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Politics & Government vocabulary · Opposition and Accountability

Vote of no confidence

Meaning in politics & government, with examples

nounCommon term

In politics & government, vote of no confidence means: A vote in parliament to decide whether the government or a minister still has the support of a majority; if the government loses it, it may have to resign.

In Turkish: güvensizlik oyu, güvensizlik oylaması

How it is used

The opposition tables or calls a no-confidence motion, and the government survives or loses the vote. The phrase no-confidence vote is also common. A confidence vote is the reverse: the government asks parliament to confirm its support.

Example sentences

  1. The government narrowly survived a vote of no confidence by four votes.

  2. The opposition says it will call a no-confidence vote next week.

Common collocations

  • call a vote of no confidence
  • survive a vote of no confidence
  • lose a vote of no confidence
  • no-confidence motion
  • confidence vote
  • oppositionThe parties in parliament that are not part of the government, especially the largest of them, whose role is to question the government and offer an alternative.
  • parliamentary systemA system of government in which the government comes from parliament and must keep the support of a majority there to stay in power.
  • accountabilityThe duty of people in power to explain their decisions and actions, accept responsibility for them and face consequences if they act wrongly.
  • minority governmentA government formed by a party or coalition that does not have a majority of seats in parliament and depends on support from other parties to pass laws.

More terms: Opposition and Accountability

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