M:
Mandate
Mandates are typically claimed by successful parties in national elections even when they have actually gained only a smallish plurality of votes. If a party, or a candidate, has stood for election on a particular set of policies, then, having won election, a 'mandate' from the people has been gained to implement those policies. Thus governments often claim that they are 'mandated' to carry out some action even if there is no good reason to believe that the policy in question had very much to do with their electoral victory. The original meaning is where some body, perhaps a constituency division of a political party or a trade union branch, on being required to send a representative to a national conference, gives the chosen representative binding instructions to argue or vote in a fixed way on some particular issue.
Manifesto
If refers to a document of the political parties, listing their policies and programs and their achievements and it is released to the general public before every general elections.
Marital Law
Marital law is a state of affairs declared by a civilian government in which the military forces are empowered to rule, govern and control an area, which can be a small locality or the entire nation, in a way involving .direct force, and without the usual constraints of democratic decision-making or the acceptance of civil rights. It is always seen as a temporary state of affairs and, unlike a military regime, has legitimacy, because it has been decided upon and granted by the civilian government. Martial law is, without doubt, both draconian and unpopular; there have been no instances of marital law being declared in a major Western democracy since the Second World War, though Poland was subjected to marital law in 1981-83.
Minority Government
A form of Government which does not enjoy the confidence of the Lok Sabha on its own and survives on support of other political parties from outside the Government. For example, the Chandrashekhar Government in 1990-1991, the Deve Gowda and the I.K. Gujral Governments during 1996-1997 survived on the Congress support from outside.
Marxism
The ideology of scientific socialism adopted by Karl Marx (1818-1883) is called Marxism. Marxism holds that economic relations of productions are fundamental to the society and social development; the class struggle is found between those who own the means of production and distribution and those who are deprived of this control; the capitalism contains the seed of destruction and the revolution would lead to the establishment of the final stage of the communism characterized by a class-less, exploitation-less and the State-less society.
Mid-term poll
If the popular House of the Parliament is not able to complete its full term, it is dissolved and mid¬term elections are held to constitute a new House. Such elections are called mid-term poll.
Monarchy
A monarchy is a state ruled by an individual who has a position at the apex of an aristocratic pyramid of honor and authority which is generally inherited through a family connection. Monarchy is a very ancient system of government (it was, indeed, one a of Aristotle's three basic forms of good government, along with aristocracy and democracy) which developed independently in various continents; many monarchial systems seem to have started with some form of election, with the succession later becoming hereditary by primogeniture and, until recent decades, usually male primogeniture. The most common form of monarchy today is constitutional monarchy, where the monarch has strictly limited powers and must accept the role and power of other bodies, such as parliaments and cabinets.
Monarch
It is a form of Government when the ruler/the King of a country comes from a hereditary line. This is opposed to the democratic form of Government as there is no provision of elections to seek people's consent in formation and running of the Government. However, if the King becomes a titular head of the State and the real powers of the Government are vested in the people's representatives, it is called the Constitutional Monarchy.
Mandates are typically claimed by successful parties in national elections even when they have actually gained only a smallish plurality of votes. If a party, or a candidate, has stood for election on a particular set of policies, then, having won election, a 'mandate' from the people has been gained to implement those policies. Thus governments often claim that they are 'mandated' to carry out some action even if there is no good reason to believe that the policy in question had very much to do with their electoral victory. The original meaning is where some body, perhaps a constituency division of a political party or a trade union branch, on being required to send a representative to a national conference, gives the chosen representative binding instructions to argue or vote in a fixed way on some particular issue.
Manifesto
If refers to a document of the political parties, listing their policies and programs and their achievements and it is released to the general public before every general elections.
Marital Law
Marital law is a state of affairs declared by a civilian government in which the military forces are empowered to rule, govern and control an area, which can be a small locality or the entire nation, in a way involving .direct force, and without the usual constraints of democratic decision-making or the acceptance of civil rights. It is always seen as a temporary state of affairs and, unlike a military regime, has legitimacy, because it has been decided upon and granted by the civilian government. Martial law is, without doubt, both draconian and unpopular; there have been no instances of marital law being declared in a major Western democracy since the Second World War, though Poland was subjected to marital law in 1981-83.
