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IELTS Government Vocabulary - Intermediate

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Created 5 months ago
administration
[noun]
/ədˌmɪn.ɪˈstreɪ.ʃən/
Definition

The management of public affairs or the group of people responsible for governing.

Examples
  • The new administration promised to improve public healthcare.
  • Poor administration can weaken trust in government.
Related Expressions
  • public administration
  • local administration
  • government administration
  • administrative system

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  • administration
    The management of public affairs or the group of people responsible for governing.
    Examples
    • The new administration promised to improve public healthcare.
    • Poor administration can weaken trust in government.
    Related Expressions
    • public administration
    • local administration
    • government administration
    • administrative system
  • authoritarianism
    A system or belief that supports strict obedience to authority and limited political freedom.
    Examples
    • Authoritarianism often grows in societies where institutions are weak.
    • The essay compared the rise of authoritarianism with the decline of democratic trust.
    Related Expressions
    • rise of authoritarianism
    • authoritarian politics
    • political repression
    • democratic decline
  • autonomy
    The freedom of a region, institution, or group to govern itself or make its own decisions.
    Examples
    • Fostering learner autonomy is considered essential for developing lifelong independent thinkers.
    • University students are expected to demonstrate greater autonomy in managing their studies than school pupils.
    Related Expressions
    • learner autonomy
    • foster autonomy
    • academic autonomy
    • promote autonomy
    • self-directed learning
    • independent study
  • coalition
    A temporary alliance of political parties or groups working together.
    Examples
    • No party won enough seats, so a coalition government was formed.
    • The coalition collapsed after disagreements over tax policy.
    Related Expressions
    • coalition government
    • form a coalition
    • coalition partner
    • ruling coalition
  • consensus
    General agreement among a group of people, especially in politics or public decision-making.
    Examples
    • There is broad consensus that public transport should receive more funding.
    • The policy was delayed because political parties could not reach a consensus.
    Related Expressions
    • reach a consensus
    • broad consensus
    • public consensus
    • political consensus
  • constitution
    The basic set of laws and principles by which a country is governed.
    Examples
    • The constitution protects the rights of citizens.
    • Any major legal reform must respect the constitution.
    Related Expressions
    • written constitution
    • constitutional law
    • constitutional right
    • amend the constitution
  • decree
    An official order made by a person or government with legal authority.
    Examples
    • The president issued a decree to restrict imports.
    • The policy was introduced by decree rather than debate.
    Related Expressions
    • government decree
    • issue a decree
    • presidential decree
    • official decree
  • diplomacy
    The management of relations between countries through discussion rather than conflict.
    Examples
    • Diplomacy is often more effective than military action.
    • International diplomacy played a key role in the peace agreement.
    Related Expressions
    • international diplomacy
    • diplomatic effort
    • quiet diplomacy
    • public diplomacy
  • diplomat
    An official who represents a country in relations with other countries.
    Examples
    • Diplomats met to discuss regional security issues.
    • A skilled diplomat can help prevent conflict between nations.
    Related Expressions
    • senior diplomat
    • career diplomat
    • foreign diplomat
    • diplomatic mission
  • electorate
    All the people in a country or area who are allowed to vote.
    Examples
    • The electorate was deeply divided on the issue.
    • Young members of the electorate are more active online.
    Related Expressions
    • the electorate
    • urban electorate
    • rural electorate
    • electorate opinion
  • enforcement
    The act of making sure that laws or rules are obeyed.
    Examples
    • Environmental laws are useless without proper enforcement.
    • Stronger enforcement could reduce tax evasion.
    Related Expressions
    • law enforcement
    • strict enforcement
    • enforcement agency
    • enforcement mechanism
  • federal
    Related to a system in which power is divided between a central government and regional governments.
    Examples
    • In a federal system, some powers belong to state governments.
    • Federal authorities introduced new guidelines for public education.
    Related Expressions
    • federal government
    • federal system
    • federal authority
    • federal law
  • fiscal
    Related to government money, especially taxation and public spending.
    Examples
    • Fiscal policy can influence employment and inflation.
    • The country adopted stricter fiscal measures to reduce debt.
    Related Expressions
    • fiscal policy
    • fiscal deficit
    • fiscal discipline
    • fiscal reform
  • legislation
    A law or a set of laws made by a government.
    Examples
    • Legislation banning smoking in public places has been one of the most effective public health measures of recent decades.
    • Stronger legislation is needed to limit the marketing of unhealthy food and drink products to children.
    Related Expressions
    • health legislation
    • introduce legislation
    • enforce legislation
    • public health legislation
    • new legislation
    • draft legislation
  • manifesto
    A public statement of the policies and aims of a political party.
    Examples
    • The party's manifesto promised better housing and lower taxes.
    • Voters often compare manifesto pledges before an election.
    Related Expressions
    • party manifesto
    • manifesto pledge
    • election manifesto
    • manifesto commitment
