Indian Polity: Constitutional Glossary PART-1

• Secret ballot: A system of voting in which one’s choice of candidate is kept secret.
• Rule of law: It is a doctrine that holds that no individual is above the law and every one regardless of their social status is equal before law.
• Republic: A state in which power is held by the people and their elected representatives and which has an elected president as head of state rather than a monarch.
• Quorum: The minimum number of members of an organization (e.g. Parliament) needed to conduct business.
• Oligarchy: A form of government where political power effectively rests with a small elitesegment of society
• First-Past-the-Post system: An electoral system in which the one who receives more votes than any other candidate gets elected
• Ballot paper: A paper handed to each voter on election day to be marked, showing the names of the candidates (and sometimes the parties) who are standing for election.