| Word | Definition | Date Added |
|---|---|---|
| Apathy | Lack of interest or enthusiasm in politics or voting. | 05/10/2025 |
| By-election | An election held in a single constituency between general elections, usually due to the death or resignation of an MP. | 05/10/2025 |
| Class dealignment | Breakdown in association between a social class and their traditional political party (e.g. working class and Labour). | 05/10/2025 |
| Coalition government | When two or more parties join together to form a majority government. | 05/10/2025 |
| Constituency | A geographical area where voters elect a representative to Parliament, usually around 70,000 voters. | 05/10/2025 |
| Direct democracy | Citizens make political decisions directly rather than through representatives (e.g. referendums). | 05/10/2025 |
| Electoral reform | Change or improvement to the electoral system, such as introducing proportional representation. | 05/10/2025 |
| Floating voter | A voter who is not loyal to one political party and may change their vote between elections. | 05/10/2025 |
| Legitimacy | The right to rule, usually achieved through democratic election. | 05/10/2025 |
| Majoritarian system | An electoral system where the winning candidate or party must secure a majority of votes or seats. | 05/10/2025 |
| Majority government | A government formed by a party that holds more than half of the seats in Parliament. | 05/10/2025 |
| Mandate | The authority given to a government to carry out its policies, as granted by winning an election. | 05/10/2025 |
| Manifesto | A document outlining a political party’s policies and proposals before an election. | 05/10/2025 |
| Marginal seat | A constituency where the election result is expected to be very close between parties. | 05/10/2025 |
| Minority government | A government formed by a party without an overall majority in Parliament, relying on support from other parties. | 05/10/2025 |
| Opinion poll | A survey that measures public opinion and voting intentions. | 05/10/2025 |
| Partisan dealignment | A decline in loyalty between voters and their traditional political party. | 05/10/2025 |
| Plurality system | An electoral system where the candidate with the most votes wins, even if it’s not a majority (e.g. First Past the Post). | 05/10/2025 |
| Proportional systems | Electoral systems where seats are distributed in proportion to the votes each party receives. | 05/10/2025 |
| Referendum | A public vote on a specific political question, usually with a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ answer. | 05/10/2025 |
| Representative democracy | A system where citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf. | 05/10/2025 |
| Safe seat | A constituency where one party has a strong and consistent majority, making it unlikely to change hands. | 05/10/2025 |
| Suffrage | The right to vote in political elections. | 05/10/2025 |
| Tactical vote | When a voter supports a candidate not because they prefer them, but to prevent another candidate from winning. | 05/10/2025 |
| Turnout | The percentage of eligible voters who actually vote in an election. | 05/10/2025 |
| Two-party system | A political system dominated by two major parties that compete for power. | 05/10/2025 |
| Wasted vote | A vote that does not help elect a candidate, typically because it was cast for a losing or surplus-winning candidate. | 05/10/2025 |
| Winner’s bonus | The tendency for the largest party in a majoritarian system to win a disproportionately large number of seats compared to its vote share. | 05/10/2025 |
UK Elections Glossary
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UK Elections Glossary
Monday, 6 October 2025