  • ministerial
    Related to a government minister or ministers.
    Examples
    • The issue led to several ministerial resignations.
    • A ministerial committee was formed to review the policy.
    Related Expressions
    • ministerial role
    • ministerial post
    • ministerial meeting
    • ministerial responsibility
  • ordinance
    An official rule or law, especially one made by a local authority or executive body.
    Examples
    • The city passed an ordinance to reduce plastic waste.
    • Several local ordinances were introduced after public complaints.
    Related Expressions
    • local ordinance
    • city ordinance
    • pass an ordinance
    • public ordinance
  • referendum
    A direct vote by the public on an important political issue.
    Examples
    • The government held a referendum on constitutional change.
    • Referendums can increase public participation in major decisions.
    Related Expressions
    • national referendum
    • hold a referendum
    • referendum result
    • constitutional referendum
  • sanction
    A penalty or restriction imposed by one country or authority to influence behaviour.
    Examples
    • Economic sanctions were introduced after the violation of international law.
    • Some argue that sanctions punish citizens more than political leaders.
    Related Expressions
    • economic sanction
    • trade sanction
    • impose sanctions
    • international pressure
  • secular
    Not connected with religion, especially in relation to government or education.
    Examples
    • A secular state does not give special legal status to one religion.
    • The essay discussed whether public schools should remain secular.
    Related Expressions
    • secular state
    • secular education
    • secular governance
    • religious neutrality
  • sovereignty
    A state's full right to govern itself without outside control.
    Examples
    • Indigenous communities are asserting their cultural sovereignty over how their traditions are presented to tourists.
    • The sovereignty of small island nations can be undermined by over-dependence on foreign-owned tourism infrastructure.
    Related Expressions
    • cultural sovereignty
    • territorial sovereignty
    • assert sovereignty
    • indigenous sovereignty
    • national sovereignty
    • state sovereignty
  • surveillance
    The careful monitoring of people, activities, or communications, often by the state.
    Examples
    • Mass surveillance by governments raises serious concerns about privacy and civil liberties.
    • CCTV surveillance in public spaces has been shown to reduce opportunistic crime.
    Related Expressions
    • CCTV surveillance
    • mass surveillance
    • under surveillance
    • surveillance camera
    • state surveillance
    • digital monitoring
  • treaty
    A formal agreement between two or more countries.
    Examples
    • The countries signed a treaty on climate cooperation.
    • Breaking an international treaty can damage diplomatic relations.
    Related Expressions
    • peace treaty
    • trade treaty
    • sign a treaty
    • international treaty
  • tribunal
    A special court or official body set up to deal with a particular type of dispute or issue.
    Examples
    • The case was referred to an employment tribunal.
    • An international tribunal investigated the allegations.
    Related Expressions
    • special tribunal
    • international tribunal
    • tribunal ruling
    • tribunal hearing
  • subsidy
    Money given by the government to support an industry, service, or group of people.
    Examples
    • Farmers often receive subsidies from the government.
    • Fuel subsidies can reduce costs in the short term but strain public finances.
    Related Expressions
    • government subsidy
    • fuel subsidy
    • housing subsidy
    • remove subsidies
  • amnesty
    An official decision to forgive people for political offences or illegal acts, often by a government.
    Examples
    • The government announced an amnesty for individuals who had violated minor immigration rules.
    • Some people supported the amnesty, while others believed it would weaken the rule of law.
    Related Expressions
    • grant amnesty
    • political amnesty
    • general amnesty
    • amnesty programme
  • commission
    An official body created to manage a public issue or investigate a problem.
    Examples
    • An independent commission was established to investigate corruption.
    • The election commission announced new voting guidelines.
    Related Expressions
    • public commission
    • independent commission
    • election commission
    • commission report
  • deficit
    The amount by which government spending is greater than the money it receives.
    Examples
    • A large budget deficit may limit future public spending.
    • The government is under pressure to reduce the deficit.
    Related Expressions
    • budget deficit
    • trade deficit
    • reduce the deficit
    • fiscal deficit
  • embassy
    The official building or offices where a country's diplomats work in another country.
    Examples
    • The embassy issued a travel warning for its citizens abroad.
    • Several diplomats met at the embassy during the crisis.
    Related Expressions
    • foreign embassy
    • embassy staff
    • visit the embassy
    • embassy official
  • mandate
    The authority or public support given to a government or leader to carry out policies.
    Examples
    • Several governments chose to mandate vaccination against certain diseases for healthcare workers and vulnerable groups.
    • Health authorities can mandate the closure of food establishments that consistently fail to meet hygiene standards.
    Related Expressions
    • mandate vaccination
    • government mandate
    • public health mandate
    • mandate health measures
    • public mandate
    • electoral mandate
  • nationalization
    The process by which a government takes control of a private company or industry.
    Examples
    • Some politicians support nationalization of rail services to improve reliability.
    • The essay asked whether nationalization is a better option than privatization.
    Related Expressions
    • state ownership
    • nationalization policy
    • public control
    • take into public ownership