Minority Government
A form of Government which does not enjoy the confidence of the Lok Sabha on its own and survives on support of other political parties from outside the Government. For example, the Chandrashekhar Government in 1990-1991, the Deve Gowda and the I.K. Gujral Governments during 1996-1997 survived on the Congress support from outside.
Marxism
The ideology of scientific socialism adopted by Karl Marx (1818-1883) is called Marxism. Marxism holds that economic relations of productions are fundamental to the society and social development; the class struggle is found between those who own the means of production and distribution and those who are deprived of this control; the capitalism contains the seed of destruction and the revolution would lead to the establishment of the final stage of the communism characterized by a class-less, exploitation-less and the State-less society.
Mid-term poll
If the popular House of the Parliament is not able to complete its full term, it is dissolved and mid¬term elections are held to constitute a new House. Such elections are called mid-term poll.
Monarchy
A monarchy is a state ruled by an individual who has a position at the apex of an aristocratic pyramid of honor and authority which is generally inherited through a family connection. Monarchy is a very ancient system of government (it was, indeed, one a of Aristotle's three basic forms of good government, along with aristocracy and democracy) which developed independently in various continents; many monarchial systems seem to have started with some form of election, with the succession later becoming hereditary by primogeniture and, until recent decades, usually male primogeniture. The most common form of monarchy today is constitutional monarchy, where the monarch has strictly limited powers and must accept the role and power of other bodies, such as parliaments and cabinets.
Monarch
It is a form of Government when the ruler/the King of a country comes from a hereditary line. This is opposed to the democratic form of Government as there is no provision of elections to seek people's consent in formation and running of the Government. However, if the King becomes a titular head of the State and the real powers of the Government are vested in the people's representatives, it is called the Constitutional Monarchy.
Multilateralism
The political label of multilateralism was introduced into political terminology in the context of nuclear disarmament. Its meaning is taken by opposition to unilateralism, the doctrine that a country should abandon the ownership of nuclear weapons, regardless of the actions or intentions of any other power. As such multilateralism can either mean simply opposition to this doctrine, or. as is more often presented, a different policy of reduction in nuclear weaponry. If given this latter meaning, multilateralism is a preparedness to reduce or abolish nuclear arsenals step by step in combination with similar movements by the perceived enemy, which was traditionally the USSR.
The political label of multilateralism was introduced into political terminology in the context of nuclear disarmament. Its meaning is taken by opposition to unilateralism, the doctrine that a country should abandon the ownership of nuclear weapons, regardless of the actions or intentions of any other power. As such multilateralism can either mean simply opposition to this doctrine, or. as is more often presented, a different policy of reduction in nuclear weaponry. If given this latter meaning, multilateralism is a preparedness to reduce or abolish nuclear arsenals step by step in combination with similar movements by the perceived enemy, which was traditionally the USSR.
N:
National Government
This is a form of coalition Government with participation of almost all the political parties represented in the Legislature. Essentially there exists no Opposition party in the Legislature. Usually this form of Government comes during the time of national crisis. It is, in fact, a 'Government by consensus' on certain basic issues affecting the country. Such a Government was formed in Britain by Winston Churchill in May, 1940 during the World War II with a common goal of defeating the fascist forces of Germany.
Nationalization
It is a process of acquiring ownership and control of the private properties such as bank, industries etc., by the Government in public interest. The purpose of Nationalization of the private industries is to ensure maximum fulfillment of the public interest in running those industries. For example, the Government of India nationalized 14 private sector bank in 1969 in the public interest.
