Politics

Red Party (Norway) Norwegian left-wing political party founded in 2007 by a merger of far-left groups. Led by Bjørnar Moxnes, it advocates socialism, labour rights, public services and greater econom…

Red Tory (political tradition) Red Tory Red Tory describes a strand of conservatism that combines support for social cohesion and public programs with conservative institutions and moderate market policies.

Reform (social, political, and institutional change) Reform Reform is the process of changing institutions, laws, or practices to improve outcomes or restore principles. It spans political, economic, legal, and social domains and is distinc…

Reform UK (formerly the Brexit Party) Reform UK Reform UK is a British Eurosceptic political party founded in 2018 as the Brexit Party. It advocates leaving EU structures, trading on WTO terms, and wider domestic reforms; led by…

Reformed Political Party (Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij, SGP) Reformed Political Party Dutch orthodox Calvinist political party founded in 1918. Socially conservative, rooted in the Dutch Bible Belt, represented in the national parliament and active in local governme…

Reformism: gradual change through democratic reform Reformism Reformism is the political belief that fundamental social, economic and political change can be achieved through gradual, democratic reforms rather than abrupt revolution.

Reformist socialism Reformist socialism is the view that socialist aims are achieved through gradual, democratic change inside existing institutions—via legislation, social policy, regulation and publ…

Reichstag (German parliament building and historical assembly) Reichstag Reichstag refers to a historic parliamentary assembly and the Berlin building that housed German legislatures from the 19th century to today, and stands as a symbol of political ch…

Representation (politics) How political authority is exercised by a smaller set of actors on behalf of a larger population, including models, institutions, history, and common challenges.

Republic of China (Taiwan): history, government, and contemporary status Republic of China The Republic of China (ROC), commonly called Taiwan, was founded in 1912. Governed from Taipei since 1949, it administers Taiwan and nearby islands and maintains a complex constitu…

Republic of Texas (1836–1845): brief history, government, and legacy Republic of Texas Overview of the Republic of Texas: its creation in 1836, political institutions, challenges, diplomacy, annexation by the United States in 1845, and its lasting historical signific…

Republican: ideology, party affiliation, and historical meanings Republican “Republican” can denote a supporter of a republic or a member of a party named Republican. This article explains its ideological roots, common uses, historical development and impo…

Republican Party (United States) Comprehensive overview of the U.S. Republican Party: history, ideology, organization, symbols, electoral base, major eras and contemporary role in American politics.

Republican People's Party (Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi) — overview and history Republican People's Party The Republican People's Party (CHP) is Turkey's oldest political party. Founded from the national movement led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, it combines Kemalist principles with social…

Republicanism: civic virtue, popular sovereignty, and the rule of law Republicanism Republicanism is a political philosophy that stresses civic virtue, mixed government, popular sovereignty and legal restraints on power. It shaped classical, early modern, and mode…

Republicanism in the United States An account of the political ideals—popular sovereignty, civic virtue, representation, and rule of law—that shaped the American founding, institutions, and ongoing civic debates.

Respect Party (Respect – The Unity Coalition) Respect Party British left-wing party founded 2004, linked to the anti‑Iraq War movement; led by George Galloway, elected MPs in 2005 and 2012, dissolved in 2016. Known for its RESPECT acronym a…

Results of the 2016 Democratic Party presidential primaries Summary of the 2016 Democratic presidential primary results: process, key contests, delegate allocation, outcome that made Hillary Clinton the presumptive nominee, and the race’s s…

Results of the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries Summary and analysis of the 2016 Republican presidential primaries: process, key contests, major candidates, how delegates were allocated, final outcome, and notable impacts.

Revolution: sudden social, political, and technological change Revolution A concise examination of revolutions: what they are, how they happen, major types and examples, causes and effects, and how revolutions differ from reforms, coups, or gradual chang…

Richard Ojeda's 2020 presidential campaign Richard Ojeda 2020 presidential campaign Overview of Richard Ojeda's 2020 Democratic presidential bid: announcement, background, platform themes, campaign course, withdrawal, and its political significance.

Rick Santorum 2016 presidential campaign Overview of Rick Santorum's 2016 bid for the Republican nomination, including goals, positions, campaign course, organization and legacy.

