42 politics glossaries

The glossaries in this section cover the vast area of politics (from the US, UK, Australia etc.), with numerous terms explained in plain English or with extensive definitions and cross-references. To decide which glossary best suits your needs, read the short descriptions.

Democracy – An excellent resource explaining lots of terms related to Parliamentary procedures, foreign policy, public administration and political science theory.

Auburn University – Here you have the online edition of ‘A Glossary of Political Economy Terms’ written by Dr Paul M. Johnson from Auburn University. It’s a reliable source with extended definitions for each term and it’s also easy to use, having the option of searching each term directly in a separate column.

Project Vote Smart – A list designed to help you understand the terms used by political candidates and Government officials when talking about various voting procedures.

McGraw Hill Online Learning Center – McGraw Hill provides a fantastic international relations glossary of terms and acronyms, where you will find references to treaties, organisations, war terminology and so on.

Herald Sun – This Victorian newspaper also offers a small list of political terms and definitions as they are used in Australia. It was created on July 2013 and it’s based on information taken from the Australian Government’s website.

Sparknotes – Sparknotes has drafted an extensive list of terms used in the US Government and politics in which you will find lots of pertinent definitions; it’s not however the most convenient resource to use, since it doesn’t provide any search options. If you want to find a specific word you’ll have to scroll down until you reach that particular definition.

Cruzio – On this page you will find an encompassing glossary of terms used in the early 21st century’s American political field listed alphabetically.

University of Tampere, Finland – This is a list containing only terms used on the American political stage and it’s mostly focused on voting and election procedures.

Iowa University – The Iowa University offers a wonderful resource where you can find lots of words and expressions from the political science arena. You will find here anything from state regimes, voting procedures, war-related terms and so on.

U.S. Senate – Trying to figure out the special lingo used in the US Senate? Look no further. This glossary is from the official United States Senate page and it contains all the terms used by politicians in their day-to-day proceedings.

BBC – If you’re confused by those phrases used by politicians and commentators, use this handy glossary of election terms to fight your way through the expressions.

Parliament of Canada – For those younger students who find themselves at loss when it comes to parliamentary terms, this glossary lends a helping hand in understanding them.

Simply Put – A 60 page downloadable plain English guide to political terms.

SBS – This is one of the best sources of information regarding Australian political terms.

Scholastic – A jargon buster glossary of political lingo, expressions and terminology, meant to demystify some of these terms and explain their origins.

The Guardian – Parliamentary terms giving you a headache? The Guardian provides a useful and handy glossary of terms.

American Psychological Association – A website dedicated to terms connected especially to Legislature and Politics.

BBC – If you are searching for a reliable source of information which will help you get through the next US elections, then this is the site for you.

Hobnob Blog – A fantastic resource providing you with a multitude of terms related to congressional proceedings, including legislative and budget terms. They are all listed alphabetically and you can also search them separately.

University of Tampere, Finland – A very thorough list covering the most common abbreviations and acronyms used in relation to the US Government.

House of Commons Canada – If you’ve got a text to translate that covers Canadian politics, you will find this glossary a real gem. It’s being provided by the Parliament of Canada and it acts as a guide to understanding the terminology used in parliamentary procedures. It’s alphabetically ordered and you can also find save it as a PDF.

Webref – Webref provides you with an excellent glossary of terms used in political science. It includes a multitude of terms, both abstract and colloquial, allowing you to gain a deeper insight into the political field.

Politi-Geek – Here we have yet another glossary of political terms, but this one is focused not on the general terminology, but on the more obscure and puzzling words and expressions that dress up this field.

Enchanted Learning – This website offers you a multitude of definitions related to the US elections, so if you’re encountering some difficulties with this area, please feel free to consult their page.

University of Tempere – On this page you will find an extensive glossary of political science terms and acronyms where we believe you will find almost any term related to this field. It’s a great resource and we recommend it wholeheartedly.

University of Texas at Austin – College of Liberal Arts – Next we have a small glossary of terms describing political economy and public policy in the US. It was written by the University of Texas, so you can consider it a highly reliable source.

Course Notes – This online dictionary includes a variety of words and phrases related to the United States Government, such as procedural terms, political parties, elections, treaties and many more. This is great resource to check out!

Angel Fire – Angel Fire presents here a small list of general political terms used all over the world.

Palgrave – This extensive glossary was designed to help the readers familiarise themselves with the jargon used in UK politics, specifically in correlation with voting and election procedures.

IIP Digital – Here we have a comprehensive glossary of terms related to the US elections and their respective definitions compiled by the State Department’s Bureau of International Information Programs.

eDiplomat – Ever wondered what DCM stands for or what ex gracia means? This diplomatic glossary will explain all this and more in an easy to understand language, so that you can be clarified on all the major aspects of this field.

UNITAR – An almost 200 page long glossary developed by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research which is available for you to download. It contains hundreds of references to diplomatic terms and acronyms, foreign relations and international organisations.

New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade – A glossary of diplomatic terms as they are currently used in New Zealand.

The Washington Diplomat – The Washington Diplomat has put together a great glossary of terms commonly used in the diplomatic field. Their primary source is the US Department of State.

Canadian Centres for Teaching Peace – A short list of some of the most important words and phrases used in the international relations theory.

CSS Forum – Got an international relations article you need to translate and you’re puzzled by the terminology? We recommend you check out this list which has dozens of terms related to foreign policy and international relations explained in an easily understandable language.

Palgrave – A short list containing some of the most general terms related to the international relations field. These are terms which can regularly have multiple meanings, so in this glossary they have tried to offer more than one definition for them.

VietProDict – A comprehensive list of terms related to diplomacy and foreign relations.

Military Dictionary (not working on 01.09.2014, but you can access an older version here)- Here you will find an extensive glossary of international relations and security acronyms where you can search any term you need and also on the left side of the page you will find other recommended readings, such as a DOD military glossary, a list of NATO acronyms, European Defence Agency acronyms and many more. All in all, a very useful resource!

Indiana University – This is a glossary provided by the Indiana University focusing on terms related to international economic relations.

ReliefWeb – ReliefWeb has put together a wonderful glossary of humanitarian terms, containing information related to disarmament, disaster relief, peacekeeping, international law, humanitarian assistance and many more areas of expertise. It’s almost 60 pages long and provides reliable and detailed explanations for each term.

Abbreviations – A fantastic resource if you’re looking for political acronyms. It contains over 1,400 acronyms that are listed alphabetically. You can also search for terms directly if you know what you’re looking for.