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| Question | Answer |
| Nation: | A group of people who share a common language, religion, traditions and culture, and regard themselves as a natural political community. |
| Nation-state: | A state in which the population have a shared national identity, based (usually) on the same language, religion, traditions and history. |
| Local democracy: | The principle that local decisions should b made in line with local wishes, implying both local elections and a measure of local autonomy (freedom from the centre). |
| Rates: | A property-based local government tax that was linked to the national rental value of residential and business properties. |
| Poll tax: | A flat-rate tax on individuals (a 'head tax'). |
| Council tax: | A revised version of the rating system in which property is taxed according to eight bands (A to H), with a 25 per cent discount for single occupants. |
| Unionism: | A form of Northern Ireland nationalism that seeks to uphold the union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland; the dominant political tradition of Ulster Protestants. |
| Republicanism: | A form of Northern Ireland nationalism that is committed to creating a united Ireland though the incorporation of Northern Ireland into the Republic of Ireland; the dominant political position of Ulster Catholics. |
| Asymmetrical devolution: | A form of devolution that operates differently in different regions, with no common pattern of devolved powers and responsibilities within the state. |
| Primary legislative power: | The ability to make law on matters which have been devolved from Westminster. |
| Secondary legislative power: | The ability to vary some laws passed by the Houses of Parliament, creating dependency on Westminster legislation. |
| Quasi-federalism: | A division of powers between central and regional government that has some of the features of federalism without possessing a formal federal structure. |
| Barnett formula: | The formula (devised by the then Treasury secretary, Joel, later Lord, Barnett) for determining the level of funding from UK taxes of expenditure in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. |
| Political union: | The establishment of common citizenship rights within the EU and a strengthening of EU institutions to ensure common policies in designated areas. |
| Monetary union: | The establishment of a single European currency, the euro, regulated by the European Central Bank. |
| Intergovernmentalism: | A form of interaction between states that takes place on the basis of sovereign independence, meaning that states cannot be forced to act against their will. |
| National veto: | The power of member states to block Council of Ministers' decisions on matters that threaten vital national interests. |
| Qualified majority voting: | A system of voting within an EU Council of Ministers in which different majorities are needed on different issues, with states' votes weighed (roughly) according to size. |
| Supranationalism: | The existence of a supranational body that is higher than the nation-state and capable of imposing its will on it. |
| Euroscepticism: | Opposition to the process of European integration, based on a defense of national sovereignty and national identity; Eurosceptics are not necessarily anti-European. |
| Subsidiarity: | The principle that, within a federal-type system, decisions should be made at the lowest possible level. |
| State: | A political association that establishes sovereign control within defined territorial borders. |
| Union state: | A state made up of regions that retain their own distinctive cultural (and possibly national) traditions and identities. |
| Unitary state: | A state in which sovereignty is concentrated in a single institution of central government; the centre therefore determines the powers and responsibilities of lower levels of government. |
| Multilevel governance: | A complex policy process in which political authority is distributed horizontally and vertically between sub-national, national supra-national levels of government. |
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