committee
bodies and other organisations A committee made up of
to show the progress of a members of the Dáil and
country in meeting a range of Seanad to discuss and vote on
economic, social and particular matters, for example
environmental goals the Joint Oireachtas Committee
on Education and Science and
Influence Joint Oireachtas Committee on
The power to change the Foreign Affairs
behaviour of someone or
something See also Dáil Committee and
Seanad Committee.
Inter-culturalism
An ideology that favours
different cultures mixing with
23
Jj Judicial review
24
Labour movement Ll
Labour movement Law Reform
A broad group of workers that Commission
includes trade unions and the An independent body set up by
Labour Party Government to review laws and
advise the Government on
Labour Party necessary reforms, often after
Political party formed nationally seeking the views of interest
in 1912 with a focus on equality, groups and the public
freedom, community and
democracy Leader of the
opposition
Laissez-faire The leader of the largest political
An ideology that opposes party that is not in government
Government interference in and the opposition's main
economic affairs, other than the spokesperson
minimum necessary to maintain
property rights and peace, and
individual interference in
Leas Cathaoirleach
another's freedom of choice and The Irish for vice chairperson,
action the person who chairs local
authority or Seanad Éireann
meetings when the
Lame duck Cathaoirleach is not present
An elected representative,
usually a leader, who is regarded See also Cathaoirleach.
as less powerful or effective than
they were because they are near
the end of their time in office
Leas Ceann Comhairle
either because they cannot or The person who chairs Dáil
do not want to be re-elected or Eireann meetings when the
they are waiting for another Ceann Comhairle is not present
elected official to formally take
over their post
25
Ll Left, the
26
Liberalism Ll
Liberalism writing letters, making
A broad political ideology that proposals or meeting decision
generally favours individual makers; originally comes from
freedom, open government and the UK, where people waited in
the free market, but contains the lobby (entrance hall) or
different views on whether the corridors of parliament to talk
government should interfere in to Members of Parliament
the market, for example
through anti-discrimination Lobby group
laws or social welfare for those A group that tries to get
who are unable to work support for a particular cause to
change laws or certain actions
See also Ideology and Free
market. Lobbyist
A person who lobbies
Libertarian
A person who supports Local authority
individual personal and A local form of government,
property rights and minimal consisting of elected officials
government involvement in and full-time staff, which is
people's lives responsible for providing a
range of public services, for
See also Liberalism. example libraries, swimming
pools and refuse collection
Liberty
Freedom from control by a Local authority
person or group
meetings
Gatherings of elected members,
Lobby open to the public and the
Trying to influence public media, to decide on the
opinion to change laws or direction and work of the local
certain actions, for example by authority
27
Ll Local authority meetings
28
Member Mm
Member Monarch
A person who belongs to an A king or queen
organisation or body
Monarchy
Member of A system of government in
which a king or queen is the
Parliament (MP) head of state and has unlimited
A member of the British House powers (absolute monarchy) or
of Commons powers that are limited by the
state's constitution
Member of the (constitutional monarchy)
European Parliament
Motion of no
(MEP)
An elected politician who
confidence
represents a region of their own A vote on the performance of a
country in the European leader or a government, usually
Parliament proposed by the opposition,
that, if passed, may require the
person to resign or the
Military rule government to stand down and
A system of government where request a general election
army officers form the
government See also Dáil Éireann,
Dissolution and Opposition.
Minister Mudslinging
A member of the Irish
The practice of saying negative
Government who runs and
things about an opponent
manages a department and
during a political campaign;
may propose new or amended
also known as 'dirty politics'
laws
See also Dirty politics.
