AQA GCSE Citizenship Studies key terms

Reporting information correctly, checking evidence and distinguishing established facts from allegations or opinions.

An organised account of what will be done, by whom and when, to work towards an aim.

Participation by individuals or groups in trying to improve society, influence decisions or support others.

A law passed by Parliament that has received Royal Assent.

An electoral system combining constituency representatives elected by First Past the Post with additional representatives elected through a compensating party-list vote.

A political party’s formal acceptance of a selected person as its official candidate for an election.

Speaking up for oneself or representing another person’s needs, rights or views.

A population in which older people make up an increasing proportion of the total.

The media's influence on which issues the public regards as important through the attention given to particular stories.

The minimum age at which a person can be held legally responsible for committing a criminal offence. It is 10 in England and Wales.

An intended outcome: what you want to achieve, improve or change.

Methods of resolving disputes without a court trial, including negotiation, mediation, conciliation and arbitration.

A proposed change to the wording or provisions of a bill.

An examination of how factors, evidence or ideas connect, including why something happens or matters.

A yearly meeting at which a company’s shareholders can hear from and question its leadership.

A lack of interest or concern that reduces someone's motivation to take part in public or political life.

A request for a higher court to review a lower court’s decision.

The overall way an investigation is organised and carried out, including how research informs decisions about action.

A claim supported by reasons and evidence.

A person asking another country for protection whose asylum claim has not yet been decided.

An MP who is neither a government minister nor an opposition frontbench spokesperson.

The civil standard of proof: the claim must be shown to be more likely than not to be true.

A legal professional specialising in advocacy and legal advice, often instructed through a solicitor.

Information collected before an action, which provides a starting point against which later results can be compared.

The criminal standard of proof: the court must be sure of the defendant’s guilt before convicting.

A tendency in the selection, collection or presentation of information that favours a particular viewpoint and may distort the findings.

A parliament with two chambers. At Westminster, these are the House of Commons and the House of Lords.