Skip to main content
political system

political system

86 3.4
The people, groups, and laws that govern a country
  • noun
  • /pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈsɪstəm/
translation icon : sistema político
  • The political system in place determines how laws are made and enforced in a country.
  • a democratic political system
  • reform the political system
  • government and political systems

And I really believe that our political system is just rife with blackmail.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Nigel, what needs to change in our political system to improve the economy?

  • I feel so frustrated with the political system, and I hear my friends say the same thing all the time.

  • It's economic systems and political systems that are holding all this back right now.

  • Before first contact, our political system was broken.

  • Is he unhappy with the present political system?

  • In Panama, the current political system was installed by the U.S. invasion.

    Academic text (1999)
  • The integrity of our political system, of democracy as an idea, entirely depends on it.

  • Four strategic and environmental factors explain these unions' ability to adapt to the changing political system.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Democracy doesn't always lead to a good economy or even a good political system.

  • But the corruption in the political system still persists.

Synonyms

system
vspolitical system
2.6

An organized way of doing things to avoid confusion

applies specifically to the institutions, processes, and people that govern society
government
vspolitical system
1.0

The way a country or community is run

focuses on the overall institutions, processes, and people exercising authority
politics
vspolitical system
777 3.5

Actions people use in a group to gain power or advantage

is the wider organized institutions and processes that shape those activities
regime
vspolitical system
  • Literature
535 6.1

A government that rules a country, often not democratic and strict

is neutral and general, not implying authoritarian rule or only current rulers
power structure
vspolitical system
20 4.4

How people in a group share authority and influence

includes that distribution but also the formal institutions and governing processes
polity
vspolitical system
  • Specialized
8 7.7

A country or area with its own government and laws

is broader, naming the whole set of institutions and processes
political sphere
vspolitical system
5 4.9

Part of public life where people discuss and make decisions about government

refers to the setting where public decision making occurs rather than concrete institutions
govt
vspolitical system
2 3.5

The group of people who run a country

is broader, including institutions and formal processes not only the ruling people

How Centralized

unitary
  • Specialized
4 7.4
political system
86 3.4
federal
3.8

Surface Forms

Morphology

political + system

The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'political' (relating to politics or governance) with 'system' (a formal set of institutions or procedures); together they transparently denote the institutions and processes that organize governance. This adjective+noun composition is cross-linguistically common and follows normal semantic combination patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will understand it.

Etymology

Political system creates a picture of political, meaning leaders and power, working with a system, meaning many parts like laws, courts, and voters, like a machine that runs a country. So, it means the set of people and parts that 'organize' and 'run' a society.