📚 Year 12 SQA Politics Key Terms: A Quick Revision Guide | 苏格兰SQA政治关键词汇速记指南
Mastering essential political terminology is the first step towards success in the SQA Higher Politics exam. This bilingual guide breaks down key concepts into clear, memorable definitions, helping you build a strong foundation whether you are preparing for source-based questions, essays, or data-response tasks. From power and democracy to electoral systems and ideologies, each term is explained first in English and then in Chinese, making revision efficient and accessible.
掌握核心政治术语是你在SQA高等政治考试中取得成功的基石。这份双语速记指南将关键概念拆解为清晰易记的定义，无论你在准备材料分析题、论述题还是数据回应题，都能帮助你打下扎实基础。从权力与民主到选举制度与意识形态，每个术语先以英文释义再配中文解释，让复习既高效又易懂。
1. Power, Authority and Legitimacy | 权力、权威与合法性
Power – the capacity of an individual or group to influence or control the behaviour of others, even against their will. It can be exercised through coercion, reward, or persuasion.
权力 – 个人或团体影响或控制他人行为的能力，甚至可以违背其意愿。权力可通过强制、奖赏或说服来行使。
Authority – legitimate power that is recognised and accepted by those over whom it is exercised. People obey because they believe the authority figure has the right to give orders.
权威 – 获得被统治者认可和接受的正当权力。人们服从是因为他们相信权威者有权发号施令。
Coercion – the use of force or threats to make someone comply. Unlike authority, coercion relies on fear rather than consent.
强制 – 使用武力或威胁迫使他人服从。与权威不同，强制依赖恐惧而非同意。
Legitimacy – the widespread belief that a government, ruler, or institution has the right to govern. Max Weber identified three sources: traditional, charismatic, and legal-rational.
合法性 – 社会普遍认为某个政府、统治者或机构有权治理的信念。马克斯·韦伯指出三种来源：传统型、魅力型和法理型。
Sovereignty – supreme or ultimate political authority within a territory. In the UK, legal sovereignty lies with Parliament, while political sovereignty rests with the electorate.
主权 – 一领土内最高或终极的政治权威。在英国，法律主权属于议会，而政治主权在于选民。
2. Democracy | 民主
Direct democracy – a form of democracy in which citizens themselves make political decisions, for example through referendums or town meetings, rather than through elected representatives.
直接民主 – 一种民主形式，公民亲自行使政治决策，例如通过全民公决或市镇会议，而非经由民选代表。
Representative democracy – a system in which citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf. The UK is a representative democracy with regular, free elections.
代议制民主 – 一种公民选举代表代为决策的制度。英国就是一个定期举行自由选举的代议制民主国家。
Liberal democracy – a political system that combines representative government with protection of individual rights, the rule of law, and checks on government power.
自由民主制 – 一种将代议制政府与保障个人权利、法治和对政府权力加以制约相结合的政治制度。
Parliamentary sovereignty – the principle that Parliament is the supreme legal authority in the UK, able to make or unmake any law. No court can overrule its legislation.
议会主权 – 英国议会拥有最高法律权威、可制定或废除任何法律的原则。没有任何法院能推翻其立法。
Pluralism – a theory that political power is widely dispersed among many competing groups rather than concentrated in a single elite. Pressure groups play a key role.
多元主义 – 一种认为政治权力广泛分散于众多相互竞争的团体、而非集中于单一精英阶层的理论。压力团体在其中起关键作用。
3. The Constitution | 宪法
Constitution – a set of rules and principles that define the structure, powers, and limits of government, as well as the rights of citizens. It may be written or unwritten.
宪法 – 一套界定政府结构、权力与限制以及公民权利的规则与原则。它可以是成文的，也可以是不成文的。
Uncodified constitution – a constitution without a single authoritative document, drawn from statutes, conventions, common law, and works of authority. The UK is a key example.
不成文宪法 – 没有单一权威文件的宪法，其来源包括制定法、惯例、普通法和权威著作。英国是典型例子。
Rule of law – the principle that everyone, including government officials, is subject to and accountable under the law. It prevents arbitrary use of power.
法治 – 人人皆受法律约束、包括政府官员在内的原则。它防止权力被任意滥用。
Separation of powers – the division of government responsibilities into distinct branches—legislature, executive, and judiciary—to limit any one branch from exercising excessive power.
权力分立 – 将政府职责划分为立法、行政和司法三个独立分支，以限制任一分支过度行使权力。
Devolution – the statutory transfer of powers from the central government to regional governments, such as the establishment of the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd.
