Contact UsSearch
Click for Search Instructions
Home > Learning Resources > Glossary

Glossary of Terms Relating to Elections, Representation and Government

This list gives brief definitions of terms used to describe the governmental and electoral process in British Columbia.  Many of the terms are included because they help to explain the over-all system of government in the Province.  Others provide background information for the role elections play in our system of representative parliamentary democracy. 

In the explanation of a term, words which are highlighted in blue are further explained elsewhere in the glossary and can be found by clicking on the highlighted word or phrase.  Or, the whole 23-page glossary can be viewed and downloaded in Microsoft Word (145KB) or PDF format (288KB). Just click on the desired icon.


act of parliament
additional member
adversarial system
alternative vote (AV)
assembly
at large election
AV
back bench
ballot
BC-STV
bicameralism
bill
BNA Act
British North America Act, 1867
by-election
cabinet
candidate
casual vacancy
caucus
chamber
coalition
commission
consensus (system)
constituency
constitution
Constitution Act, 1867 (Canada)
Constitution Act (British Columbia)
constitutional conventions
Crown
democracy
direct democracy
dissolution (legislative assembly)
district magnitude (DM)
Droop quota (formula)
election, timing of
Election Act (British Columbia)
electoral district
electoral formula
electoral rules
electoral system
electorate
endorsed (candidate), endorsement
executive
executive council
federal
first past the post
fixed term
FPTP
general election
government
government of the day
governor general
Gregory (method)
head of government
head of state
House of Commons
independent
judiciary
legislation
legislative assembly
legislature
lieutenant governor
lieutenant governor in council
list system
local member
lower house
majoritarian
majority
majority government
majority system
member of parliament
member of the legislative assembly (MLA)
minister
ministerialist
ministry
minority government
mixed (electoral) systems
mixed member proportional (MMP)
MLA
MMM
MMP
multimember district
nomination
official opposition
opposition
order in council
parliament
parliamentary government
parliamentary system
parliamentary term
party
party convention
party discipline
party leader
party list
plurality
plurality (electoral) system
political party
portfolio
PR
preferential voting
premier
presidential government
primary
proportional representation (PR)
quota
recall
recognized party 
referendum
register of voters
representation
representative assembly
representative democracy
responsible government
riding
run off
seat
seat share
second ballot
Senate (Canadian)
shadow minister
single member district
single member plurality system (SMP)
single non-transferable vote (SNTV)
single transferable vote (STV)
SMP
SNTV
spoiled ballot
statute
STV
threshold
transfer value
turnout
voters list
vote share
Weighted Inclusive Gregory method
Westminster system
© 2003 Citizens' Assembly on Electoral ReformSite powered by levelCMSSite Map | Privacy Policy