Right-wing politics Overview of right-wing politics: core beliefs, ideological varieties, policy orientations, historical development, relationship to democracy, and contemporary debates about identit…

Ring of Steel (City of London: security cordon and surveillance measures) Ring of Steel (London) The Ring of Steel is the security cordon and surveillance system around the City of London, introduced to reduce terrorist risk through vehicle control, CCTV, checkpoints and autom…

Riot grrrl — 1990s feminist punk movement Riot grrrl Riot grrrl is an underground feminist punk movement from the early 1990s that combined music, DIY publishing and political activism to challenge sexism and create female-centered s…

Rockefeller Republican A label for mid-20th-century U.S. Republicans who combined pro-business views with socially liberal policies and active government programs, associated especially with Nelson Rocke…

Rocky De La Fuente — 2016 U.S. presidential campaign Rocky De La Fuente 2016 presidential campaign Overview of Rocky De La Fuente's 2016 bid: Democratic primary challenge, founding of the American Delta Party, Reform Party nomination, running mate Michael Steinberg, ballot acces…

Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign Ronald Reagan 1980 presidential campaign Comprehensive overview of Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign: announcement, themes, primary fight, organization, running mate choice, election results and political legacy.

Rotten borough (United Kingdom) Rotten borough A rotten borough was a parliamentary constituency with a very small electorate in pre‑Reform Act Britain, often controlled by a patron; its abuse helped drive the 1832 reform and l…

Rump Parliament (1648–1660) Rump Parliament Assembly of the Long Parliament that remained after Pride's Purge (December 1648); its actions led to the trial of Charles I, the Commonwealth, and its eventual dissolution before…

Running mate A running mate is a candidate who joins another on a joint electoral ticket, typically a vice-presidential partner. This article explains roles, selection strategy, legal variation…

Russian interference in the 2016 United States presidential election Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections Overview of official findings, methods, investigations, impacts and debates surrounding claims that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Ryutin Affair (1932–1937): Internal Opposition to Stalin in the Soviet Communist Party Ryutin Affair The Ryutin Affair was a 1932–1937 episode in which Martemyan Ryutin and a small group circulated an anti-Stalin platform. It led to arrests, exile to labor camps, and Ryutin's exec…

Schulze method: Condorcet voting by strongest paths Schulze method A Condorcet-compliant single-winner voting system that selects winners by computing strongest paths between candidates. Developed by Markus Schulze (1997) and used by several open-…

Scott Walker's 2016 presidential campaign Scott Walker 2016 presidential campaign Overview of Scott Walker's bid for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination: announcement, themes, organization, outcome, and the campaign's place in his political career.

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Scottish Conservative Party Centre-right political party in Scotland advocating conservatism and unionism; the Scottish branch of the UK Conservative Party with representation in Holyrood and Westminster.

Scottish Greens The Scottish Greens are a political party in Scotland focused on environmentalism, social justice, proportional representation and Scottish self-determination within a European fra…

Scottish Labour Party Scottish Labour Centre-left political party in Scotland affiliated with the UK Labour Party, promoting social democracy and unionism; history, organization, policies, and recent electoral performa…

Scottish Liberal Democrats Centre to centre-left political party in Scotland, affiliated with the UK Liberal Democrats; supports liberal policies, strong devolved powers within the UK, and opposes Scottish i…

Scottish National Party (SNP) Scottish National Party Centre-left political party in Scotland advocating Scottish independence, social-democratic policies and closer ties with the EU; dominant in devolved Scottish politics since 2007.

Scottish Socialist Party Left-wing Scottish political party founded in 1998 that advocates socialism and Scottish independence; overview of its history, organisation, policies and political role.

SDP–Liberal Alliance: UK centrist electoral partnership (early 1980s–1988) SDP-Liberal Alliance History of the SDP–Liberal Alliance, the UK centrist electoral pact (early 1980s–1988) between the Social Democratic and Liberal parties, its 1983/87 election performance and 1988…

Secession: causes, forms, legal context and notable examples Secession Secession is when a region breaks away from an existing state to create a separate polity. This article surveys definitions, legal frameworks, historical cases, peaceful and violen…

Second Party System (United States, c. 1828–1854) Second Party System United States political party era (circa 1828–1854) defined by mass democratic participation, the Democratic and Whig parties, vigorous partisan culture, and competing responses to…

Secret ballot: the private method of voting and its history Secret ballot A secret ballot is a voting method that preserves voter anonymity to reduce coercion and fraud. This article explains how it works, its history, common forms, and why it matters fo…

Self-Strengthening Movement (Qing dynasty reform, 1861–1895) Self-Strengthening Movement Late Qing reform program (1861–1895) to modernize military and industry by adopting Western technology while preserving traditional institutions. Led by regional officials, it had…

Separatism: causes, forms, history and consequences Separatism Overview of separatism: its motivations, common forms (autonomy to secession), historical drivers, examples and distinctions from related concepts such as federalism and nationalis…

Separatist movements in India: causes, regions, and responses Separatist movements of India Overview of separatist movements in India, their causes, notable regional examples, historical development, methods, and governmental and societal responses.