Natural Justice
By natural justice is meant the ideas that there are some qualities and values inherent in the very concept of law, as opposed to arbitrary decision¬ making, and that individuals should be able to claim certain basic protections in the legal system regardless of whether they are specifically given those protections by statute. The two most common tenets of natural justice in the British legal system are audi alteram partem (that each party has a right to be heard in any dispute) and nemo judex in parte sua (that the judge of a case should have no personal interest in its outcome).
Natural Rights
Natural rights are those human rights or entitlements which are held to stem from natural law, whatever definition may be given to the latter concept. One can probably divide natural rights into two broad categories, as they are encountered in legal and political theory.
Naturalization
This is a method of acquiring the citizenship by a foreign national in a country on the basis of continuous residence in that country for a prescribed period. The concerned foreign national is granted citizenship on the request as a naturalized citizen.
Naxalites
It refers to the members of those revolutionary groups of Marxist genre, who could not adjust with the Parliamentary form of Government and continued to organize subversive and violent activities against the Government. Their final aim is to change the structures of the society through the revolutionary means. Since these revolutionary groups initiated their movement in 1967 at Naxalbari town of West Bengal, such movements are called Naxalbari movements and its supporters are called Naxalites. At present, Naxalites hold positions in some areas of Bihar and Andhra Pradesh.
Nazism
The ideology of the Nazi party led by the German dictator Hitler before the Second World War, has come to be known as Nazism. It is characterized by extreme nationalism, extreme hatred towards the other races specially Jews, centralization of the powers in a single hands, faith in imperialism, war and violence etc. This is a Fascist version of Germany coupled with the racial superiority of the German race (the Aryans).
Neo-colonialism
The classical colonialism, based on the direct control of the colonies by the colonial powers has gone but it has been replaced by more subtle and indirect forms of control, which is named as the Neo-colonialism. It means those tactics and methods adopted by the developed countries, which exercise various forms of control over the economy and polity of the Third World Countries. Such methods and tools consist of the investment by the MNCs, trade relations, technological assistance etc. These tools are designed and operated in such a manner that the poor countries come under the influence of the capitalist countries. Neo-colonialism as a phenomena has been in existence in the international politics after the Second World War.
Neutrality
It is a position of indifference adopted by a country towards a war between two or more countries in particular and towards controversial international issues in general. The status of neutrality of a country is recognized in the international law. The neutrality assumes significance during a war when the neutral country is totally aloof from both the parties engaged in war. Switzerland is an ideal example of a neutral State.
Non-Agression Pact
It is an agreement between two or more countries, which binds its parties to declare that they would not organize military aggression against each other. The Non-Agression pact reduces the tensions between the countries and facilitates peace and mutual trust in their relations.
National Government
This is a form of coalition Government with participation of almost all the political parties represented in the Legislature. Essentially there exists no Opposition party in the Legislature. Usually this form of Government comes during the time of national crisis. It is, in fact, a 'Government by consensus' on certain basic issues affecting the country. Such a Government was formed in Britain by Winston Churchill in May, 1940 during the World War II with a common goal of defeating the fascist forces of Germany.
Nationalization
It is a process of acquiring ownership and control of the private properties such as bank, industries etc., by the Government in public interest. The purpose of Nationalization of the private industries is to ensure maximum fulfillment of the public interest in running those industries. For example, the Government of India nationalized 14 private sector bank in 1969 in the public interest.
Natural Justice
By natural justice is meant the ideas that there are some qualities and values inherent in the very concept of law, as opposed to arbitrary decision¬ making, and that individuals should be able to claim certain basic protections in the legal system regardless of whether they are specifically given those protections by statute. The two most common tenets of natural justice in the British legal system are audi alteram partem (that each party has a right to be heard in any dispute) and nemo judex in parte sua (that the judge of a case should have no personal interest in its outcome).
Natural Rights
Natural rights are those human rights or entitlements which are held to stem from natural law, whatever definition may be given to the latter concept. One can probably divide natural rights into two broad categories, as they are encountered in legal and political theory.