权力下放 – 中央政府依法向地区政府移交权力，例如设立苏格兰议会和威尔士议会。
4. Electoral Systems | 选举制度
First Past the Post (FPTP) – an electoral system where the candidate with the most votes in each constituency wins a seat. Used for UK general elections, it often produces a strong, single-party government.
简单多数制 – 每个选区得票最多的候选人赢得一个席位的选举制度。用于英国大选，常产生强势的一党政府。
Additional Member System (AMS) – a hybrid system combining constituency FPTP with regional party lists to make the overall result more proportional. Used for the Scottish Parliament.
附加议员制 – 结合选区简单多数制与地区政党名单制、使总体结果更具比例性的混合选举制度。用于苏格兰议会选举。
Single Transferable Vote (STV) – a proportional system where voters rank candidates in order of preference in multi-member constituencies. Used for Scottish local government elections.
单一可转让投票制 – 一种在多名额选区中选民按偏好排列候选人的比例代表制。用于苏格兰地方政府选举。
Proportional representation (PR) – the general principle that seats should be awarded in proportion to votes cast. AMS and STV are examples of PR systems.
比例代表制 – 按得票比例分配席位的一般原则。附加议员制和单一可转让投票制是比例代表制的实例。
Safe seat – a constituency where the incumbent party holds such a large majority that the seat is rarely lost to another party.
安全议席 – 现任政党拥有巨大优势、席位几乎不会落入他党之手的选区。
5. Political Parties | 政党
Political party – an organised group of people with similar political beliefs that seeks to win elections, form a government, and implement its policies.
政党 – 一群持有相似政治信念的人组成的有组织团体，旨在赢得选举、组建政府并实施其政策。
Manifesto – a published declaration of a party’s intended policies and promises, issued before an election to attract voters.
竞选宣言 – 政党在选举前发布的一份详述其拟议政策与承诺的公开声明，用以争取选民支持。
Two-party system – a party system where two major political parties dominate the political landscape. The UK was traditionally seen as a two-party system, though minor parties have gained influence.
两党制 – 由两个主要政党主导政治格局的政党体制。英国传统上被视为两党制，尽管小党影响力有所上升。
Left-wing / Right-wing – labels describing a party’s ideological position. Left-wing parties tend to support equality and state intervention, while right-wing parties favour individual freedom and free markets.
左翼 / 右翼 – 描述政党意识形态立场的标签。左翼政党倾向于支持平等和国家干预，右翼政党则倾向于个人自由和自由市场。
Whip – a party official responsible for ensuring discipline and that MPs attend and vote according to the party line. A ‘three-line whip’ signals the strongest obligation.
党鞭 – 负责维持党纪、确保议员按政党路线出席并投票的党内官员。“三线鞭令”代表最强约束力。
6. Pressure Groups | 压力团体
Pressure group – an organised group that seeks to influence government policy without seeking election itself. They differ from parties in that they do not aim to hold office.
压力团体 – 试图影响政府政策但不谋求当选的有组织团体。它们与政党的区别在于不企图执掌政权。
Interest group – a type of pressure group that promotes the material interests of its members, such as trade unions or professional associations.
利益团体 – 一类推广其成员物质利益的压力团体，如工会或专业协会。
Cause group – a type of pressure group that advocates for a particular issue or set of values, such as environmental charities or human rights organisations.
事业团体 – 一类倡导特定议题或价值观的压力团体，如环保慈善机构或人权组织。
Insider group – a pressure group that enjoys regular, privileged access to government decision-makers, often consulted during policy formation.
内部团体 – 享有定期、特权化接触政府决策者的压力团体，常在政策制定过程中接受咨询。
Lobbying – the practice of seeking to influence legislators or government officials on particular issues. Professional lobbyists may work on behalf of businesses or pressure groups.
游说 – 在特定议题上试图影响立法者或政府官员的行为。职业说客可以代表企业或压力团体开展工作。
7. Ideologies | 意识形态
Ideology – a coherent set of political beliefs, values, and ideas about how society should be organised. Major ideologies include conservatism, liberalism, and socialism.
意识形态 – 关于社会应如何组织的一套连贯的政治信念、价值观和理念。主要意识形态包括保守主义、自由主义与社会主义。
Conservatism – an ideology that emphasises tradition, order, authority, and gradual change. Conservatives tend to favour free markets and a limited but strong state.
保守主义 – 强调传统、秩序、权威及渐进变革的意识形态。保守主义者倾向于支持自由市场与有限但强大的国家。
Liberalism – an ideology centred on individual freedom, equality of opportunity, consent of the governed, and tolerance. Modern liberals accept a role for the state in reducing inequality.
