act

(in law) a legal, written ruling agreed to and set down by Parliament

advocacy

the active support of a cause

advocate

a person who argues for a cause or idea

amendment

a change proposed or made to a legal document (for example, an Act)

arbitration court

the court of law that deals with industrial disputes, especially those about wage claims and working conditions

asset testing

the practice of finding out what a person owns (for example, a house or money in bank accounts) to see whether they qualify for financial help

benefit

a payment or series of payments made by the government to a person in need

borough

a town or village that has its own local government, called a council

bureaucratic

relating to the way government business and decisions are communicated to the public through separate departments, each with their own staff

citizen

a person legally recognised as a member of a state

citizenship

the status of a citizen and the duties, rights, and privileges that go with that status

colony

a region politically controlled by a different country (for example, early New Zealand, which was controlled by the British Empire); a dependency

combat

battle or war situation

commission

a group of people given legal authority to do certain tasks or carry out certain functions

committee

a group of people appointed to work together for a particular purpose

Commonwealth

the political community (once the British Commonwealth of Nations) made up of the United Kingdom, its dependencies (see colony), and some independent nations that were once British colonies, such as New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and India.

compliance

agreeing to a request or demand

conciliation

the process of settling differences, usually between employers and employees, through a third party (a conciliator)

convention

a formal gathering of members or selected representatives of a particular group, for example, a political party or trade union

criteria

standards or rules on which a judgment or decision is made

custody

the protective care or guardianship of someone or something (usually someone unable to fully look after themselves, for example, a child)

de facto

literally “in reality”; used to describe a situation that is the same as a formally recognised situation but is without the formal or legal requirements, for example, a “de facto” marriage, where a couple live together as husband and wife but are not actually married

deacon

in the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches, a clergyman ranking just below a priest

democracy

government, or social rule, by the people either directly or through elected representatives

democratic

promoting the interests of the people, especially with regard to equality and fairness for all

denomination

a religious grouping

diocese

in the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches, the district or churches that come under the care of a bishop

discrimination

an attitude, behaviour, or treatment based on prejudice

district

a part of a geographical area, the size/shape of which is usually decided for administrative reasons

domestic

relating to the family and/or home

economic

relating to finance (how money is produced, increased, and used)

election

the act of choosing, by vote, the people who will take official positions (especially political ones)

elector

a person who votes

employment

the situation of having work (usually paid work)

enfranchise

to give the privilege or right granted in a franchise

exemption

the situation of being free from a duty or ruling

franchise

a privilege or right granted to a person or group by a government, state, king, or queen

freedom

the ability to exercise choice

general synod

the governing body of the Church of England (Anglican church)

governance

the act, process, and/or power of governing

government

the act of governing or the collective name for those who have the authority to govern

governor

an official appointed to govern a colony or territory (for example, early New Zealand)

Governor General

the person who represents the Crown (that is, the Queen) in a Commonwealth country (for example, in New Zealand)

House of Representatives

the group of people who make laws in New Zealand

human rights

what is fairly due to people, according to law, morality, or justice

initiative

the first step or action

irreconcilable

unable to be brought into agreement

justice

moral rightness; fairness

justice system

the interconnection of law makers, law enforcers, courts, lawyers, and other people or groups that have responsibility for administering and implementing the law

labour

work done for wages

league

an association of organisations, or individual people, formed to promote common interests

legislation

law(s)

legislature

an official group of people given the responsibility and power to make laws for a political unit (for example, a nation or state)

member

an individual belonging to a group or organisation (for example, someone who serves on, or is elected to, a political group)

migrant

a person who moves from one region to another (for example, from one country to another)

migration

the act of moving from one place to another

ministry

a government department

minister

a member of government who has responsibility for a government department

moral

to do with the ability to distinguish between “good” and “bad”

non-institutional

unrelated to, or apart from, any organisation set up for charitable, religious, educational, or any other public service

obstetrics

the branch of medicine that covers the care of women during pregnancy and childbirth

pension

a regular payment made by the government to deserving people (for example, the elderly, sick, or poor)

petition

a written request, with many signatures, asking for action from authorities on a particular issue

political

relating to politics (the policies, goals, and business of government)

prejudice

a judgment (usually negative) made without reasonable knowledge or experience of the thing or person being judged

prime minister

the chief minister who leads the government

province

a subdivision of a region

provincial

relating to a province (usually meaning areas away from the capital city or main cultural centres)

provision

to provide for or make room for, as in “make provision”

ratify

to approve in a formal way; to make something valid

reform

to improve by getting rid of injustices

refuge

a place providing protection or shelter (for example, for victims of violence)

registration

the formal or official recording of names

remuneration

payment

representative

a person who acts or speaks on behalf of a group of people

self-determination

freedom of a group of people, or an area, to make its own political choices; independence

social

to do with people living in a community

society

an organisation of people who group together on the basis of common aims, beliefs, interests, or occupation

state

the government and its officials

statute

a law

status

position or rank

statutory

relating to a law (that is, to a statute)

suffrage

the right to vote

supreme court

the highest court in a country

trade union

a group of workers of the same trade or occupation who join together to seek better conditions (including wages) from their employers

treaty

an agreement made between countries

urban

of, or living in, a town or city (the opposite of rural, which means “of the country”)

vocational

relating to an occupation or profession

welfare

overall health; freedom from want