Government

Mono Department, Benin Mono Department Mono is a coastal department in southwestern Benin with capital Lokossa. It comprises four communes, has diverse coastal ecosystems, and is notable for the Gen language and local t…

Monroe Doctrine: U.S. policy on the Western Hemisphere (1823) Monroe Doctrine The Monroe Doctrine (1823) declared the Americas closed to new European colonization and intervention. It defined a hemispheric stance for U.S. foreign policy and influenced diplom…

Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms (Government of India Act, 1919) Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms A 1919 package of constitutional reforms introduced by the British to expand Indian participation in administration, establish dyarchy in provinces, and reshape colonial legislativ…

Motion of Confidence (parliamentary procedure) Motion of Confidence A motion of confidence is a formal parliamentary vote by which a government seeks explicit support from a legislative assembly. It is used to test or consolidate authority and can…

Motion of No Confidence A parliamentary procedure in which a legislature votes on whether it retains confidence in a government or leader; outcomes include resignation, replacement, or dissolution dependi…

Mug shot (booking photograph) Mug shot A mug shot is a standardized police booking photograph taken after arrest to document appearance and assist identification. This article explains its form, history, uses, technolog…

Naib (نائب): Deputy, Representative, or Second-in-Command Naib Naib (نائب) is an Arabic term for a deputy or representative. It appears in modern titles (vice-president, MP), historical Islamic administration, and in literature and popular cul…

Nasirabad Division — former administrative division of Balochistan, Pakistan Nasirabad Division Nasirabad Division was an administrative tier in eastern Balochistan, Pakistan, centered on Nasirabad town. It was abolished under the 2000 devolution reforms and its functions mov…

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) National Archives and Records Administration U.S. federal agency that preserves and provides access to permanent government records, administers presidential libraries, sets records-management policy and publishes key legal d…

National Archives of Australia The Australian government agency that collects, preserves and provides access to Commonwealth records; responsible under the Archives Act for custody, appraisal and public access.

National Archives of Japan Japan's central institution for preserving government records and historical public documents, providing access, research support and digitized collections from its Tokyo facilitie…

National Assembly: definition, roles, history, and notable examples National Assembly A National Assembly is a legislative body found in several countries. This article explains its forms, powers, historical origins, common functions, and examples while noting impor…

National Assembly of Armenia National Assembly (Armenia) The National Assembly is Armenia’s unicameral parliament. It enacts laws, approves government policy, supervises the executive and represents citizens through directly elected depu…

National Assembly (Milli Məclis) of Azerbaijan National Assembly (Azerbaijan) Unicameral legislature of Azerbaijan, the Milli Məclis, its composition, election system, powers, historical origins and institutional role within the country's political system.

National Assembly (Bahrain) Bahrain's bicameral legislature, created under the 2002 constitution, comprises an elected lower house and a royally appointed upper house that together exercise lawmaking and over…

National Assembly of Benin National Assembly (Benin) The unicameral legislature of Benin, consisting of 83 directly elected members serving five-year terms, responsible for lawmaking, budgetary approval and oversight under the 1990 C…

National Assembly (Ecuador) Unicameral legislature of Ecuador established under the 2008 Constitution; responsible for lawmaking, oversight and budgetary approval, with members elected to multi-year terms.

National Assembly (France) Lower house of the French Parliament under the Fifth Republic, composed of 577 deputies elected from single-member constituencies by a two-round system; meets at the Palais Bourbon…

National Assembly (Hungary) Unicameral parliament of Hungary, composed of 199 members elected for four-year terms by a mixed electoral system; responsible for legislation, oversight and selecting key state of…

National Assembly of Laos National Assembly (Laos) The National Assembly is Laos's unicameral legislative body. It drafts and approves laws, confirms senior officials, and functions within the country's one‑party system under the L…

National Assembly (South Korea) The unicameral legislature of South Korea with 300 members elected to four-year terms through constituency seats and party lists; responsible for making laws, approving budgets, an…

National Assembly of Thailand National Assembly (Thailand) The National Assembly (Ratthasapha) is Thailand’s bicameral legislature, responsible for making laws, approving budgets and exercising checks on the executive within the constituti…

National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus National Assembly of Belarus The National Assembly is Belarus’s bicameral parliament, consisting of an upper Council of the Republic and a lower House of Representatives, responsible for lawmaking, budget appr…

National Assembly of Pakistan: role, composition and functions National Assembly of Pakistan The National Assembly is the elected lower house of Pakistan's bicameral Parliament, responsible for making federal laws, overseeing the government, and representing the electorate…

National Bank of Romania (Banca Naţională a României, BNR) National Bank of Romania Central bank of Romania, founded in 1880. Oversees monetary policy, issues currency, supervises banks, manages reserves and supports financial stability in Romania's economy.

