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Machiavellian |
Adjective to describe manipulative and cynical political activity where morals and principles have little account. Somewhat unfairly attributed to Renaissance political theorist Niccolo Machiavelli who wrote for an age where government and diplomacy had more life or death consequences. |
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maiden speech |
The first ever speech given by an MP in Parliament and traditionally granted the courtesy of no interjections. |
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majority preferential |
Preferential voting in single member electorates. |
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malapportionment |
Violating the concept of ‘one person one vote’, the existence of electorates of unequal population sizes yet still having the same number of representatives, whereby a partisan political party advantage can very often develop. The practice is still very common in the United Kingdom. |
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mandate |
The alleged command, and thus authority, a winning political party has to institute its pre-election policies because of the fact it had a convincing win. |
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marginal seat |
A S.M.V. electorate where the winning candidate/party only just won the last election and could well lose the next. |
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means testing |
Limiting government benefits, such as a baby bonus or health care, to those below a certain income or accumulated wealth. |
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mercantilism |
A broad, command type, economic doctrine, practiced from the 16th to the 18th centuries, which predicated state power in international affairs as the predominate goal. Policies utilized would be: export subsidies; maintaining a positive balance of payments; developing colonies; forbidding trade to be carried in foreign ships; restricting colonies’ trade to only the mother country; maintaining a large as possible precious metal reserve; limiting domestic consumption such as with sumptuary laws. |
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mixed economy |
An economic system which embraces some aspects of free enterprise together with elements of socialism. |
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monetarism |
The theory that the economy is controlled by raising or lowering the money supply. |
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monopoly |
A situation where there is only one seller of a good or service due to either protection by legislation or the impracticality of other parties to enter the market. |
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moral relativism |
Loosely described as a philosophical concept whereby an act universally identified as immoral in the home country is however excused when observed in another because of the culture or history of that country. |
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motherhood statement |
A ‘feel good’ platitude supporting an uncontroversial cause that few would dare disagree with. |
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negative rights / positive rights |
The right to do, or refrain from, an action or otherwise be free from interference, as compared to the right to gain a specific benefit that would have a monetary value. The right to speak freely / the right to having legal representation supplied when in court. Term derives from the obligation on society for supplying those rights: a positive obligation to supply the cost of a lawyer while there is no (negative) cost to allow someone the right of free association. |
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NGO |
A non-profit non-government organization. |
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nomination |
A prerequisite to standing as a political candidate. Made only after the writ for an election has been issued. A financial deposit (which will be returned on the candidate receiving a reasonable number of votes) must also be lodged. |
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oligarchy |
A form of government where rule is by the few and in their own interest. |
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ombudsman |
A concept, originally Swedish, where parliament appoints a person to act as an official watchdog over bureaucracy on behalf of the public. On its own initiative or from public complaints, the Ombudsman will investigate government officials or departments and report its finding to parliament, whereupon action may be taken. The office of the Ombudsman itself has no power to penalize, although in some jurisdictions the Ombudsman can launch criminal prosecutions. |
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optional preferential voting |
Preferential voting where one has the option to choose only the number of preferences as one wishes. |
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ordinary vote |
As compared with a postal vote, a vote cast at a polling place in the elector's home division on polling day. |
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the Overton window |
Modern concept advanced by political theorist Joseph Overton whereby there is a small window of political acceptable approaches on any given subject at any time and approaches / ideas not within the window would resultantly be considered extreme and politically unsafe for a politician to uphold. Thus most mainstream politicians only choose from policies within the window, or only publicly declare the policies they believe in, if and when the window should move in their direction. |
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parachute in |
The central office of a political party appointing the candidate for a certain electorate at the next election, rather than the usual practice of being appointed by the local branch. |
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parliamentary privilege |
The privilege while (physically) in Parliament that allows an MP to say anything without fear of prosecution for slander. Also Parliament itself has the privilege to summon, cross-examine, judge and punish entities that have deemed to offend against it. In Italy P.P. grants an MP immunity from arrest for criminal charges. |
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parliamentary government |
