Answer — Exercise 5
4 - Cast your vote·Outcomes Advanced - Student's Book
Question
With your partner, discuss what you think the words and phrases in bold in the article mean.
Answer
- allocates → gives or shares
- counterparts → people with the same position in another institution
- federal → federal laws apply to the whole country rather than regional / state law
- petition → a list of signatures supporting or criticising a policy (and wanting a change)
- referendum → a vote on a single subject – it’s a yes / no choice (plural is referenda)
- proportional representation → electoral system where the number of MPs a party gets is in proportion to the number of votes it gets. If you get 10% of the votes, you get 10% of MPs.
- ballot papers → the papers where you mark the party / candidate or choice you want when you vote
- the party line → the policy / opinion that the whole party has decided to support
- lobby → talk to groups to persuade them to support your cause
- consensus → when everyone agrees on the policy / course of action (reach a consensus)