📚 Key Political Terminologies for Year 11 Cambridge Politics | Year 11 剑桥政治：词汇术语速记指南
Mastering political vocabulary is essential for Year 11 Cambridge Politics students. This guide provides clear definitions and clever memory hooks for the most important terms that appear across the syllabus, from governance structures to ideological concepts. Use these paired explanations to reinforce your understanding and improve your exam essay precision.
掌握政治词汇对 Year 11 剑桥政治课程的学生至关重要。本指南为大纲中最重要的术语提供了清晰的定义和巧妙的记忆窍门，涵盖了从治理结构到意识形态概念的各个方面。使用这些配对解释来巩固理解，并提升你在考试论述中的准确性。
1. Democracy and Authoritarianism | 民主与威权主义
Democracy ections, protection of civil liberties, and political pluralism. Remember the Greek roots: 'demos' (people) + 'kratos' (rule) = rule by the people.
民主 是一种政府制度，公民直接或通过选举产生的代表行使权力。其关键特征包括自由公正的选举、公民自由的保护以及政治多元化。记住希腊词根：'demos'（人民）+ 'kratos'（统治）= 人民的统治。
Authoritarianism is a political system where power is concentrated in a single leader or a small elite, with limited political freedoms and little accountability. To recall it, think 'author' + 'total' — one author writing the entire script for society without input from others.
威权主义 是一种政治制度，权力集中在一个领导人或少数精英手中，政治自由有限，几乎不负问责。为记忆，可以联想 'author'（作者）+ 'total'（整个）—— 一个作者独揽剧本，无需他人参与。
2. Parliamentary vs Presidential Systems | 议会制与总统制
In a parliamentary system, the executive branch derives its legitimacy from and is accountable to the legislature (parliament). The head of government, often a prime minister, is typically a member of the legislature. Visualise a 'chain of accountability' linking the PM to parliament.
在议会制中，行政部门的合法性来自立法机构（议会）并向其负责。政府首脑（通常是总理）往往是立法机构的成员。想象一条连接总理和议会的“问责链条”。
In a presidential system, the president is directly elected by the people and serves as both head of state and head of government, with a clear separation of powers from the legislative branch. Think 'P' for President, 'P' for People's direct vote.
在总统制中，总统由人民直接选举产生，同时担任国家元首和政府首脑，与立法分支有明确的权力分立。联想 'P'：总统 (President) 由人民 (People) 直选。
3. The Separation of Powers | 权力分立
Separation of powers divides government responsibilities into distinct branches — typically the legislature (makes laws), executive (implements laws), and judiciary (interprets laws) — to prevent any one branch from gaining too much authority. Use the mnemonic 'LEJ' (Legislature, Executive, Judiciary) to remember the three arms.
权力分立将政府职责划分为不同的分支——通常是立法（制定法律）、行政（执行法律）和司法（解释法律）——以防止任何一个分支获得过多权力。使用首字母缩写 'LEJ'（立法、行政、司法）来记忆三大部门。
This concept, heavily influenced by Montesquieu, ensures checks and balances. Each branch can limit the power of the others, like a three-way tug of war that keeps the system stable.
这一深受孟德斯鸠影响的概念确保了制衡。每个分支都能限制其他分支的权力，就像一场三向拔河，维持系统的稳定。
4. Rule of Law | 法治
Rule of law means that every person and institution, including the government itself, is subject to and accountable under the law. No one is above the law. Think of the phrase 'law is king' — even the rulers must obey it.
法治意味着每个人和机构，包括政府本身，都受到法律的约束并依法问责。没有人能凌驾于法律之上。记住“法律为王”这个短语——即使是统治者也必须服从它。
Key principles include equality before the law, legal certainty, absence of arbitrary power, and an independent judiciary. It is the backbone of a liberal democracy.
关键原则包括法律面前人人平等、法律的确定性、无任意权力以及司法独立。它是自由民主政体的支柱。
5. Sovereignty | 主权
Sovereignty refers to the supreme authority within a territory. In the UK context, parliamentary sovereignty indicates that Parliament is the highest legal authority, capable of making or unmaking any law. However, it is now often discussed alongside popular sovereignty — the notion that ultimate power rests with the people, expressed through referendums.
主权指一个领土内的最高权威。在英国语境下，议会主权意味着议会是最高法律权威，可以制定或废除任何法律。然而，它现在常与人民主权一起被讨论——即最终权力在于人民，通过公投表达。
A quick memory aid: 'sovereign' sounds like 'solo-reign' — one ultimate ruler, whether it's the people or parliament.
快速记忆法：'sovereign' 听起来像 'solo-reign'（独自统治）—— 一个最终的统治者，无论是人民还是议会。
6. Political Ideologies: Liberalism, Conservatism, Socialism | 政治意识形态：自由主义、保守主义、社会主义
Liberalism emphasises individual freedom, equality of opportunity, and limited government intervention in personal lives. Think 'Liberty' + 'ism'. Conservatism values tradition, authority, social stability, and gradual change. Remember 'conserve' — to preserve what already exists. Socialism advocates for collective ownership of the means of production and greater social equality, often with an extensive welfare state. Think 'social' — sharing resources for the group.
