Bill
A proposal to make a new law
British
People who came from Britain
Cabinet
The senior ministers of a government
Cede
To give up
Change
To make something different
Citizen
Someone who belongs to a country
Coalition Government
When 2 or more political parties work together as a Government
Colonisation
The action or process of settling among and establishing control over the indigenous people of an area.
Colony
A British territory ruled by a governor who was appointed by the Colonial Office in London
Constitution
Describes and establishes a country's government.
Constitutional Monarchy
A system of government where a monarch (king or queen) shares power with an elected government.
Crown
Used in the past to describe the British Government. Used today as another term for Government.
Democracy
Where the people of a country elect their representatives in parliament
Electorate
A geographic voting area. Each one has roughly the same population.
Executive
Ministers and Government departments who decide policy, propose laws and administer the law.
Government
The group of people with the authority to govern/run a country
Governor General
The Queen's representative in a country
Head of State
The sovereign (King/Queen) of a country. They have a representative in that country.
House of Representatives
Elected Members of Parliament who make up our Government.
Judiciary
Consists of the judges. Their role is to is to interpret and apply the law.
Kāwanatanga
Government/Governorship
Legislature
Made up of Members of Parliament and the Governor-General. Their role is to make laws and keep the Executive accountable.
Mace
A symbol of the Speaker of the House's authority, in Parliament.
Majority
More than half
Mana
Power
Māori
Indigenous people of Aotearoa/New Zealand
Member of Parliament
People elected to Parliament to represent the country.
Missionaries
People from a religious group who are sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people
Mixed Member Proportional
A voting system where you have two votes - a party vote and an electorate vote
Musket
A long firearm/gun.
Opposition
The group in Parliament who are not in Government.
Pākehā
A term used for non-Māori
Political Parties
A group of people who hold similar ideas about politics. They coordinates candidates to compete in a country's elections.
Power
Having control or authority
Prime Minister
The head of the Government
Processes
A series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a particular result
Settlers
Non-Māori who have moved/migrated to Aotearoa/New Zealand.
Sovereignty
The authority of a place to govern itself or another place
Standing orders
The rules for Parliament
Tangata Whenua
Indigenous people of the land
Te Tiriti
The Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840
Tino Rangatiratanga
The power of the chief
Trading
Exchanging of goods for other goods or for money.