Prime Minister - the leader of one of the political parties in government - ususally the party with the most MPs
government ministers - senior MPs or members of the House of Lords who have accepted the PMs invitation to be a part of the government and lead departments
cabinet - the PM and a group of senior colleagues they have chosen to be a part of the gov
reserved powers - the issues on only te uk parliament can make laws
devolved powers - the issues on which the scottish parliament, or the assemblies of wales or NI can make their own laws
local authorities make decisions about local services and are also known as councils
bureaucracy - careful decision making and implementation in which nothing is left to chance, bureaucratic organisation is likely to be fiar but it can be slow and costly
centralisation - the development and management of services across a wide area from one central point
in 2014, people voted NO to the proposal that their country should be independent from the rest of the UK
in 2011, wales voted in favour of extending devolution by giving law-making powers to the welsh government
Republic - a country with an elected head of state rather than a monarch
Northern Ireland is split between unionists who want their country to remain part of the UK and republicans who would like there to be a single republic for the whole of ireland
