Politics

United States presidential primary An explanation of how U.S. presidential primaries and caucuses select party nominees, their forms, timeline, role in delegate allocation and national conventions, and common critic…

U.S. Senate Energy Subcommittee on Energy United States Senate Energy Subcommittee on Energy Overview of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy: jurisdiction, functions, history, key issues (nuclear, coal, pipelines, R&D), and its role in federal en…

U.S. Senate Energy Subcommittee on National Parks United States Senate Energy Subcommittee on National Parks Subcommittee of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that develops and oversees federal policy, funding, and legislation for national parks, historic sites, and relate…

U.S. Senate Health Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security United States Senate Health Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security A Senate subcommittee focusing on policies that affect primary health care access and the financial security of older Americans, overseeing legislation, hearings, and coordination…

United Torah Judaism (Yahadut HaTorah HaMeuhedet) United Torah Judaism United Torah Judaism (UTJ) is an Ashkenazic Haredi political alliance in Israel, formed in 1992 by Agudat Yisrael and Degel HaTorah to represent Ultra-Orthodox interests in the Kne…

Universal suffrage Universal suffrage is the principle that all adult citizens should have the right to vote in public elections, without discrimination by race, sex, wealth or social status, subject…

Uxbridge and South Ruislip (UK Parliament constituency) A Greater London constituency created in 2010, held by the Conservative Party since its creation and notable for having been represented by Boris Johnson and for its marginal elect…

Vermont Progressive Party A state-level political party in Vermont founded in 1999 that advances social-democratic and progressive policies and has elected local and state officials through independent and…

Virtue, Liberty, and Independence — Pennsylvania's state motto Virtue, Liberty and Independence Overview of Pennsylvania's motto 'Virtue, Liberty, and Independence': meaning, history, symbolism on the coat of arms and flag, and how the three words reflect civic ideals after t…

Volya Movement — Bulgarian political party (Volya) Volya Movement Volya is a Bulgarian political party founded by Veselin Mareshki in 2007. Known for its nationalist, Eurosceptic and pro‑Russian positions, it achieved parliamentary representation…

Voter registration: how people are listed and authorised to vote Voter registration Voter registration is the process by which eligible citizens or residents are recorded on an official list so they can vote. Systems vary by country, with different rules, methods,…

Voting: Methods, Purpose, and Role in Collective Decision‑Making Voting Voting is the process by which people express preferences to choose leaders, adopt laws, or decide group actions. This article explains methods, history, uses, key terms and common…

Voting age (minimum legal age to vote) Voting age The minimum legal age at which people may participate in public elections. Most countries use 18; some allow 16 or other ages. Covers history, variations, arguments, and legal dist…

Voting systems: methods for casting, counting and translating votes Voting system An overview of voting systems: what they are, common types (plurality, majoritarian, proportional, ranked), their principles, effects on representation and party systems, and pract…

Water politics: governance, scarcity, and transboundary issues Water politics Water politics examines how societies allocate, regulate and dispute access to fresh water, covering scarcity, pollution, governance, transboundary rivers, and policy responses to…

Wave elections in the United States A wave election is when one political party makes unusually large gains across multiple races. In the U.S. it is a loosely defined concept measured by seat swings, vote margins and…

Welfare queen (political slur and stereotype in the United States) Welfare queen Pejorative term used in U.S. politics and media to describe alleged misuse of public assistance; tied to media stories, political rhetoric, and debates over welfare policy and stig…

Welfare state: concept, models, history and contemporary debates Welfare state Overview of the welfare state: its purpose, main components and models, historical development, funding and political debates, with examples such as social insurance and public ser…

Western Australian Party (1906) Western Australian Party Short-lived 1906 Western Australian liberal grouping that defended state interests, opposed Labour, ran candidates in the 1906 federal election and later merged into the Commonweal…

Western Block Party A small Canadian political party founded in 2005 advocating independence or greater autonomy for Western Canada; conservative-leaning and distinct from other regional separatist gr…