Ministerial
Relating to a minister
29
Mm Multi-culturalism
Multi-culturalism Nationalise
An ideology that favours the Bringing an industry under the
presence of many cultures in control or ownership of a
society, each with equal rights government
National
Belonging to or relating to a
nation
National debt
The total amount of money
owed by a government
30
Neo-conservatives ('neo-cons’) Nn
Neo-conservatives NRA - National Roads
('neo-cons') Authority
A term used usually to refer to The Government body
right-wing members of the US responsible for planning,
Republican Party who promote improving and managing the
traditional family values, the road network in Ireland
free market and action by the
United States against other
countries to improve its
NTMA - National
standing and promote its Treasury Management
values and interests Agency
The Government body
See also Conservative, Free responsible for managing the
market and Right-wing. Government's assets and
national debt as well as certain
Nominee funds such as the National
A person who is nominated, or Pensions Fund and the
proposed by others, as a Dormant Accounts Fund
candidate for public office
Non-partisan
Neutral or not involving or
influenced by a political party
Non-party candidate
An independent candidate, one
who is not a member of a
political party
31
Oo Oireachtas
Oligarchy Opposition
A form of government where The second largest political
power is held by a small party or group of parties in the
number of people belonging to Dáil that opposes what it
a dominant class or group believes to be wrong with
Government policies and
Ombudsman actions
A public official who is
responsible for investigating 'Opt out'
complaints against the Irish The option open to certain
Government or the public Member States of the European
service Union (EU) not to be governed
by certain EU decisions, for
One-person rule example on ending cross-
A system of government in border controls
which one person holds all
power over a country or state
32
OPW - Office of Public Works Oo
OPW - Office of Public Parliament
Works An assembly of elected
The Government engineering representatives that forms the
agency responsible for legislature of a state or a nation
restoring and preserving state and may have both an upper
buildings, buying and fitting and a lower house
office accommodation for
Government departments, See also Dáil Éireann,
building and maintaining Garda Oireachtas, Legislature and
stations and prisons and Seanad Éireann.
managing flood relief and
drainage programmes Parliamentarian
An elected member of the
Party policy
The rules, values and
34
Platform Pp
Platform Political agenda
A political party's written A set of issues that are dealt
statement of its principles and with in politics at a particular
policies on a number of topics, time and can sometimes be
which is published during an influenced by the media
election campaign
Political freedom
See also Manifesto.
A person's right to express their
political beliefs freely and to
Plebiscite vote as they want
A vote by all voters on a topic,
for example in a referendum, or See also Political rights.
by members of a party to
decide on a candidate
Political ideology
A range of beliefs on which the
Pledge aims and activities of a political
A solemn promise to do party are based
something, usually made when
somebody takes a high-level
official role Political literacy
An awareness of political
Policy values, attitudes, arguments
A statement of a person's or and institutions that allows a
group's intended action on a person to make an informed
matter vote and take action on issues
35
Pp Political rights
36
Preferential voting Pp
Preferential voting permanently lose their health,
A voting system in which people fail to perform their functions or
vote for candidates in order of are out of the country or
preference, putting 1 on the removed from office
ballot paper beside their
favourite candidate, 2 for their President's Award
second favourite, 3 for their third (Gaisce)
favourite and so on An award programme for people
aged 15 to 25 years to reward
See also Candidate, Proportional them for setting and achieving
representation and Single demanding challenges for
Transferable Vote. themselves in the four areas of
community involvement,
President of Ireland personal skill, physical recreation
Irish head of state who is elected and adventure activity
to serve a seven-year term (at
most two terms), forms part of Press gallery
the Oireachtas, represents the A gallery in a house of
people of Ireland when carrying parliament set aside for
out official engagements at reporters from newspapers,
home and has powers and radio and television (the media)
functions that are set down in
the Constitution
Prime Minister
See also Bunreacht na hÉireann, The head of the national
Oireachtas and Legislature. government
Proclamation Propaganda
An official public Ideas or information, not always
announcement, for example the true, that help or injure an
1916 Proclamation – a public institution, cause or person
announcement of
independence from British rule Proportional
representation (PR)
Progressive An election system in which the
Something or someone that is number of seats won by a party
concerned with reform, are broadly in proportion to (a
improvements and making percentage of ) the number of
progress total votes its candidates
receive
Progressive
See also Candidate,
Democrats Constituency, Preferential
Political party founded mainly voting, Quota, Seat and Single
by former members of the Transferable Vote.
