Assemblée nationale, n.f.
French National Assembly • n. one of the two French parliamentary assemblies.

amendement, n.m.
ORIGIN Latin from emendare, from e- ‘out of’ + menda ‘a fault’
amendment • n. an alteration or addition to a bill, an Act of Parliament or a Constitution


 

bulletin (de vote), n.m.
ballot paper • n.
 
bureau de vote, n.m.
polling station • n.


 

candidat(e), n.
ORIGIN Latin candidatus ‘white-robed’, also denoting a candidate for office (who traditionally wore a white toga), from candidus ‘white’
candidate • n. a person who is competing with others for a political position.
 
Chef de l’État, n.m.
Head of State • n. the sovereign in a monarchy and the president in a republic.

Chef du Gouvernement, n.m.
Head of Government • n. Prime minister.

circonscription, n.f.
ORIGIN Latin circumscriptio, from circum ‘around’ + scribere ‘write’
constituency • n. a specified area in which voters elect a representative to a legislative body.

citoyen(ne), n.
citizen • n. a legally recognized subject or national of a state or commonwealth.

citoyenneté, n.f.
citizenship • n.

constitution, n.f.
ORIGIN Latin constituere ‘establish, appoint’, from con- ‘together’ + statuere ‘set up’
constitution • n. a body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state is governed.


 

démocracie, n.f.
ORIGIN Greek dēmokratia, from dēmos ‘the people’ + -kratia
democracy • n. a form of government in which the people have a voice in the exercise of power, typically through elected representatives.

démocratique, adj.
democratic • adj.

député, n.m.
ORIGIN Latin deputatus ‘considered to be, assigned’, from de- ‘away’ + putare ‘consider’
Member of Parliament • n. member of the French National Assembly

devise, n.f.
motto • n. a short sentence or phrase encapsulating a belief or ideal.

direct(e), adj.
direct • adj. see suffrage direct

droite, n.f.
Right (the) • n. politicians favouring conservative views


 

élection, n.f.
ORIGIN Latin eligere ‘pick out’
election • n. a formal procedure whereby a person is chosen to hold a position by voting.

élire, v.
elect • v.

état, n.m.
state • n. a nation or territory considered as an organized political community under one government.

exécutif(ve), adj.
ORIGIN Latin executivus, from exsequi ‘follow up, carry out, punish’
executive • adj. having the power to execute plans, actions, or laws.


 

gauche, n.f.
Left (the) • n. politicians favouring radical, reforming, or socialist views.

gouvernement, n.m.
ORIGIN Greek kubernan ‘to steer’
government • n. the body by which a state or community is governed.


 

hémicycle, n.m.
ORIGIN Greek hēmi ‘half’ + kuklos ‘circle’
hemicycle • n. a semicircular shape or structure

hymne, n.m.
ORIGIN Greek humnos ‘ode or song in praise’
anthem • n. a solemn patriotic song adopted as an expression of national identity.


 

indirect(e), adj.
indirect • adj. see suffrage indirect

institution, n.f.
ORIGIN Latin instituere ‘establish’
institution • n. an official organization with an important role in a country.

institutionnel(le), adj.
institutional • adj.

isoloir, n.m.
ORIGIN Italian isolato ‘separated like an island’, from isola ‘island’
polling booth • n. an enclosed compartment allowing privacy when voting.

judiciaire, adj.
ORIGIN Latin judicium ‘judgement’, from jus ‘law’ + dicere ‘to say’
judicial • adj. of, by, or appropriate to a law court or judge


 

laïc/laïque, adj.
ORIGIN Greek laïkos, from laos ‘people’
non-religious • adj.

législatif(ve), adj.
ORIGIN Latin legis latio, literally ‘proposing of a law’
legislative • adj. of or having the power to make laws

(élections) législatives, n.f.
general election • n. the election of representatives to a legislature from constituencies throughout the country.

loi, n.f.
ORIGIN Latin lex ‘law’
Act (of Parliament) • n. a written ordinance of Parliament.


 

mandat, n.m.
ORIGIN Latin mandatum ‘something commanded’, from manus ‘hand’ + dare ‘give’
mandate • n. the authority to carry out a policy or course of action, regarded as given by the electorate to a party or candidate that wins an election.

ministre, n.m.
ORIGIN Latin minister ‘servant’, from minus ‘less’
minister • n. a head of government department.

monarchie, n.f.
ORIGIN Greek monarkhia, from monos ‘alone’ + arkhein ‘to rule’
monarchy • n. govrnement by a sovereign head of state, especially a king, queen, or emperor.


 

parlement, n.m.
ORIGIN Old French parlement ‘speaking’
parliament • n. the highest legislature

parlementaire, adj.
parliamentary • adj.

parti (politique), n.m.
(political) party • n. a formally constituted political group that contests elections and attempts to take part in government.

politique, n.f. ou adj.
ORIGIN Greek politikos, from politēs ‘citizen’, from polis ‘city’
politics • n. the activities associated with the governance of a country.
policy • n. a course of action adopted or proposed by an organization or individual.
political • adj.

Premier Ministre, n.m.
Prime Minister • n. the principal minister of a sovereign or state.

Président (de la République), n.m.
ORIGIN Latin praesident-, from prae ‘before’ + sedere ‘sit’
president • n. the elected head of a republican state.

Président de l’Assemblée nationale, n.m.
Speaker • n. the presiding officer in the legislative assembly.

(élections) présidentielles, n.f.
presidential election • n.

quinquennat, n.m.
ORIGIN Latin quinquennalis, from quinque ‘five’ + annus ‘year’
five year term (of office) • n.


 

référendum, n.m.
ORIGIN Latin referendum ‘to be referred’, from referre ‘carry back’
referendum • n. a general vote by the electorate on a single political question which has been referred to them for a direct decision.

république, n.f.
ORIGIN Latin respublica, from res ‘concern’ + publicus ‘of the people, public’
republic • n. a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch.

républicain(e), adj.
republican • adj.


 

Sénat, n.m.
ORIGIN Latin senatus, from senex ‘old man’
French Senate • n. one of the two French parliamentary assemblies.

sénateur, n.m.
Member of the French Senate • n.

suffrage, n.m.
ORIGIN Latin suffragium ‘shard’ with which Romans voted
vote • n.
suffrage • n. the right to vote in political elections; franchise.

suffrage direct, n.m.
direct suffrage • n. election in which voters directly choose their representatives.

suffrage indirect, n.m.
indirect suffrage • n. election in which elected representatives become voters in turn.

suffrage universel, n.m.
universal suffrage • n. election in which every citizen can vote, regardless of their sex, social status, race, etc.

(premier, second) tour, n.m.
(first, second) ballot • n. a procedure by which people vote.


 

universel(le), adj.
universal • adj. see suffrage universel

urne, n.m.
ORIGIN Latin urna, related to urceus ‘pitcher’
ballot box • n. a sealed box into which voters put ballot papers.



 

voter, v.
ORIGIN Latin votum ‘a vow, wish’
vote • v. give or register a formal indication of a choice between two or more candidates or courses of action, expressed typically through a ballot or a show of hands.

vote, n.m.
vote • n.