📚 Year 12 Cambridge Politics: Key Terms Memory Guide | 12年级剑桥政治：关键术语速记指南
Mastering the essential vocabulary of Cambridge AS Level Politics is the first step to writing high-scoring essays and building analytical confidence. This guide presents ten foundational terms, each followed by a brief explanation in both English and Chinese, to reinforce understanding and support rapid revision. The selected concepts cover core areas of political systems, governance, and constitutional principles, directly relevant to the Year 12 Cambridge syllabus.
掌握剑桥AS Level政治课程的核心词汇，是写出高分论文、建立分析信心的第一步。本指南精选十个基础术语，每个术语后附有中英文简要解释，以强化理解并帮助快速复习。所选概念涵盖政治体系、治理和宪政原则等核心领域，与12年级剑桥课程大纲直接相关。
1. Sovereignty | 主权
Sovereignty refers to the supreme, ultimate authority within a territory. In a state, the sovereign power holds the final say over laws and policies, and no higher external body can overrule it. In the UK context, parliamentary sovereignty means that Parliament is the supreme legal authority, capable of making or ending any law.
主权指向一个领土内至高无上的最终权力。在一个国家中，主权者掌握法律和政策的最终决定权，任何更高的外部机构都无权推翻。在英国语境下，议会主权意味着议会是最高法律权威，能够制定或废止任何法律。
2. Democracy | 民主
Democracy is a system of government where power is vested in the people, who exercise it directly or through freely elected representatives. Key features include free and fair elections, protection of individual rights, political pluralism, and the rule of law. Democracy can be direct, as in referendums, or representative, as in most modern states.
民主是一种权力属于人民的政府体制，人民直接或通过自由选出的代表行使权力。其主要特征包括自由公正的选举、个人权利的保护、政治多元化和法治。民主可以是直接的（如公投），也可以是代议制的（如大多数现代国家）。
3. Constitution | 宪法
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state is governed. It establishes the structure of government, distributes powers among institutions, and defines the relationship between the state and the citizen. Constitutions can be codified in a single document, like the US Constitution, or uncodified and drawn from multiple sources, as in the United Kingdom.
宪法是一套据以治理国家的基本原则或既定先例。它确立政府的架构，在机构之间分配权力，并界定国家与公民的关系。宪法可以是以单一文件成文的（如美国宪法），也可以是不成文、来自多种渊源的（如联合王国）。
4. Rule of Law | 法治
The rule of law is the principle that all individuals, institutions, and the government itself are accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated, equally enforced, and independently adjudicated. It ensures that no one is above the law, that legal decisions are made through fair procedures, and that fundamental rights are protected against arbitrary power.
法治是一项原则，即所有个人、机构和政府自身都受到公开颁布、平等执行和独立裁决的法律的约束。它确保无人凌驾于法律之上，法律决定通过公正程序作出，基本权利受保护免受专断权力的侵害。
5. Separation of Powers | 权力分立
The separation of powers is a doctrine whereby the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government are kept distinct to prevent the concentration of power. Each branch has separate personnel and functions, and operates checks and balances on the others. In practice, parliamentary systems often exhibit a fusion of powers between executive and legislature, while presidential systems maintain a clearer separation.
权力分立是一种学说，主张将政府的立法、行政和司法分支彼此分离，以防止权力集中。每个分支有各自人员与职能，并对其他分支进行制衡。在实践中，议会制常表现出行政与立法的权力融合，而总统制则维持更清晰的分立。
6. Cabinet Government | 内阁制政府
Cabinet government describes a system where executive authority is exercised collectively by a cabinet of senior ministers, usually drawn from and accountable to the legislature. The prime minister is first among equals, and decisions are taken collectively. In the UK, the cabinet is the core decision-making body, though prime ministerial power has grown significantly in recent decades.
内阁制政府描述了一种由高级部长组成的内阁集体行使行政权力的体制，部长通常来自并对立法机关负责。首相是平等中的第一人，集体作出决定。在英国，内阁是核心决策机构，尽管近几十年来首相权力显著增长。
7. Prime Ministerial Government | 首相制政府
Prime ministerial government refers to the trend where the prime minister dominates the executive branch, sidelining the collective cabinet. This can happen through control over government machinery, centralised media management, and a large parliamentary majority. It suggests a shift from traditional cabinet government to a more personalised leadership style, often compared to a presidency within a parliamentary system.
首相制政府指向首相主导行政部门、让集体内阁边缘化的趋势。这可能通过对政府机器的控制、集中的媒体管理和议会大比数优势来实现。它表明从传统内阁制政府向更加个人化的领导风格转变，常被比作议会制中的总统制。
8. Judicial Independence | 司法独立
Judicial independence is the principle that the judiciary should be free from interference by the other branches of government or private interests. Judges must be able to decide cases impartially, based on the law and facts, without fear of removal or pressure. This concept is vital for upholding the rule of law and protecting civil liberties, and is reinforced through security of tenure and financial independence.
司法独立是一项原则，即司法机关应免受政府其他分支或私人利益的干涉。法官必须能够依据法律和事实公正判案，不必担心被免职或遭受压力。这一概念对维护法治和保障公民自由至关重要，并通过任期保障和财务独立得到强化。
9. Devolution | 权力下放
Devolution is the transfer of certain legislative and executive powers from the central government to regional or sub-national institutions, while the sovereign authority remains with the centre. In the UK, devolution has created the Scottish Parliament, the Senedd Cymru (Welsh Parliament), and the Northern Ireland Assembly. Unlike federalism, devolved powers can technically be repealed by the sovereign parliament.
权力下放是将某些立法和行政权力从中央政府转移至地区或地方机构，但主权仍由中央保留。在英国，权力下放产生了苏格兰议会、威尔士议会（Senedd Cymru）和北爱尔兰议会。与联邦制不同，主权议会在法理上可以撤销下放的权力。
10. Political Sovereignty and Legal Sovereignty | 政治主权与法律主权
Legal sovereignty refers to the body that has the ultimate legal authority to make and enforce laws — in the UK, this is Parliament. Political sovereignty, in contrast, refers to where real power ultimately lies: with the electorate, or the people themselves, who can change the composition of Parliament at elections. This distinction helps explain the limits of parliamentary sovereignty in a democratic age.
法律主权指拥有最终法律权威来制定和执行法律的机构——在英国，这是议会。相反，政治主权指最终权力实际所在之处：即选民或人民自身，他们可以通过选举改变议会的构成。这一区分有助于说明民主时代议会主权的局限性。
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