Political Words

Political words explain how governments work, how leaders are chosen, and how decisions are made. They help you understand news about elections, laws, and global events. For example, democracy means a system where people vote for their leaders, and policy is a plan that a government creates to solve problems.

Categories of Political Vocabulary

Political words are organized into categories like types of government, election-related terms, policy and law, political ideologies, and international relations. Each category has example sentences to show how the words are used in everyday English.

Types of Government

Types of government describe different ways countries are ruled or organized, such as by kings, elected officials, or a small group.

English Term	Spanish Translation	English Example	Spanish Example
Democracy	Democracia	Democracy allows citizens to vote for their leaders.	La democracia permite a los ciudadanos votar por sus líderes.
Republic	República	The country is a republic with an elected president.	El país es una república con un presidente electo.
Monarchy	Monarquía	A monarchy is ruled by a king or queen.	Una monarquía está gobernada por un rey o reina.
Dictatorship	Dictadura	In a dictatorship, one person has complete control.	En una dictadura, una persona tiene control total.
Oligarchy	Oligarquía	An oligarchy is ruled by a small group of people.	Una oligarquía es gobernada por un pequeño grupo de personas.

Election and Voting

Election and voting terms explain how people choose leaders and participate in government.

English Term	Spanish Translation	English Example	Spanish Example
Election	Elección	The election will take place next month.	La elección será el próximo mes.
Candidate	Candidato/a	She is a candidate for mayor.	Ella es candidata a alcaldesa.
Vote	Voto / Votar	Every citizen has the right to vote.	Cada ciudadano tiene derecho a votar.
Ballot	Boleta	We cast our votes on a secret ballot.	Emitimos nuestros votos en una boleta secreta.
Campaign	Campaña	The campaign focused on education reform.	La campaña se centró en la reforma educativa.

Every citizen has the right to _ in an election.

debate

vote

run

campaign

vote

Voting is the process where citizens choose their leaders or decide on policies during an election.

Policy and Law

These words describe how governments create rules and manage public issues.

English Term	Spanish Translation	English Example	Spanish Example
Policy	Política	The new policy aims to reduce pollution.	La nueva política busca reducir la contaminación.
Legislation	Legislación	Congress passed legislation to improve healthcare.	El Congreso aprobó legislación para mejorar la atención médica.
Government	Gobierno	The government announced a budget increase.	El gobierno anunció un aumento del presupuesto.
Law	Ley	It is against the law to drive without a license.	Conducir sin licencia es ilegal.
Regulation	Regulación	New regulations control emissions from factories.	Nuevas regulaciones controlan las emisiones de las fábricas.

Political Ideologies

Political ideologies are sets of beliefs about how societies should be organized and governed.

English Term	Spanish Translation	English Example	Spanish Example
Liberalism	Liberalismo	Liberalism emphasizes individual rights and freedoms.	El liberalismo enfatiza los derechos y libertades individuales.
Conservatism	Conservadurismo	Conservatism values tradition and social stability.	El conservadurismo valora la tradición y la estabilidad social.
Socialism	Socialismo	Socialism advocates for public ownership of resources.	El socialismo aboga por la propiedad pública de los recursos.
Communism	Comunismo	Communism seeks to create a classless society.	El comunismo busca crear una sociedad sin clases.
Capitalism	Capitalismo	Capitalism supports free markets and private ownership.	El capitalismo apoya los mercados libres y la propiedad privada.

Socialism advocates for public _ of resources.

trade

consumption

ownership

ownership

Socialism supports the idea that resources and means of production should be owned or regulated by the public or the state.

International Relations

International relations terms help explain how countries interact through diplomacy, trade, and agreements.

English Term	Spanish Translation	English Example	Spanish Example
Diplomacy	Diplomacia	Diplomacy is used to resolve conflicts peacefully.	La diplomacia se usa para resolver conflictos pacíficamente.
Treaty	Tratado	The two countries signed a peace treaty.	Los dos países firmaron un tratado de paz.
Ambassador	Embajador/a	The ambassador met with the foreign minister.	El embajador se reunió con el ministro de exteriores.
Sanctions	Sanciones	Economic sanctions were imposed to pressure the regime.	Se impusieron sanciones económicas para presionar al régimen.
United Nations	Naciones Unidas	The United Nations promotes global cooperation.	Las Naciones Unidas promueven la cooperación global.

The United Nations promotes global _.

isolation

cooperation

competition

conflict

cooperation

The United Nations is an international organization that encourages countries to work together on peace, security, and development.

Conclusion

Political vocabulary covers many areas, from how governments are formed to how laws are made and how countries work together. Learning these words helps you understand news and participate in conversations about politics.

English Term: Democracy
English Example: Democracy allows citizens to vote for their leaders.

English