Naturalization
This is a method of acquiring the citizenship by a foreign national in a country on the basis of continuous residence in that country for a prescribed period. The concerned foreign national is granted citizenship on the request as a naturalized citizen.
Naxalites
It refers to the members of those revolutionary groups of Marxist genre, who could not adjust with the Parliamentary form of Government and continued to organize subversive and violent activities against the Government. Their final aim is to change the structures of the society through the revolutionary means. Since these revolutionary groups initiated their movement in 1967 at Naxalbari town of West Bengal, such movements are called Naxalbari movements and its supporters are called Naxalites. At present, Naxalites hold positions in some areas of Bihar and Andhra Pradesh.
Nazism
The ideology of the Nazi party led by the German dictator Hitler before the Second World War, has come to be known as Nazism. It is characterized by extreme nationalism, extreme hatred towards the other races specially Jews, centralization of the powers in a single hands, faith in imperialism, war and violence etc. This is a Fascist version of Germany coupled with the racial superiority of the German race (the Aryans).
Neo-colonialism
The classical colonialism, based on the direct control of the colonies by the colonial powers has gone but it has been replaced by more subtle and indirect forms of control, which is named as the Neo-colonialism. It means those tactics and methods adopted by the developed countries, which exercise various forms of control over the economy and polity of the Third World Countries. Such methods and tools consist of the investment by the MNCs, trade relations, technological assistance etc. These tools are designed and operated in such a manner that the poor countries come under the influence of the capitalist countries. Neo-colonialism as a phenomena has been in existence in the international politics after the Second World War.
Neutrality
It is a position of indifference adopted by a country towards a war between two or more countries in particular and towards controversial international issues in general. The status of neutrality of a country is recognized in the international law. The neutrality assumes significance during a war when the neutral country is totally aloof from both the parties engaged in war. Switzerland is an ideal example of a neutral State.
Non-Agression Pact
It is an agreement between two or more countries, which binds its parties to declare that they would not organize military aggression against each other. The Non-Agression pact reduces the tensions between the countries and facilitates peace and mutual trust in their relations.
Nuclear Umbrella
The system of security maintained by a country for protection during a nuclear war is referred to as the Nuclear Umbrella.
The system of security maintained by a country for protection during a nuclear war is referred to as the Nuclear Umbrella.
O:
Oligarchy
It is a rule of a few persons belonging to the aristocratic background, in their own interests.
Ombudsman
In Sweden, the ombudsman is a high ranking public official responsible for hearing the people's grievances against various Government authorities and the matters of corruption in the Government. Similar public officials have been appointed in other countries to probe the charges of corruption against high-level authorities of the Government.
Officers of the Cabinet Rank by the Statute
1) Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission.
2) Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
3) Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
Open door policy
This is a trade policy adopted by a nation, which is characterized by the trade relations with all countries on equal and easy terms. There is no discriminative trade with any country.
Opinion Poll
Opinion polls are measures of public attitude, on any sort of issue, carried out by professional polling organizations whose main business is usually in market research. In the mass media a typical opinion poll is a measure of the voting intention of the electorate, of how the voters rank politicians and parties, and of what preferences the electorate has among various policy alternatives; these polls are taken with increasing frequency and assume greater importance as an election approaches.
Ordinance
An ordinance is a law promulgated by the head of the State in a situation of urgency when the Legislature cannot frame the law because either it is not in session or it is dissolved. An ordinance has the same effect as a law made by the Legislature. However, it is a temporary measure and has to be approved by the Legislature within a prescribed period, otherwise it ceases to be in operation.
Ostpolitik
This refers to the foreign policy of the West Germany through which it tried to reduce the cold war tensions with the communist countries and took the measures to establish the normal relations with these countries.
P:
Oligarchy
It is a rule of a few persons belonging to the aristocratic background, in their own interests.
Ombudsman
In Sweden, the ombudsman is a high ranking public official responsible for hearing the people's grievances against various Government authorities and the matters of corruption in the Government. Similar public officials have been appointed in other countries to probe the charges of corruption against high-level authorities of the Government.
