Glossary
[ A - F ] [ G - L ] [ M - R ] [ S - Z ]
Amendments
Ministers, Committees and MLAs can suggest changes to a Bill, called ‘amendments’, which they think will improve it. These are debated in the Assembly Chamber. MLAs then Vote to decide whether to amend the Bill.
Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly – a group of 108 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) who have been Elected by the people of Northern Ireland. The Assembly has the power to make and change laws on local issues in Northern Ireland.
Assembly Chamber
This is a room in Parliament Buildings where MLAs meet on Mondays and Tuesdays. They debate issues, Vote on new laws and question Ministers in charge of Government Departments. The meetings are called Plenary Meetings.
Ballot Paper
The piece of paper that people use to Vote in an election. It lists the names of Candidates (and/or Political Parties). In Assembly elections, voters use numbers to rank candidates in order of preference: 1, 2, 3, etc.
Belfast/Good Friday Agreement
The 1998 peace agreement for Northern Ireland between the British and Irish governments, supported by most of the Political Parties in Northern Ireland. The agreement resulted in a new power-sharing government that included both of Unionists and Nationalists. It is often called the ‘Good Friday Agreement’ because it was reached on that day, 10 April, in 1998.
Bill
A Bill is a proposal for a new law. All Bills about local issues, called transferred or devolved Matters, have to be passed by the Assembly before they become laws. Once passed, a Bill is called an Act.
Budget
A plan showing how much money will be available to spend and how it will be spent
Candidates
People standing for election
Committees
Small groups of 11 MLAs who specialise in a particular area of work, for example the environment or the economy. They examine proposals for new laws (Bills) in detail and monitor the work of Government Departments and Ministers.
Constituency
A constituency is a geographical area of Northern Ireland that elects six MLAs to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Each constituency also elects one Member of Parliament (MP) to Westminster. There are 18 constituencies in Northern Ireland.
Councillor
Councillors are Elected in your city/district area to sit on a local council. The council provides services in the local community, such as leisure centres and recycling centres.
Debate
A series of speeches in the Assembly Chamber. MLAs put forward opposing arguments about a subject. The topic for debate is in the form of a statement, called a motion (for example ‘That this Assembly calls on the Minister not to increase university tuition fees’). After most debates, MLAs vote on whether they support the statement or not.
Democracy
In a democracy, people elect politicians to make laws and decisions on their behalf. If the people are not happy with their elected representatives, they can choose not to Vote for them in the next election. Democracies encourage people to get involved in the decision-making process. They also allow people and the press to criticise the government.
Devolved/Transferred Matters
After the Agreement of 1998, the UK Parliament devolved (gave) to the Northern Ireland Assembly the power to make laws in certain areas of government, such as agriculture and public transport. These areas are called ‘devolved’ or ‘transferred’ matters.
Economic
Relating to the economy – trade, industry and money
Elect
In an election, voters elect (choose) their preferred candidate(s) or political party to go into government and make laws and decisions on their behalf. Those elected represent the people in their constituency.
Election
An election is a public vote. People choose who will represent them in government and make decisions/laws on their behalf.
Elected Representatives
Although we live in a democracy, we cannot all have a say on every decision that a government makes. Therefore, we elect representatives to take our views into account and make decisions on our behalf. This form of government is a representative democracy.
European Parliament
The UK is one of 27 countries in the European Union. People in these countries elect Members of the European Parliament – MEPs – to make laws that all member countries must follow. Northern Ireland has three MEPs out of a total of 736.
European Union
A group of 27 countries that have agreed to join together to promote prosperity and good relationships between the countries of Europe
Excepted Matters
Matters that the UK Parliament has not transferred to the Northern Ireland Assembly, such as defence and income tax. The UK Parliament and Government in London will continue to make the decisions in these areas.
Executive Committee/Executive
The name given to the group of Minister in charge of Government Departments plus the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. Also known as ‘the Executive’, the Committee draws up a plan of action for government and a budget. The Assembly then has to agree both of these.
First Minister and Deputy First Minister
The largest party in the Assembly chooses the First Minister, and the largest party on the other side of the community, Unionist or nationalist, chooses the deputy First Minister. Together, they lead the government in Northern Ireland. They have equal powers.
First Past the Post
This is the method used to elect MPs to the UK Parliament. Only one candidate is elected in each constituency. Voters put an ‘X’ beside the name of their preferred candidate. The candidate with the most ‘X’s wins and becomes the MP for tat constituency.
Good Friday/Belfast Agreement
The 1998 peace agreement for Northern Ireland between the British and Irish Governments, supported by most of the political parties in Northern Ireland. The agreement resulted in a new power-sharing government that included both Unionists and nationalists. It is often called the ‘Good Friday Agreement’ because it was reached on that day, 10 April, in 1998.