A system of government where ultimate authority is vested in the legislative body. The cabinet, including the chief executive, is from, appointed by and responsible to, the legislature (the Parliament). Alternative to what is known as a presidential system, where both the legislature and executive are independently appointed by the voters. |
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party line voting |
Despite the fact that MPs in Parliament ‘represent’ the residents of their specific electorates, at voting time they will almost always vote (unless an independent) strictly according to their party’s call, i.e. as directed by their leader rather than according to the wishes of their own constituents. |
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party list voting |
Above the line only proportional representation voting. Voters do not cast preferences but the candidates/parties themselves choose (before the election) the list of preferred other candidates to which their unused votes will go. |
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perestroika |
Term to denote political, bureaucratic or economic restructuring first coined by Mikhail Gorbachev with regards to the former Soviet Union. |
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platform |
The political agenda of a candidate or party. |
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plebiscite |
A public vote to gauge public opinion on an issue (such as conscription) which does not affect the constitution nor is otherwise legally binding. |
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plebeian / patrician |
The two citizen classes of ancient Rome. The allegedly course and crude, ordinary Plebeians and the wealthy, educated and aristocratic ‘born to rule’ Patricians. Both terms used today in a derogatory manner. US President G.H.W. Bush was often described as patrician due to his being born into a wealthy political family, treating political life as a duty rather than as an opportunity for reformist zeal, and allegedly not being in touch with the concerns of ordinary Americans. |
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plutocracy |
Government controlled by or greatly influenced by, the wealthy. |
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primary election |
Mostly occurring in America, an election where the successful candidate wins no actual office but merely becomes eligible to contest the upcoming official election representing a particular party. |
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prince |
Term to denote the son of an hereditary monarch but also that of a non hereditary ruler in his or her own right. Developed from the Latin “princeps” for chief, or most distinguished ruler. Machiavelli’s seminal treatise on political philosophy and how to acquire and maintain power was titled “The Prince”. |
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political party status |
Candidates with a common cause can register at an election as a party, and thus enjoy certain privileges such as ‘above the line’ placement and public funding if attaining a certain percentage of the vote, as long as they can present to officials the names and address of sufficient numbers of supporters. Certain P.P.S. privileges also apply to winning candidates of a party if their numbers reach a certain threshold. |
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politico |
One interested or engaged in politics. |
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polity |
Form or process of civil government; organized society; the state. |
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poll |
A research survey as well as another word for an election. |
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polling place/booth |
Numerous centers set up in each division to take the votes of the local people. |
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populist democracy |
Ultimate democracy not restricted by a constitution or any other reviewing authority to the passage of legislation or executive orders. The alternative to liberal democracy. |
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populism |
Political campaigning orientated towards true democracy (voting for specific benefits, liberties, law and order programs, etc.) rather than representative democracy where one votes for a team of alleged responsible candidates who will, at a measured pace and after due deliberation, institute a program under some general theme (even if specific legislation is mentioned). Populists will promise their agenda despite whatever institutional obstructions may exist, while non-populists will take a more conservative approach respecting the judiciary, the constitution, the bureaucracy and the examples of international approaches to the same issues. |
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populist politician |
Cynically speaking, how a losing candidate describes a winning candidate. Otherwise, a politician who offers the people what they want irrespective of how moral, feasible or practical it is for such promises to be carried out. |
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pork barrell spending |
Politicians arranging big spending government contracts in their own
electorates so as to enhance their reputation with their constituents. More
prevalent in governments with |
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positivist / naturalist law |
Two opposing branches of legal philosophy, either of which judges use to aid decision making. Naturalist law theory is that law is the ageless law of nature, deduced by the reasoning process of the interpreter or the teachings of God, and should be followed even where it may conflict with duly constituted legislation. Positivist law theory is simply following the democratically instituted law of the land no matter how rational and just it may, or may not, appear to be. |
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pragmatism |
A non-ideological approach to political issues where “the merits of the particular case” may take a higher than normal precedence. |
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preferential voting |
Also known as Choice Voting. Voters do not simply tick off one candidate/party but vote for a number in order of their preference with the intention that at the least, one choice will be elected. In Australia the term is sometimes curiously used as a synonym for single member voting. |
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pre-poll votes |
Voting prior to election day by post or attending a special |
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presidential system |