Officers of the Cabinet Rank by the Statute
1) Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission.
2) Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
3) Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
Open door policy
This is a trade policy adopted by a nation, which is characterized by the trade relations with all countries on equal and easy terms. There is no discriminative trade with any country.
Opinion Poll
Opinion polls are measures of public attitude, on any sort of issue, carried out by professional polling organizations whose main business is usually in market research. In the mass media a typical opinion poll is a measure of the voting intention of the electorate, of how the voters rank politicians and parties, and of what preferences the electorate has among various policy alternatives; these polls are taken with increasing frequency and assume greater importance as an election approaches.
Ordinance
An ordinance is a law promulgated by the head of the State in a situation of urgency when the Legislature cannot frame the law because either it is not in session or it is dissolved. An ordinance has the same effect as a law made by the Legislature. However, it is a temporary measure and has to be approved by the Legislature within a prescribed period, otherwise it ceases to be in operation.
Ostpolitik
This refers to the foreign policy of the West Germany through which it tried to reduce the cold war tensions with the communist countries and took the measures to establish the normal relations with these countries.
P:
Panchayati-Raj
These are the institutions of local self-Government at village level. In India a three tier structure of the Panchayati Raj - Gram Panchayat Samiti and Gram Sabha at village level, Panchayat at the Block level and Zila Panchayat at District level-has been adopted. The purpose behind establishment of these institutions is to ensure participation of the people at the lower levels in the development process. The suggestions for the establishment of these institutions was made for the first time, in 1957 by the Balwant Rai Mehta Committee. A new system of Panchayati Raj has been enacted and implemented through the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992. The new provisions of the Constitution give the Constitutional recognition to these institutions and endow them with more powers and autonomy.
Paramilitary Forces
Paramilitary forces are those uniformed, armed and disciplined bodies that exist in most countries to carry out internal security and policing functions which are beyond the capacity of ordinary police forces. Frequently the boundaries between what would be considered an ordinary police force and a paramilitary force are very blurred. Nevertheless, most countries have found it necessary to retain a force to cope with, for example, serious rioting and disorderly demonstrations, equipped for and allowed to use greater force than even police forces that are normally armed.
Parliamentary System
This is a form of Government in which the executive is responsible for its policies to the Legislature and the former can be removed from the office by passing a vote of no confidence by the popular House of the Legislature. The other features of the Parliamentary form of Government are, provision for two executives-one nominal (President or King) and another real (the Cabinet), collective responsibility of the Council of Ministers to the Parliament, indefinite term of office of the executive, close relations between the executive and the Parliament etc.
Partyless Democracy
It is assumed that the political parties are essential for the functioning of the democracy, but it is also true that the parties are responsible for the evils of the democracy. In a partyless democracy, elections are not contested on the party lines but on the individuals basis. Tai Prakash Narain has propagated the idea of a partyless democracy in order to free the democracy from the evils of the political parties.
Pentagon
This is the name of the building (given as per its design) where the Defence Ministry of the USA is housed. The name Pentagon has become synonymous with the defence department of the USA.
Personal Laws
It refers to those laws which are community specific and are based on the cultural and religious evolution of the people. This law regulates the personal laws of the people e.g. marriage, divorce, adoption, succession and inheritance of property.
These are the institutions of local self-Government at village level. In India a three tier structure of the Panchayati Raj - Gram Panchayat Samiti and Gram Sabha at village level, Panchayat at the Block level and Zila Panchayat at District level-has been adopted. The purpose behind establishment of these institutions is to ensure participation of the people at the lower levels in the development process. The suggestions for the establishment of these institutions was made for the first time, in 1957 by the Balwant Rai Mehta Committee. A new system of Panchayati Raj has been enacted and implemented through the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992. The new provisions of the Constitution give the Constitutional recognition to these institutions and endow them with more powers and autonomy.