自由主义强调个人自由、机会平等和政府对个人生活的最小干预。联想 'Liberty'（自由）+ 'ism'。保守主义重视传统、权威、社会稳定和渐进变革。记住 'conserve'（保存）—— 保留已有的东西。社会主义主张生产资料的集体所有制和更大的社会平等，通常伴随广泛的福利国家。联想 'social'（社会的）—— 为群体共享资源。
Each ideology has classical and modern variants, but these core meanings serve as excellent anchors for your studies.
每种意识形态都有古典和现代的变体，但这些核心含义是学习中绝佳的锚点。
7. Elections and Electoral Systems | 选举与选举制度
First Past the Post (FPTP): The candidate with the most votes in each constituency wins, even without an absolute majority. Think of a horse race — the first across the line wins. Proportional Representation (PR): Seats are allocated according to the proportion of votes each party receives. It's like slicing a cake so that each party gets a fair share.
简单多数制 (FPTP)：每个选区得票最多的候选人获胜，即使没有绝对多数。想象一场赛马——最先冲过终点的马获胜。比例代表制 (PR)：席位根据各党获得的选票比例分配。这就像切蛋糕，让每个政党得到公平的一份。
Knowing these systems helps you analyse electoral outcomes and arguments for reform. A referendum is a direct vote by the electorate on a specific question — 'refer' to the people.
了解这些制度有助于你分析选举结果和改革论据。公投是选民就特定问题进行的直接投票—— 'refer'（提交）给人民决定。
8. Political Parties and Pressure Groups | 政党与压力集团
A political party seeks to gain power through elections to implement its policies across government. Think 'party' = aiming to form the government party. A pressure group (or interest group) tries to influence policy without seeking public office. Greenpeace is an example — focusing on environmental issues rather than running candidates.
政党寻求通过选举获得权力，以便在政府中全面实施其政策。联想 'party'（政党）= 目标是成为执政党。压力集团（或利益集团）试图影响政策而不谋求公职。绿色和平就是一个例子——专注于环境议题，而不是推举候选人。
The key difference: parties 'stand' for election; pressure groups 'press' for changes. This 'stand vs press' shortcut can clarify your essays.
关键区别：政党“参选” (stand)；压力集团“施压” (press) 以求改变。这个 'stand vs press' 的捷径能让你的论述更清晰。
9. Constitution | 宪法
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state is governed. A codified constitution is written in a single document (e.g., the US Constitution), whereas an uncodified constitution (like the UK's) is made up of statutes, conventions, and common law.
宪法是一套基本原则或既定先例，国家据此进行治理。成文宪法写在一个单一文件中（如美国宪法），而不成文宪法（如英国）则由法规、惯例和普通法组成。
To remember the difference, picture a bound book for codified, and a scattered puzzle pieces for uncodified.
为记忆其差异，想象一本装订完好的书代表成文，一堆散落的拼图块代表不成文。
10. Devolution and Federalism | 权力下放与联邦制
Devolution is the transfer of certain powers from a central government to regional bodies, while the central government retains ultimate sovereignty. In the UK, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have devolved parliaments/assemblies. Think 'de-' (down) + 'volution' (rolling) — rolling power downwards.
权力下放是指将某些权力从中央政府转移到地区机构，而中央政府保留最终主权。在英国，苏格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰拥有权力下放的议会/大会。联想 'de-'（向下）+ 'volution'（滚动）—— 权力向下滚动。
Federalism ng constitutionally protected powers. The US, Germany, and India are federal states. Think 'fed' = sharing the meal between different tiers.
联邦制将主权在中央政府和地区政府之间进行划分，两个层级都拥有受宪法保护的权力。美国、德国和印度是联邦制国家。联想 'fed'（喂养）= 在不同层级间分享餐食。
11. Human Rights and Civil Liberties | 人权与公民自由
Human rights are universal moral rights that belong to all people regardless of nationality, such as the right to life and freedom from torture. Civil liberties are legal rights that belong to individuals and are protected against government interference, such as freedom of speech and assembly. Think 'human' for global, 'civil' for citizen-specific protections.
人权是属于所有人的普遍道德权利，不论国籍，如生命权和免于酷刑的自由。公民自由是属于个人的法律权利，受保护免遭政府干涉，如言论和集会自由。联想 'human'（人类）指全球性的，'civil'（公民）指针对特定公民的保护。
The Human Rights Act 1998 incorporated the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law, making human rights enforceable in domestic courts. This is a frequently examined topic.
1998 年《人权法》将《欧洲人权公约》纳入英国法律，使人权在国内法院可强制执行。这是一个常考的话题。
12. The Role of the Judiciary | 司法机构的作用
The judiciary interprets and applies the law, ensuring justice and upholding the rule of law. An independent judiciary is free from influence by the executive and legislative branches. Judges must act impartially — think of Lady Justice wearing a blindfold, weighing evidence without prejudice.
司法机构解释和适用法律，确保司法公正并维护法治。独立的司法机构不受行政部门和立法部门的影响。法官必须公正行事——想象正义女神戴着蒙眼布，不带偏见地权衡证据。
Judicial review is the power of courts to examine the actions of government and declare them unlawful if they violate the constitution or statutory duties. Remember 'review' as a critical re-examination of government decisions.
司法审查是法院审查政府行为的权力，如果它们违反宪法或法定职责，则可宣告其非法。把 'review' 记住是重新审视政府决策。
Published by TutorHao | Political Science Revision Series | aleveler.com
更多咨询请联系16621398022（同微信）
或截图后用「扫一扫 → 相册」选择本图