Power and Politics

Government

The organisation in charge of a nation, state, or community.

Authoritarian

A government in which one leader or group of people holds absolute power.

Democracy

A system where all eligible members of the population can vote for the government.

Single party state

A country in which one political party controls the government

Communist

Someone who generally believes in social ownership, strong government and reducing economic inequality

Anarchy

An absence of government

Politician

A person active in party politics

Monarchy

A country with a king or queen, (who sometimes has absolute power). Power is passed along through the family.

Theocracy

A government controlled by religious leaders

Oligarchy

A government ruled by a few powerful people

Government policy

A plan or course of action, as of a government intended to influence and determine decisions, actions, and other matters

Left wing policies

Progressive political actions that generally support public education, equal opportunity, workers' rights and welfare.

Right wing policies

Privatisation of industries, traditional family values, reduce immigration etc

Political spectrum

A system of classifying different political views on a scale

Facism

A political system headed by a dictator that calls for extreme nationalism and racism and has no tolerance for opposition

Nationalisation

Governments take control of previously privately run businesses.

Privatisation of industry

When the government sell off organisations or departments to private businesses

Deregulation

The lifting of government restrictions on business, industry, and professional activities.

LEGCO

Legislative Council (Hong Kong)

Colonialism

Attempt by one country to establish settlements and to impose its political, economic, and cultural principles in another territory.

The British Empire

Formerly the United Kingdom and all the territories under its control.

Electoral System

The method used to calculate the number of votes needed to win an election.

Ideology

A system of ideas and ideals that forms the basis of economic or political theory

Constitutional Monarchy

A system where a monarch's powers are limited by a constitution or laws, sharing authority with an elected government.

Absolute Monarchy

A form of monarchy where the monarch has unrestricted power and authority over the state.

Dictatorship

A system where a single leader or party holds absolute power, often maintained through force

Military Dictatorship

A form of government in which military leaders control the state, often following a coup d'état.

Basic Law

The constitutional document that outlines the governance framework of Hong Kong, establishing the principle of "one country, two systems."

District Councils

Local councils in Hong Kong that provide a platform for public participation in local governance, primarily advisory in nature.

Election Committee

A 1,500-member body that elects the Chief Executive and consists of representatives from various sectors of society.

Functional Constituencies

Special electoral divisions representing specific sectors or professions (e.g. education) in LegCo elections, limiting broader electoral participation.

Sino-British Joint Declaration

An agreement between China and the UK outlining the terms of Hong Kong's handover and its governance framework post-1997

Public Expenditure

Government spending on public services and infrastructure projects.

Xi Jinping

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President of China.

Vladimir Putin

President of Russia.

Narendra Modi

Prime Minister of India.

Donald Trump

President of the United States.

Justin Trudeau

Prime Minister of Canada.

Emmanuel Macron

President of France.

Anthony Albanese

Prime Minister of Australia.