Paramilitary Forces
Paramilitary forces are those uniformed, armed and disciplined bodies that exist in most countries to carry out internal security and policing functions which are beyond the capacity of ordinary police forces. Frequently the boundaries between what would be considered an ordinary police force and a paramilitary force are very blurred. Nevertheless, most countries have found it necessary to retain a force to cope with, for example, serious rioting and disorderly demonstrations, equipped for and allowed to use greater force than even police forces that are normally armed.
Parliamentary System
This is a form of Government in which the executive is responsible for its policies to the Legislature and the former can be removed from the office by passing a vote of no confidence by the popular House of the Legislature. The other features of the Parliamentary form of Government are, provision for two executives-one nominal (President or King) and another real (the Cabinet), collective responsibility of the Council of Ministers to the Parliament, indefinite term of office of the executive, close relations between the executive and the Parliament etc.
Partyless Democracy
It is assumed that the political parties are essential for the functioning of the democracy, but it is also true that the parties are responsible for the evils of the democracy. In a partyless democracy, elections are not contested on the party lines but on the individuals basis. Tai Prakash Narain has propagated the idea of a partyless democracy in order to free the democracy from the evils of the political parties.
Pentagon
This is the name of the building (given as per its design) where the Defence Ministry of the USA is housed. The name Pentagon has become synonymous with the defence department of the USA.
Personal Laws
It refers to those laws which are community specific and are based on the cultural and religious evolution of the people. This law regulates the personal laws of the people e.g. marriage, divorce, adoption, succession and inheritance of property.
Perestroika
This is a term of Russian language meaning 'Reconstruction'. The term was popularised by Mikhail Gorbachev, the President of the former Soviet Union, to signify the policy of reconstruction in economic and political system of the country. Perestroika along with 'Glasnost' (openness) were the twin principles of the proposed reforms of the Soviet Union. However, the new policy of reform led to the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
Personality Cult
It refers to an unqualified loyalty and faithfulness displayed by the people towards an individual or a leader due to his personal qualities. Gandhi, Nehru, Subhash Chandra Bose, Indira Gandhi, etc. enjoyed the status of a personality cult among the Indian people. However, personality cult is not considered good for a healthy democracy as it gives an undue attention to the personality of the leaders and diverts attention from the real issues and critical appraisals.
Picketing
It is a form of Gherao in which a group of persons sits on Dharna in front of an office or establishment to prevent normal activities of the establishment in order to press for the acceptance of its demands. During the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930s, Congress workers held picketing before the shops selling foreign goods and demanded their closure.
Ping Pong Diplomacy
It refers to that practice of the Chinese foreign policy in which it invites the Table Tennis' teams
of the foreign countries in order to start the cordial dialogues and develop friendly relations with those countries. In other words, it means using the sports as a tool to achieve the objectives of the foreign policy.
Plebiscite
It means the opinion of the people on an issue, taken by the Government in order to take a decision about an important matter. For example, Pakistan is demanding a plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir to decide whether the residents of that State would like to stay with India or with Pakistan.
Plenary Power
This means the absolute, unquestioned and uncontrolled power. Through the 24th Constitutional Amendment, the Parliament tried to assume plenary power but the Supreme Court, under the concept of the 'Basic Structure' of the Constitution, has negated the attempt of the Parliament. According to the Supreme Court, all the Legislations of the Parliament are subject to the Judicial review by the Court.
This is a term of Russian language meaning 'Reconstruction'. The term was popularised by Mikhail Gorbachev, the President of the former Soviet Union, to signify the policy of reconstruction in economic and political system of the country. Perestroika along with 'Glasnost' (openness) were the twin principles of the proposed reforms of the Soviet Union. However, the new policy of reform led to the disintegration of the Soviet Union.
Personality Cult
It refers to an unqualified loyalty and faithfulness displayed by the people towards an individual or a leader due to his personal qualities. Gandhi, Nehru, Subhash Chandra Bose, Indira Gandhi, etc. enjoyed the status of a personality cult among the Indian people. However, personality cult is not considered good for a healthy democracy as it gives an undue attention to the personality of the leaders and diverts attention from the real issues and critical appraisals.