自由主义 – 以个人自由、机会平等、被统治者同意和宽容为核心的意识形态。现代自由主义者接纳国家在减少不平等中的作用。
Socialism – an ideology advocating social ownership or control of the means of production and distribution of wealth, aiming for greater equality and social justice.
社会主义 – 倡导生产资料和财富分配的社会所有制或控制，旨在实现更大程度的平等与社会公正的意识形态。
Nationalism – an ideology that places the interests of a particular nation or national group above all others, often seeking self-government or national independence.
民族主义 – 将某一特定民族或民族群体的利益置于一切之上的意识形态，通常寻求自治或民族独立。
8. Political Participation | 政治参与
Political participation – the ways in which citizens engage with the political process. This ranges from voting in elections to taking part in demonstrations or signing e-petitions.
政治参与 – 公民介入政治进程的方式，既包括选举投票，也包括参加示威活动或签署电子请愿书。
Voter turnout – the percentage of registered voters who cast a ballot in an election. Low turnout can be seen as a sign of political apathy or dissatisfaction.
投票率 – 在选举中投票的注册选民所占的百分比。投票率偏低可被视为政治冷漠或不满的迹象。
Apathy – a lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern about political affairs. High levels of apathy may undermine democratic legitimacy.
政治冷漠 – 对政治事务缺乏兴趣、热情或关心。高度冷漠可能损害民主合法性。
Referendum – a direct vote by the electorate on a specific question of public policy. Referendums are a key device of direct democracy and have been used for Scottish independence and Brexit.
全民公决 – 选民就某一特定公共政策问题进行的直接投票。公投是直接民主的关键手段，曾用于苏格兰独立和脱欧等议题。
E-petition – an online petition that, upon reaching a government-set threshold of signatures, may be considered for debate in parliament.
电子请愿 – 在线请愿，一旦签名达到政府设定的门槛，便有机会被考虑在议会内辩论。
9. Government Institutions | 政府机构
Legislature – the branch of government responsible for making laws. In the UK, the sovereign legislature is Parliament, comprising the House of Commons, House of Lords, and the monarch.
立法机关 – 负责制定法律的政府部门。在英国，最高立法机关是议会，由下议院、上议院和君主组成。
Executive – the branch of government that implements and enforces laws. The core executive includes the Prime Minister, Cabinet, senior ministers, and the civil service.
行政机关 – 负责实施和执行法律的政府部门。核心行政机构包括首相、内阁、高级部长以及公务员队伍。
Judiciary – the system of courts that interprets and applies the law. Judges are expected to be independent and impartial, upholding the rule of law.
司法机关 – 解释和适用法律的法院系统。法官应保持独立和公正，以维护法治。
Cabinet – a body of senior ministers, chosen and led by the Prime Minister, which makes major government decisions. Collective responsibility binds ministers to publicly support agreed policies.
内阁 – 由首相挑选并领导的高级部长组成的团体，负责作出重大政府决策。集体负责制要求部长们公开支持已商定的政策。
Backbencher – an MP who does not hold a ministerial or shadow ministerial position. Backbenchers can influence policy through committees, debates, and private members’ bills.
后座议员 – 不担任部长或影子部长职务的国会议员。后座议员可通过委员会、辩论和私人法案来影响政策。
10. Rights and Responsibilities | 权利与责任
Human rights – basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person. In the UK, the Human Rights Act 1998 incorporates most of the European Convention on Human Rights into domestic law.
人权 – 属于每一个人的基本权利与自由。在英国，《1998年人权法》将《欧洲人权公约》的大部分内容纳入了国内法。
Civil liberties – rights that protect personal freedom from government interference, such as freedom of speech, assembly, and the right to a fair trial.
公民自由 – 保护个人自由不受政府干预的权利，如言论自由、集会自由以及获得公正审判的权利。
Rule of law – revisiting this concept, it ensures that all are equal before the law and that power is subject to legal checks, safeguarding rights.
法治 – 再次强调这一概念，它确保法律面前人人平等，权力受到法律制约，从而保障权利。
Responsibility – the obligations that accompany rights, such as obeying the law, paying taxes, serving on a jury, and participating responsibly in democratic life.
责任 – 伴随权利而来的义务，例如遵守法律、纳税、担任陪审员以及负责任地参与民主生活。
Judicial review – a process by which courts examine the lawfulness of decisions made by public bodies. It is a key mechanism for protecting individual rights against unlawful executive action.
司法审查 – 法院审查公共机构所作决定合法性的一种程序。它是保护个人权利免遭非法行政行为侵害的关键机制。
Published by TutorHao | Politics Revision Series | aleveler.com
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