National Congress (Ecuador) Overview of Ecuador’s former unicameral legislature (1998–2007): composition, functions, history, and its replacement by the National Assembly under the 2008 constitution.

National Congress of Argentina The bicameral legislature of Argentina, composed of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, responsible for making federal law, approving budgets and treaties, and overseeing publi…

National Congress of Brazil The bicameral federal legislature of Brazil, composed of the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate, seated in Brasília and responsible for making laws, oversight, and constitu…

National Constituent Assembly (France, 1789–1791) National Constituent Assembly (France) Revolutionary assembly formed in 1789 from the Estates-General that drafted France's first modern constitution and enacted major reforms including the Declaration of the Rights of…

National Convention (French Revolution, 1792–1795) National Convention The National Convention was the revolutionary assembly that governed France from 1792–1795, abolished the monarchy, created the republic and navigated the Reign of Terror, wartime…

National Council (Switzerland) The National Council is the 200‑member lower chamber of the Swiss Federal Assembly, representing the population in national legislation, oversight and budget matters. Members serve…

National Emblem of Bangladesh A concise reference on the national emblem of Bangladesh: its design, symbolism, adoption after independence, legal basis, and common uses in state imagery.

National emblem of Belarus State emblem of Belarus adopted after 1995; a modern national symbol featuring a map of Belarus, wheat ears, a red star and a ribbon in flag colors; distinct from the historic Paho…

National Health Service (NHS) National Health Service The National Health Service is the publicly funded health care system of the United Kingdom, founded in 1948 to provide comprehensive care free at the point of use, now organised a…

National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institutes of Health U.S. federal agency within HHS that coordinates, conducts, and funds biomedical and public health research through 27 institutes and centers.

National Park Service (United States): Overview, History, and Role National Park Service Federal agency that manages national parks, monuments, historic sites and related programs in the U.S.; founded in 1916 to conserve natural and cultural resources for future genera…

National People's Congress (China) National People's Congress The National People's Congress (NPC) is the unicameral national legislature of the People's Republic of China. Composed of about 3,000 deputies, it enacts laws, approves leaders an…

National Police (France) The Police Nationale is France’s civilian state police force responsible for law enforcement in urban areas, public order, criminal investigations and specialized operations across…

National Recovery Administration (NRA): New Deal industrial recovery program National Recovery Administration New Deal agency created in 1933 to revive U.S. industry with codes of fair competition, wage and hour standards, and public campaigns; led by Hugh S. Johnson and struck down by the…

National Security Advisor (United States) Senior White House official who advises the President on national security and foreign policy, coordinates interagency policy via the National Security Council staff, and is appoin…

National Security Agency Overview of the National Security Agency, the U.S. signals intelligence and cybersecurity agency headquartered at Fort Meade, Maryland.

National War Labor Board (United States) National War Labor Board Temporary federal boards created during World War I and World War II to arbitrate labor disputes, prevent strikes, and stabilize employment conditions in wartime industries.

Nationalization: public ownership of private assets and its implications Nationalization Nationalization is the transfer of private assets to public ownership. This article explains what it is, how it happens, historical patterns, typical reasons and economic effects,…

Nawab of Awadh (Nawab of Oudh) Nawab of Awadh Title of the rulers of Awadh (Oudh) in northern India during the 18th–19th centuries, originating under Mughal authority with Saadat Khan and later known for Lucknow's rich Indo‑Pe…

Nawabs of Bengal: Governors, Power and Decline (17th–19th centuries) Nawab of Bengal Regional rulers of Bengal and Orissa who evolved from Mughal governors into semi-independent Nawabs; their politics, administration and decline after the Battle of Plassey and Brit…

Nebraska Legislature (Unicameral State Legislature) Nebraska Legislature Nebraska's unicameral Legislature is the only single‑chamber state legislature in the U.S., meeting in Lincoln. It has 49 nonpartisan senators and handles lawmaking, budgets, confi…

Nepotism: favoritism toward relatives in employment and public life Nepotism Nepotism is the practice of giving jobs, offices or advantages to relatives. This article explains its origin, historical examples, modern forms, effects, and measures used to limi…

New Jersey Department of Transportation State agency responsible for planning, building and maintaining New Jersey's highway system and managing safety, traffic operations, capital projects and interagency coordination.