Aqa Gcse Citizenship Specific Vocabulary

Front 1

Active Citizen

Back 1

A person who actively takes responsibility, becomes involved in areas of public concern and tries to make a difference.

Front 2

Active citizenship

Back 2

Participating in society to brighten about change.

Front 3

Advocacy

Back 3

Representing or supporting a person or an organisation by writing, speaking or taking action on behalf of that person or organisation.

Front 4

British values

Back 4

A set of standards which reflect the ideals of British society.

Front 5

By-election

Back 5

An election to a public office that occurs when a post holder dies or resigns between elections.

Front 6

Campaigning

Back 6

Actions or events organised by an individual or a group of people to achieve an aim.

Front 7

Censorship

Back 7

The control of information or ideas within a society.

Front 8

Charities

Back 8

Local, national or international organisations which are set up to help those in need. The term also has a legal status as charities registered with the government receive some tax benefits.

Front 9

Citizen

Back 9

Being a citizen of a country and being vested with the rights and responsibilities of that state.

Front 10

Civil service

Back 10

Individuals who are employed by the government.

Front 11

Coalition

Back 11

An agreement between political parties to format a government.

Front 12

Common law

Back 12

Law made by the decision of judges over the years.

Front 13

Commonwealth

Back 13

An international association between the UK and countries which were previously part of the British Empire.

Front 14

Council of Europe

Back 14

An intergovernmental organisation founded in 1949, which encourages European countries to cooperate with each other. It is an independent body and should not be confused with the European Union, which is a completely separate organisation. The European Court of Human Rights is the best known body in the council of Europe.

Front 15

Criminal law

Back 15

Law which deals with individuals who break the law, and which punishes offenders because they have broken laws that parliament has stated we all obey.

Front 16

Democracy

Back 16

A system of government, where the citizens are able to vote in regular and fair elections for representatives, who will make laws and decisions on their behalf.

Front 17

Demonstration

Back 17

A public meeting or March protesting against a specific issue.

Front 18

Devolution

Back 18

The transfer of power from the government to the Welsh Assembly, the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Scottish Parliament.

Front 19

Direct democracy

Back 19

Where the people decide on the policy directly, for example through a vote or referendum on each issue.

Front 20

Equal opportunities

Back 20

Allowing all people access to the same opportunities, regardless of their disability, religion, age, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation.

Front 21

Executive

Back 21

The branch of the Government, which is responsible for putting laws or decisions into effect.

Front 22

EU (The European Union)

Back 22

An economic and political union between a number of European countries, who work closely together.

Front 23

First past the post

Back 23

The voting system used in the UK to elect members of some local councils and members of parliament, whereby the candidate with the most votes in a constituency wins.

Front 24

General election

Back 24

When citizens of a country vote to elect a new government. A general election in the UK usually happens every 5 years.

Front 25

Government

Back 25

The individuals who have been elected to run the state, led by the Prime Minister in the UK.

Front 26

House of commons

Back 26

An elected body currently consisting of 650 members of parliament. It is the lower house of parliament and meets in the Palace of Westminster.

Front 27

House of lords

Back 27

The upper house of parliament, meeting in the Palace of Westminster. It comprises of life peers and hereditary peers, who scrutinise the bills approved by the House of Commons.

Front 28

Human rights

Back 28

Basic rights and freedoms which all people are entitled to.

Front 29

Immigration

Back 29

The process of people moving from one country to another to live and work.

Front 30

Interest group

Back 30

An organisation which tries to influence the government to adopt certain policies on a particular issue.

Front 31

Judicary

Back 31

Branch of the state that is responsible for enforcing the law. It comprises the Judges and other legal officials.

Front 32

Juries

Back 32

A group of local people who are chosen randomly to make a decision in a legal case.

Front 33

Justice

Back 33

The fairness as a result of the application of Law, usually by a judge, in society.

Front 34

Legislature

Back 34

The law making body of the state i.e the Parliament.

Front 35

Lobbying

Back 35

A person or group of people meeting or taking action (eg writing letters, demonstrating, petitioning) to try to persuade a politician to take up their cause.

Front 36

Local government

Back 36

A system of government that operates at a local level providing services to its community.

Front 37

Localism

Back 37

When people in a particular local area are able to make decisions about policies which affect their local area.

Front 38

The media

Back 38

A means of communication.

Mass media- television, radio and printed media which can reach a large number of people.

New media- the Internet and social media.

Front 39

Migration

Back 39

The movement of people between different countries.

Front 40

Monarchy

Back 40

A former of government in which a king or queen reigns as the head of state. The UK is a constitutional monarchy.

Front 41

Multiple identities

Back 41

When an individual is able to assume a range of different identities. These identities may clash.

Front 42

Multiculturalism

Back 42

The co-existance of different ethnic races, cultures and religions.

Front 43

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation)

Back 43

An international military defence organisation comprising of different countries who work together to try and settle disputes amongst nations.

Front 44

NGO (Non-governmental organisation)

Back 44

A non-profit, voluntary groups of citizens who work on a local, national or international level to achieve an aim. They are not controlled by the government, but will often work closely with them. An example of an NGO is save the children.

Front 45

Paeliament

Back 45

The institution of government in the UK. It comprises of three parts: the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the monarch.

Front 46

Petition

Back 46

A formal, written request, usually signed by many people, which appeals to the authorities to bring about change in regard to a particular issue.

Front 47

Police

Back 47

An official state organisation which is responsible for maintaining public order by preventing and detecting crime.

Front 48

Pressure group

Back 48

An organised group of people who take action together to try to bring change regarding a specific issue.

Front 49

Prime Minster

Back 49

The head of Government.

Front 50

Public spending

Back 50

The money spent by the state.

Front 51

Referendum

Back 51

A general vote by the electorate on a single issue which has been referred to them for a direct decision. It is a from of direct democracy.

Front 52

Representing democracy

Back 52

When the citizens of a country elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf.

Front 53

Responsibilities

Back 53

A duty that we are expected to do as a citizen of a country.

Front 54

Rights

Back 54

A right is something we are entitled to by law.

Front 55

Sentencing

Back 55

The process of giving a punishment to a person found guilty in a court case.

Front 56

Society

Back 56

The people living together in an ordered community.

Front 57

Taxation

Back 57

The way in which the government finances some of its spending by imposing charges on citizens and corporations.

Front 58

Trade unions

Back 58

A group of workers in the same trade or profession who have joined together to protect their rights.

Front 59

UN (United Nations)

Back 59

An international organisation comprising of most countries in the world which aims to promote peace, security and international cooperation. The UK is a permanent member of the Security Council with the ability to veto any decision.

Front 60

Volunteering

Back 60

When one person gives their own time to help other without being paid.

Front 61

Voter apathy

Back 61

When a lot of people decide not to vote in an election.

Front 62

WTO (World Trade Organisation)

Back 62

An international organisation which deals with the global rules of trade between nations.