Politics and Government in SpanishB1

Politics brings together decisions about how a country is organized, who leads it and how public resources are distributed. In this category you will find words from Society, because political life affects schools, transportation, taxes and services. Some words vary by country: gobierno can refer to the set of authorities or to the group that rules at a given moment, and parlamento, congreso or asamblea name the institution where laws are enacted. Also the Estado is used to talk about the complete political structure and política for public activity or for a specific stance.

The gobierno directs the country and makes decisions about public affairs. The parlamento or the congreso gather the representatives who discuss and approve laws. In some countries there is a senado, which forms part of the legislative power together with the lower chamber. The ayuntamiento manages the municipality and deals with local matters such as cleaning, works or urban transport. When talking about institutions, the Estado, the administración and the servicios públicos also appear, which relate to topics of Servicios y Funcionarios.

Political positions and authorities

Word	Definition
gobierno	Person who leads the government or an institution.
parlamento	Authority who heads a ministry and decides area policies.
congreso	Elected representative who participates in Parliament.
senado	Person who governs a city council.
ayuntamiento	Member of local government who works in the municipality.
ministerio	Authority that directs a region or a province in some countries.
tribunal	Person who speaks on behalf of a group or institution.
administración	Person who politically opposes the government or a proposal.

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The presidente is the highest authority of the executive power in many countries. A ministro heads a specific area, such as education, health or economy. The diputado represents voters in the parliament or congress, and the senador participates in the upper chamber when it exists. At the local level, the alcalde runs the city council and the concejal is part of the municipal team. The gobernador usually administers a region, province or federated state, depending on the country.

Basic vocabulary of elections

Word	Definition
presidente	Choose an option in an election or referendum.
ministro	Process in which people choose representatives.
diputado	Period in which candidates present their ideas.
alcalde	Set of people or proposal that is presented to be chosen.
concejal	Box where votes are deposited.
gobernador	Count of votes that determines the result.
portavoz	Paper with which the vote is expressed.
opositor	Right or act of participating by voting.

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to vote is to choose a person or proposal in elections. During the campaign, candidates present their ideas and seek support. The candidatura is the list of people or the proposal that is presented to the election. The urnas are the containers where votes are deposited, and the escrutinio is the final tally. Also the mesa electoral, papeleta and resultados are mentioned when the process advances until the winner is known.

Words of law and public management

Word	Definition
votar	Norm that obliges to follow rules within a country.
elecciones	Official decision that is issued by an authority.
campaña	Rule that orders how to act in a situation.
candidatura	Amount of money that is planned to spend.
urna	Way of organizing and administering resources or tasks.
escrutinio	Set of organizations that serve the public.
papeleta	Formal step that must be completed to obtain something.
sufragio	Set of documents that collect official information about a matter.

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A ley is a rule approved by the competent authority. A decreto is usually a provision issued by the government, and a norma can be a general rule of mandatory compliance. The presupuesto indicates how much public money will be received and spent. The gestión refers to the way resources and tasks are organized, while the administración pública is the set of agencies and employees that implement the State’s decisions. In official documents, these words appear alongside procedures, regulations and procedures.

Citizen participation and protest

Word	Definition
ley	Set of people that form part of a political community.
decreto	Privilege that allows doing something legally.
norma	Public expression of disagreement or claim.
presupuesto	Gathering of people that show an opinion in the street.
gestión	Formal request to ask something from an authority.
administración pública	Vote in which the population decides on a matter.
trámite	Written name to support a request or agreement.
expediente	Volunteer participation to help a cause.

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The ciudadanía is the set of people with rights and duties within a country. A derecho can be the right to vote, education or freedom of expression. When a group wants to express disagreement, it organizes a protest or a demonstration. A petición formally asks for a measure or a change. The referéndum allows voting directly on a concrete proposal. These words are used a lot in topics of Society and in news about public participation.

Words about ideologies and parties

Word	Definition
ciudadanía	Political group that presents ideas and candidates.
derecho	Political stance that usually defends more social equality.
protesta	Political stance that usually gives more weight to order or market.
manifestación	Political stance that seeks balance between positions.
petición	Who prefers to keep traditions or slow changes.
referéndum	Who supports social changes or new reforms.
firma	Agreement between parties to govern together.
voluntariado	Person who actively participates in a party or cause.

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A partido is a political organization that presents candidates and defends a program. The izquierda is usually associated with policies of greater State social intervention, while the derecha is linked to more weight of the market or traditional order, though the meaning changes depending on the country. The centro occupies an intermediate position. Conservador describes someone who defends slower changes or traditional values, and progresista someone who supports social reforms and broad changes. In everyday speech, these words help locate ideas, parties and voters on the political map.

News and political debate

Word	Definition
partido	Grupo político que presenta ideas y candidatos.
izquierda	Posición política que suele defender más igualdad social.
derecha	Posición política que suele dar más peso al orden o al mercado.
centro	Posición política que busca equilibrio entre posturas.
conservador	Que prefiere mantener tradiciones o cambios lentos.
progresista	Que apoya cambios sociales o reformas nuevas.
coalición	Acuerdo entre partidos para gobernar juntos.
militante	Persona que participa activamente en un partido o causa.

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In the press, a debate faces different ideas about a measure or a problem. A reforma changes a law, an institution or a public policy. The crisis appears when there is a serious situation that requires quick decisions. A acuerdo brings several parties to a single solution, and the consenso goes further because it achieves broad support. The oposición criticizes or oversees the government from outside power, and a propuesta offers a concrete measure to resolve a matter. These words appear in headlines, interviews and conversations about government and public life.