🏛️ Government & Politics · IELTS Vocabulary by Topic · 20 words

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democracy /dɪˈmɒkrəsi/ n	a system of government in which people choose their leaders by voting Freedom of the press is essential for a healthy democracy.
policy /ˈpɒləsi/ n	a plan of action agreed by a government or organisation The government introduced a new policy to reduce youth unemployment.
election /ɪˈlekʃn/ n	the process of choosing a person by voting Turnout at the last general election was the lowest in decades.
candidate /ˈkændɪdət/ n	a person who is trying to be elected or chosen for a position Each candidate promised to improve public healthcare.
campaign /kæmˈpeɪn/ n	a series of planned activities to achieve a political or social aim The government launched a campaign to discourage young people from smoking.
authority /ɔːˈθɒrəti/ n	an official organisation or the power to give orders and make decisions Local authorities are responsible for collecting rubbish and maintaining roads.
bureaucracy /bjʊəˈrɒkrəsi/ n	a system with many complicated rules and slow official processes Excessive bureaucracy discourages people from starting new businesses.
corruption /kəˈrʌpʃn/ n	dishonest or illegal behaviour by people in power Corruption prevents foreign aid from reaching the people who need it most.
regulation /ˌreɡjuˈleɪʃn/ n	an official rule made by a government or authority Stricter regulations are needed to control the use of personal data.
taxation /tækˈseɪʃn/ n	the system of collecting money from people to pay for public services Higher taxation on tobacco could reduce the number of smokers.
citizen /ˈsɪtɪzn/ n	a person who legally belongs to a country and has rights there Every citizen has a duty to obey the law and pay taxes.
parliament /ˈpɑːləmənt/ n	the group of elected people who make the laws of a country The bill was passed by parliament after months of debate.
sovereignty /ˈsɒvrənti/ n	complete power of a country to govern itself Some critics claim that international agreements weaken national sovereignty.
diplomacy /dɪˈpləʊməsi/ n	managing relations between countries through discussion The conflict was finally resolved through diplomacy rather than force.
reform /rɪˈfɔːm/ n	a change made to a system in order to improve it Many experts believe the healthcare system is in urgent need of reform.
electorate /ɪˈlektərət/ n	all the people in a country who have the right to vote Young voters make up a growing share of the electorate.
accountable /əˈkaʊntəbl/ adj	expected to explain your decisions and accept responsibility for them Politicians must be held accountable for the promises they make.
public spending /ˌpʌblɪk ˈspendɪŋ/ n	money spent by the government on services such as schools and hospitals Cuts in public spending have led to longer waiting times in hospitals.
transparency /trænsˈpærənsi/ n	the quality of being open and honest about decisions and actions Citizens demand greater transparency in how tax money is spent.
referendum /ˌrefəˈrendəm/ n	a vote in which all the people of a country decide on one issue The decision was put to the public in a national referendum.