Government
The government of a country is made up of both a law-making body, called a legislature, and an executive, which provides public services and makes sure that laws are put into action. The term ‘Government’ (with a capital ‘G’) refers to the executive, for example the Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister in London, or the Executive committee in Northern Ireland.
Government Departments
Headed by Ministers, Government Departments provide us with public services, such as roads and hospitals. They also ensure that laws passed by the Assembly are put into action.
Laws
Laws are rules that regulate what people can or cannot do. They are necessary to ensure that society runs smoothly. Another word for a law, or laws, is legislation.
Legislation
This is another word for a law or laws. The Assembly is a Legislative Assembly, which means that it makes laws. Laws are rules that regulate what people can or cannot do. The Assembly makes laws about local matters in Northern Ireland – known as ‘transferred matters’ or ‘devolved matters’. The UK Parliament at Westminster makes laws about UK-wide matters – known as ‘excepted matters’.
Legislative
Relating to laws and law-making. Law-making bodies, such as the Assembly, are called ‘legislatures’.
Local Councils
Made up of Councillors elected in your city or district, local councils do not pass laws but provide services for your local community. These include, for example, rubbish collection and disposal, street cleaning, and public parks.
Manifesto
This is a document that a political party creates before an election. It explains the party’s beliefs and what it intends to do.
Member of Parliament (MP)
Members of the UK Parliament are elected to the House of Commons at Westminster. They make laws that affect the whole of the UK. One MP is elected from each of the 18 Northern Ireland constituencies. There are 650 MPs in total.
Member of the European Parliament (MEP)
Members of the European Parliament make laws that affect all of the countries in the European Union.
Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA)
Members of the Legislative Assembly are elected by the people of Northern Ireland to make laws about local matters on their behalf. There are 108 MLAs.
Minister
Ministers are the heads of Government Departments, for example Finance and Education. They sit on the Executive Committee/Executive with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. The Assembly holds Ministers to account by monitoring their work to ensure that they are doing a good job.
Nationalist
Nationalists are those who want Northern Ireland to be reunited with the Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland Assembly
This is a group of 108 MLAs, or Members of the Legislative Assembly, elected by the people of Northern Ireland. They have the power to make and change laws on local issues in Northern Ireland.
Parliament Buildings
This is where the Northern Ireland Assembly meets. It is located on the Stormont Estate in Belfast.
Plenary Meetings
Meetings in the Assembly Chamber on Mondays and Tuesdays that all MLAs can attend. At these meetings, they debate, Vote on issues and legislation, and question Ministers.
Political Party
A group of people with similar views about how a country/region should be run. Political parties try to get members elected so that they will have as much power as possible to influence government decisions and laws.
Politicians
People elected, or seeking to be elected, to government.
Power Sharing
Positions of power in this type of government must be shared between political parties that represent different parts of the community. For example, if the First Minister is unionist, then the deputy First Minister must be nationalist. Other Ministers must also belong to different political parties.
Public
The whole community
Public Services
Services that we all need which the government provides, for example hospitals, schools, roads and water services
Represent
To act on someone’s behalf. We live in a representative democracy, which means that we elect people to represent our views and make laws and decisions on our behalf. MLAs represent their constituents – the people who live in the area where they were elected.
Single Transferable Vote (STV)
The type of election system we use in Northern Ireland for elections to the Assembly, the European Parliament, and local councils. It involves ranking candidates in order of preference (1, 2, 3 ...). See our animation explaining how it works.
Speaker
The MLAs elect a Speaker to chair meetings in the Assembly Chamber. The Speaker also chairs the Business Committee, which decides the agenda for meetings.
Stages
The steps in the process of making a law. In the Assembly, a bill has to pass through seven stages before it becomes law.
Taxes
Money that the people in a country have to pay to the Government so that it can provide public services, such as health care and education.
The Troubles
The period of violence in Northern Ireland that began in the late 1960s and ended with the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
Transferred Matters
After the agreement of 1998, the UK Parliament devolved (gave) to the Northern Ireland Assembly the power to make laws in certain areas of government, such as agriculture and public transport. These areas are called ‘devolved’ or ‘transferred’ matters.
UK Government
This is made up of the UK Prime Minister and Ministers in charge of Government in London. It is also called ‘the Cabinet’ and meets at 10 Downing Street, London.
UK Parliament
This is made up of the House of Commons and House of Lords. It meets at Westminster, London. The UK Parliament makes laws on issues that affect the whole of the UK.
Unionist
Unionists are those who want Northern Ireland to remain in the UK.
Vote
To make a choice or express an opinion. In an election, to vote is to state your preference for a candidate or candidates.
Voters
People who vote, or who have the right to vote, in an election. They vote by choosing who they want to represent them in government.
Westminster
The Palace of Westminster in London, which is home to the two Houses of the UK Parliament: the House of Commons and House of Lords. The UK Parliament is sometimes called the ‘Westminster Parliament’.