Picketing
It is a form of Gherao in which a group of persons sits on Dharna in front of an office or establishment to prevent normal activities of the establishment in order to press for the acceptance of its demands. During the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930s, Congress workers held picketing before the shops selling foreign goods and demanded their closure.
Ping Pong Diplomacy
It refers to that practice of the Chinese foreign policy in which it invites the Table Tennis' teams
of the foreign countries in order to start the cordial dialogues and develop friendly relations with those countries. In other words, it means using the sports as a tool to achieve the objectives of the foreign policy.
Plebiscite
It means the opinion of the people on an issue, taken by the Government in order to take a decision about an important matter. For example, Pakistan is demanding a plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir to decide whether the residents of that State would like to stay with India or with Pakistan.
Plenary Power
This means the absolute, unquestioned and uncontrolled power. Through the 24th Constitutional Amendment, the Parliament tried to assume plenary power but the Supreme Court, under the concept of the 'Basic Structure' of the Constitution, has negated the attempt of the Parliament. According to the Supreme Court, all the Legislations of the Parliament are subject to the Judicial review by the Court.
Plebiscitary Democracy
Plebiscites are referendums, a system for allowing the whole of an electorate directly to give their opinion on some political question. The most successful and long-term experience is that of Switzerland, where a host of ordinary policy questions are routinely put to the electorate, following a tradition dating to the 16th centuiy politics. One quite common use has been to hold a plebiscite for the population of a territory over which two countries have rival claims to sovereignty.
Pluralism
Pluralism is both a technical term in political science, and an evaluative word for a form of government, often used as a defence of what might otherwise be called liberal democracy or representative democracy. Technically a pluralist political system is one that has several centres of power and authority, rather than one in which the state is the sole controller of people's actions. Thus medieval society in Europe, where the monarchy and the church were co-equal rulers in their different spheres, and where craft corporations and feudal landlords also had a claim
Point of Order
It is an extra-ordinary process which when raised, has the effect of suspending the business before the House and the member who is on his legs gives way. This is meant to assist the Presiding Officer in enforcing the Rules, Directions and Provisions of the Constitution for regulating the business of the House.
Polarization
The excessive feeling of groupism and unity by some people with respect to some ideology, issue or matter is called the polarization. In politics, political parties, more often, get polarised around some issue or against a political party or ruling party. For example, during the National Emergency, all the opposition parties were polarised against the Congress party and formed a new party known as the Janata party.
Politburo
Technically the Politburo, the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) (or other communist party organized along Soviet lines), was just a committee no more than, for example, the National Executive Committee of the British Labour Party. In practice the Politburo was as near as the USSR came to having a cabinet, a body continuously directing policy and making all urgent, and many day-to-day, decisions. Its exact role and power, as well as its membership, varied enormously over the period from 1917 to 1991.
Political Sabotage
When a political group or the Government tries to harm or finish its opponents through the conspiracies and clandestine activities, it is called a political sabotage.
Power politics
It means the participation in political activities with the sole objective of capturing the political power and showing disregard to public interest or the people's welfare. Mahatma Gandhi was highly critical of the power politics and advocated a politics based on morality. But in terms of the modern political analysis, all politics is essentially a power politics.
Pluralism
Pluralism is both a technical term in political science, and an evaluative word for a form of government, often used as a defence of what might otherwise be called liberal democracy or representative democracy. Technically a pluralist political system is one that has several centres of power and authority, rather than one in which the state is the sole controller of people's actions. Thus medieval society in Europe, where the monarchy and the church were co-equal rulers in their different spheres, and where craft corporations and feudal landlords also had a claim
Point of Order
It is an extra-ordinary process which when raised, has the effect of suspending the business before the House and the member who is on his legs gives way. This is meant to assist the Presiding Officer in enforcing the Rules, Directions and Provisions of the Constitution for regulating the business of the House.
