American English · B2 · Unit 7
Politics and elections
Politics and elections
By the end you can
- Explain a political issue in your country
- Discuss how decisions are made where you live
- Understand news about politics
Words and phrases
| American English | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| vote for | choose (a person or a party) in an election | Who are you going to vote for? |
| register to vote | sign up so that you can vote | You have to register to vote by October. |
| a candidate | a person who wants to be elected | Is there a candidate you like? |
| the polls | surveys of what people think (also: the places where people vote) | The polls say it's very close. |
| Democrats and Republicans | the two main political parties in the US | Democrats and Republicans disagree about taxes. |
| the midterms | the elections halfway through a president's four years | The midterms are in November. |
| Congress | the US law-making body (the Senate and the House of Representatives) | Congress passed the bill last week. |
| a swing state | a state that could vote for either party | Pennsylvania is a swing state. |
| turnout | how many people vote | Turnout was low this year. |
| the city council | the elected group that runs a city | The city council voted to build the bridge. |
| at the state level | in the state government (not the federal one) | Education is decided mostly at the state level. |
| an absentee ballot | a vote you send by mail | I mailed an absentee ballot from college. |
Then talk it through
Talking with a neighbor about the midterm elections coming up in November. In the app you have this conversation out loud or typed, with the unit's goals to tick off and corrections at the end.