YH1 - Suomalainen Yhteiskunta Key Vocab in English

YH1-kurssin tärkeimmät termit englanniksi. *Tekoälyn kääntämä*

Democracy (narrow definition)

System in which the people decide on issues through free elections.

Democracy (broad definition)

Free elections plus safeguarded fundamental rights, rule of law and an active civil society.

Representative (indirect) democracy

Citizens elect representatives to exercise power on their behalf (e.g., municipal, parliamentary, presidential and EU elections).

Direct democracy

Citizens exercise power themselves, most clearly through a referendum.

Fundamental rights

Rights written into the Constitution that every citizen possesses.

Negative rights

Fundamental rights that protect freedom from interference, such as freedom of speech, bodily integrity and freedom of religion.

Positive rights

Fundamental rights that require the state to provide conditions for a dignified life, such as education and social security.

Welfare state

State that guarantees each resident’s basic needs through benefits and public services.

Nordic welfare model

Variant in which the state offers comprehensive basic security financed mainly by progressive taxation.

Progressive taxation

Tax system where the tax rate rises as income increases.

Income transfer

Public money redistributed to individuals, e.g., social assistance.

Means-tested benefit

Support granted only after assessing individual need; must be applied for (e.g., social assistance).

Universal benefit

Support available to everyone in the target group without a means test (e.g., child-health clinic services).

Social security

Overall system of social insurance, healthcare and social services that protects residents from major life risks.

Social insurance

Earnings-related schemes such as unemployment and sickness insurance.

Healthcare (public)

Medical services organised mainly by municipalities, funded by taxes.

Social services

Welfare services such as child protection, elderly care and housing support.

Public sector

State, regions and municipalities that finance and deliver most benefits and services.

Absolute poverty

Lack of resources to secure basic physical survival.

Relative poverty

Living on markedly lower income or resources than the majority of society.

Unemployment

Situation in which a 15–64-year-old available for work has no job despite seeking one.

Unemployment rate

Percentage of the labour force that is unemployed.

Employment rate

Percentage of the working-age population that is employed.

Cyclical unemployment

Joblessness caused by an economic downturn when companies cut labour.

Structural unemployment

Joblessness due to long-term industry decline or automation.

Seasonal unemployment

Joblessness that recurs at specific times of the year in certain industries.

Frictional unemployment

Short-term unemployment occurring between jobs or after studies.

Dependency ratio

Relationship between people who are not working and those who work and pay taxes.

Demographic dependency ratio

Number of under-15s and over-65s per 100 people aged 15–64.

Economic dependency ratio

Number of non-working people divided by the number of employed people.

Politics

Process of managing common affairs and resolving conflicts in society.

Political party

Civic organisation aiming to wield political power.

Left–right axis

Division based mainly on economic policy preferences.

Liberalism versus conservatism

Value divide concerning moral and social norms.

Proportional electoral system

Seats in a district distributed to parties roughly in proportion to their vote share.

Hidden electoral threshold

Minimum vote share needed to win a seat in a small multi-member district.

Majoritarian (plurality) system

Party or candidate with the most votes in a district wins all or the only seat(s).

Multi-party system

Party landscape with several influential parties, typical under proportional rules.

Two-party system

Environment dominated by two major parties, often produced by majoritarian rules.

Parliament (Eduskunta)

Finnish legislature of 200 MPs wielding supreme legislative and budgetary power.

Parliamentarism

System in which parliament selects the prime minister and may dismiss the government.

Plenary session

Meeting of the full parliament for debate and decision-making.

Committee (parliamentary)

Small group of MPs preparing legislation in a specific policy field.

Party discipline (group discipline)

Expectation that MPs vote according to their party’s agreed line.

Ordinary law

Statute passed by a simple parliamentary majority and subordinate to the Constitution.

Constitution

Supreme law requiring qualified majorities for amendment.

Executive power

Authority to implement laws and run state administration, held by the government and president.

Council of State (Government)

Body of the prime minister and ministers exercising most executive power.

Minister

Member of government heading a ministry and representing Finland in EU matters for that field.

Municipal autonomy

Right of a municipality to levy taxes and decide on local matters within law.

Municipal merger

Joining of municipalities to improve finances or service provision.

Collective labour agreement

Binding sector-wide contract on pay and working conditions negotiated by employer and employee organisations.

Employer confederation

Central organisation representing employers in collective bargaining (e.g., EK).

Employee confederation

Central organisation representing workers’ unions (e.g., SAK, STTK, AKAVA).

Centralised settlement

Nationwide collective agreement laying down general wage and contract frames.

Trade union

Organisation of workers within an occupation or sector defending members’ interests.

Unemployment fund

Separate organisation paying earnings-related unemployment benefits to its insured members.