As opposed to parliamentary government, a constitutional framework where the executive is directly appointed by and responsible to, the people. eg, France, Sth Korea, Philippines & USA. |
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primary vote |
The number of first choice votes that a candidate receives in Preferential voting systems. See also Two Party Preferred |
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private member’s bill |
Proposed legislation introduced not by the government or opposition but by just an individual MP. |
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proletariat |
Term used in Marxist ideology to describe the working class who don’t own property and whose only value is their labor. |
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property right |
The right to use, control, benefit and exclude others from any tangible or intangible object. |
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proportional representation |
A voting system where the whole state is just one electorate and parties win seats in proportion to the total votes they receive in an election. Hybrid systems often exist where the state is divided up into a number of multi-member electorates whereby seats won are approximately proportional to the votes cast. |
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provisional vote |
Votes cast at an election in circumstances where a voter's name cannot be found on the roll or has already been marked off the roll. They are not counted until a careful check of enrolment records has been made. |
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psephology |
Greek for voting with pebbles. The statistical and / or predictive study of elections. |
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Question Time |
One of the tenets of Responsible Government whereby, for a set period of time each sitting day in parliament, government ministers must be answerable to any MP’s questions, even though in practice there is nothing to prevent answers from being evasive. |
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quota |
In proportional representation systems, the percentage or actual number of votes a candidate needs to win one of the seats available. For Australian half-Senate elections it is approximately 14.3% |
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quota preferential |
Preferential voting used in conjunction with proportional representation. |
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rapprochement |
The renewal or establishment of friendly relations between states which were previously hostile towards each other. |
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realpolitik |
The politics of realism. Rather than from principle, a self interested approach to politics either from the standpoint of one’s party or, in international affairs, from one’s country. |
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recall |
Electoral whereby an elected official, including the chief executive, can be recalled from office by the voters if there are sufficient signatures on a petition. |
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recession |
A country’s economic status achieved following two consecutive quarters of a drop in real GNP. |
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redistribution |
In |
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referendum |
A public vote with possibly legally binding consequences. |
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rent seeker |
Someone who attempts to make an income by manipulating the social or political or economic environment to his advantage, in the form of political lobbying, rather than actually creating goods or services himself. The “rent” coming to him is usually from government enforced monopoly privileges, or government grants paid for “services” which the free market might not otherwise see as of any value. |
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repatriation |
The sending back of someone to his country of origin such as an illegal immigrant or prisoner of war. |
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representative democracy |
In modern times what is commonly know as a democracy, even though the people do not directly vote on actual issues and laws but surrender that right to their duly elected representatives. |
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republic |
A form of government where, in word or deed, rule is constrained by institutional frameworks and is not by the selected few. Not an oligarchy but not necessarily a democracy. |
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responsible government |
When government evolved from an independent authoritative monarch in conjunction with a people’s parliament to a subservient monarch together with a prime minister and parliament, it was said that government (the executive in the form of the prime minister and cabinet) became responsible to parliament. Now taken to be synonymous with parliamentary government. |
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retrospective legislation |
a.k.a. ex post facto laws. Laws defining behavior upon which one can be held criminally liable or responsible in civil court or otherwise liable for payment (such as taxation), even when that behavior may have happened before the enactment of said laws. More prevalent in autocracies as it violates the traditional concept of the rule of law, although is known to sometimes happen in democracies. |
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right wing / left wing |
‘on the right’ would be loosely described as a political philosophy which favors
conservative, pro-market, attitudes with a preference for (some)
individual rights over interventionist government, a strict approach to law
and order, and a strong defense force and a sense of nationalism. |
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American acronyms to describe people embracing faux political positions. Republican In Name Only / Liberal In Name Only. |
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roll |
The list of voters eligible to vote at an election. |
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rule of law |
The traditional legal concept, dating back as far as Aristotle, that we live under a set of predetermined rules rather than the arbitrary “wise guidance” of any contemporary judge, King or chief executive. Does not necessarily imply democratic or just rule, but simply stable government where the law is proclaimed, followed, and applied equally to all. Term derived by 19th century British jurist A.C. Dicey.
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