Polarization
The excessive feeling of groupism and unity by some people with respect to some ideology, issue or matter is called the polarization. In politics, political parties, more often, get polarised around some issue or against a political party or ruling party. For example, during the National Emergency, all the opposition parties were polarised against the Congress party and formed a new party known as the Janata party.
Politburo
Technically the Politburo, the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) (or other communist party organized along Soviet lines), was just a committee no more than, for example, the National Executive Committee of the British Labour Party. In practice the Politburo was as near as the USSR came to having a cabinet, a body continuously directing policy and making all urgent, and many day-to-day, decisions. Its exact role and power, as well as its membership, varied enormously over the period from 1917 to 1991.
Political Sabotage
When a political group or the Government tries to harm or finish its opponents through the conspiracies and clandestine activities, it is called a political sabotage.
Power politics
It means the participation in political activities with the sole objective of capturing the political power and showing disregard to public interest or the people's welfare. Mahatma Gandhi was highly critical of the power politics and advocated a politics based on morality. But in terms of the modern political analysis, all politics is essentially a power politics.
Privy Purse
After the independence, many Princely States were merged with the Indian Union on the condition that the Government of India will pay some fixed amount of money on annual basis to the rulers of such Princely States. The payment of this money is called the privy purse. The provision of the privy purse was made in order to compensate the rulers of the Princely States for the loss of revenue suffered by them due to the merger with India. The payment of the privy purse was stopped from 1971 by the Government.
Presidential Government This form of government is just the opposite of the Parliamentary form of government. In this form of government, the executive is not responsible to the Legislature for its policies and programmes. The term of office of the executive is fixed. There is no distinction between the real and the nominal executives and the executive does not enjoy a close relation with the Legislature. The United States of America provides an ideal example of the Presidential form of Government.
Proletariat Class
In Marxist ideology, the Proletariat class means a class of the poor persons (workers, labourers) which is deprived of the ownership of the means of production and distribution. The Proletariat class earns its livelihoods by working as labourers in the factories and industries owned by the Bourgeoise class (capitalists). They are subject to perpetual exploitation by the capitalists. Because of conflict of interest, there is continuous class struggle between the Proletariat class and the Bourgeoisie class.
After the independence, many Princely States were merged with the Indian Union on the condition that the Government of India will pay some fixed amount of money on annual basis to the rulers of such Princely States. The payment of this money is called the privy purse. The provision of the privy purse was made in order to compensate the rulers of the Princely States for the loss of revenue suffered by them due to the merger with India. The payment of the privy purse was stopped from 1971 by the Government.
Presidential Government This form of government is just the opposite of the Parliamentary form of government. In this form of government, the executive is not responsible to the Legislature for its policies and programmes. The term of office of the executive is fixed. There is no distinction between the real and the nominal executives and the executive does not enjoy a close relation with the Legislature. The United States of America provides an ideal example of the Presidential form of Government.
Proletariat Class
In Marxist ideology, the Proletariat class means a class of the poor persons (workers, labourers) which is deprived of the ownership of the means of production and distribution. The Proletariat class earns its livelihoods by working as labourers in the factories and industries owned by the Bourgeoise class (capitalists). They are subject to perpetual exploitation by the capitalists. Because of conflict of interest, there is continuous class struggle between the Proletariat class and the Bourgeoisie class.
Proportional Representation
This is a system of electoral representation in which every party wins seats in election in proportion to the votes polled to the party in election. For example, if a party gets 11% of the votes in an election of a Legislature, it would get 11 % of the seats in the Legislature. This system is adopted to eliminate the evils of 'first past the post' system (which is prevalent in India) in which the candidate who gets highest number of votes is declared elected and the votes polled to other candidates/parties are wasted. Thus the total seats won by a party in a House are disproportionate to the number of votes polled to it.
The code of political conduct adopted by the nations in relations to each other is called the protocol. However, in general terms, protocol refers to any code of conduct adopted with respect to the treatment of the public functionaries.
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