Whig Party: origins, beliefs, and historical legacy Whig party A concise account of the Whig party: its origins in constitutional resistance to absolute monarchy, rivalry with the Tories, influence in 17th–19th century British politics, and le…

Whig Party (United States) A major U.S. political party of the mid-19th century that opposed Andrew Jackson, supported congressional authority and economic modernization, and fractured over slavery in the 18…

Whigs (British political faction and party, c. 1680s–1850s) Whigs British political faction and later a party that promoted parliamentary supremacy, Protestant succession, commercial interests and limits on royal power; dominant in the 18th centu…

Whip (politics) An explanation of the political whip: the party official responsible for managing votes, attendance and discipline in a legislative body, including roles, methods, history and nati…

White émigré (Russian exiles after the 1917 Revolution) White émigré People who fled Russia after the 1917 Revolution and Civil War; a social and political category covering anti‑Bolshevik soldiers, officials, intellectuals and their communities abr…

White supremacy Belief system and social doctrine that posits white people as superior; includes historical origins, key ideas, targets, manifestations, and social and legal responses.

Wildrose Party (Alberta provincial political party) Wildrose Party A right‑of‑centre provincial party in Alberta, Canada, active from the late 2000s until its 2017 merger into the United Conservative Party; served twice as the official opposition.

Women in the United States Senate: history, milestones, and representation Women in the United States Senate A concise account of women's participation in the U.S. Senate: beginnings, appointments versus elections, key milestones, changing numbers and ongoing representation issues.

Women's suffrage: history, meaning, and global development Women's suffrage The movement to secure women's right to vote and stand for public office, its origins, major milestones, legal distinctions, and lasting social and political effects worldwide.

Women's Voting Rights in the United States Overview of the struggle for women's suffrage in the U.S., its development from local and state campaigns to the Nineteenth Amendment, subsequent limitations, and long-term effects…

Women’s Equality Party (New York) — overview, history, and platform Women’s Equality Party Political party founded in New York in 2014 to promote gender equality, equal pay, reproductive rights and related reforms; known for its role as a cross-endorsement electoral line…

Workers' Party (Brazil) A major left-wing Brazilian party founded in 1980, known for democratic-socialist roots, large social programs, and having produced presidents including Lula and Dilma.

Workers' Party of Korea The ruling political party of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, founded in 1949; central to North Korea's political system, ideology, and governance.

Working Families Party (United States) Working Families Party Progressive political party founded in New York in 1998 that advocates for workers, economic justice and progressive policy; active through endorsements, ballot lines, and local ch…

Workplace democracy: forms, mechanisms, history, and impact Workplace democracy Workplace democracy is the application of democratic practices—voting, deliberation, representation, and due process—inside workplaces to give workers voice in decisions affecting…

World Peace One — a ten‑year global peace initiative World Peace One Overview of World Peace One, a ten‑year peace campaign organized by WP1 Foundation, Inc., its aims, activities, organizational setup, target audiences and notable features.

Yesh Atid: Israeli centrist, social-liberal political party Yesh Atid Yesh Atid is an Israeli centrist, secular and social‑liberal party founded by Yair Lapid in 2012. It has served in coalition governments and won 17 seats in the 24th Knesset.

Yisrael Beiteinu — Israeli nationalist political party Yisrael Beiteinu Yisrael Beiteinu is an Israeli right-wing, secular nationalist party founded in 1999 by Avigdor Lieberman, with a core base among Russian-speaking immigrants and a focus on securit…

Yukon Party — centre‑right territorial party in Yukon, Canada Yukon Party Territorial conservative party in Yukon, Canada. Founded as the Yukon Progressive Conservatives in 1978, renamed in 1991, it governed Yukon from 2002 to 2016 and has since been an…

Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc (BYuT) — Ukrainian political alliance Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc An electoral alliance formed around Yulia Tymoshenko that played a central role in Ukraine's post‑Soviet politics, associated with the Orange movement, pro‑European reformism, and…

ZANU–PF (Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front) ZANU–PF Major Zimbabwean political party born from the liberation struggle; dominant since 1980, associated with nationalist rhetoric, land reform, and contested governance.