Fianna Fáil party in 1985 that
favours reduced taxes, careful Protest
use of public funds and an
A public statement or
increased role for the individual
demonstration against a
in all areas of life
situation or the actions of
others
Progressive Unionist
Party See also Demonstration.
The political wing of the Ulster Protest vote
Volunteer Force, which
A vote for a candidate not out
promotes union with Britain
of support for them but to
See also Unionism. show disapproval of another
political party and its candidate
38
Public Pp
Public representing the public and
A term to describe the people providing and managing
as a whole of a community, services for them, for example
state or nation or something through schools, state bodies or
that is open to or concerns hospitals
them
Public servant
Public funds A person who works with the
Money generated from taxes civil service, a local authority or
and other sources that is spent other state body
by a government
Public services
Public gallery Services that are wholly or
An area in a house of partly funded through taxes,
parliament, for example Dáil including national, regional and
Éireann, that is set aside for the local government and state
public agencies
Public policy
A body of laws, regulations and
government action on matters
concerning the public
Public sector
The part of a country's
economy that involves
39
Qq Question time
Representative Republicanism
A political philosophy in favour of
democracy setting up a republic before any
A system of government where other political system
voters elect representatives to
make decisions for them See also Philosophy and
Republic.
Republic
A state that is ruled by elected Resolution
representatives rather than by a A plan to do something or
monarch encourage others to do it
45
Ss Social and civil services
Socialist Spin
A person who believes in and Public relations (PR) activity, for
promotes the values of example press releases or
socialism interviews, or a way of
interpreting information that
Society aims to enhance the public
A large gathering of many image of a person or group,
communities under generally such as a politician or their
accepted rules and values party, at the expense of a
political opponent or the
opposition party
Solidarity
Recognising the rights of others
and joining with others to
Spoiled vote
defend them A vote that is ignored when
counting all votes in an election
because the voter has filled in
Sound bite their ballot paper incorrectly or
A brief, quotable remark has written their name on it
repeated on radio and TV news
programmes to reflect the
position of a political candidate
47
Ss State
48
Surplus (votes) Ss
Surplus (votes) elect a candidate with wide
The amount of votes that public support instead of
exceed the quota needed for a voting for a favourite candidate
candidate to be elected who may have little real chance
of winning
See also Proportional
representation, Quota and Tally men
Single Transferable Vote. Members of a political party
who carry out an unofficial
Surplus (economic) count of the ballot papers while
A situation in which the the election or referendum is
Government is taking in more still taking place
money than it is spending
Tánaiste
See also Deficit. Irish Deputy Prime Minister,
who takes the place of the
Swing voter Taoiseach if the Taoiseach dies,
A person who votes but whose permanently loses health or is
support can switch from one temporarily absent or if a
political party to another, successor has not yet been
depending on the issue at stake appointed; usually the leader of
the smaller party in a two-party
coalition government
Tactical voting
Voting that does not express a
voter's true preferences but
may get a more favourable
result, for example helping to
49
Tt Taoiseach
51
Tt Two-party system
Ww Whistleblower
An employee or a former
employee of a business or
public body who reports
War chest wrongdoing, for example fraud,
A fund for running a political underpaying staff or breaking
campaign, consisting of money safety regulations, to a person
given to a candidate by other who can take corrective action
people and through various directly or embarrass others
fundraising events into doing so
53
Ww Whistleblower
White paper
A document that outlines a
government's plans for
particular areas and sometimes
forms the basis of later laws
Winner-Take-All
A simple system of voting, in
which the person with the most
votes wins or 'takes all', in
contrast to the system of
proportional representation
and the Single Transferable
Vote.
54
References
Please note: These links were accurate at time of going to print, but
we are not responsible for any updated information or altered links
since then.
55
References
56
What is NALA?
The National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) is a non-profit membership
organisation, concerned with national coordination, training and policy
development in adult literacy work in Ireland. NALA was established in
1980 and has campaigned since then for the recognition of, and
response to, the adult literacy issue in Ireland.
Websites:
NALA website: www.nala.ie
Literacy learning and tuition website: www.literacytools.ie
Really Useful Guide to Words and Numbers website:www.rug.ie