Politician
Follow the news, state a position with reasons, and disagree politely — out loud.
The election set is where to start: votar, el candidato, la campaña — and the phrase locals actually use for going to vote, ir a las urnas. For ideology, say es de izquierda or es de derecha, never the dated izquierdista. Regional titles shift too: a mayor is el alcalde in Mexico but el intendente in Argentina. Most important at B2: soften every position — creo que, en mi opinión — because in Spanish, as anywhere, tone decides whether the debate stays friendly. &Be teaches all of it by actual debate, out loud — no flashcards, no drills.
Below: government, elections, and policy vocabulary lesson by lesson, the country-specific words that unlock local news, and a way to rehearse a respectful political conversation before you're in one.
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Regional Spanish
Textbooks teach one word. Locals use several — pick your region's and stay consistent.
| English | Mexico | Argentina |
|---|---|---|
| mayor | el alcalde | el intendente |
| public healthcare | el Seguro Social | la obra social |
| protest / blank vote | el voto en blanco | el voto bronca |
Watch out
The part no drill site can do
Olivia
Your vocabulary teacher for this pack
You won't memorize a glossary of government terms — you'll argue with them, gently. In the Politician lessons, Olivia brings up an upcoming election and asks where you stand; you answer with creo que and a reason, not a slogan. She compares two policy proposals — los impuestos, la educación, el medio ambiente — and you weigh them out loud. When she pushes back, you practice the hardest skill in any language: acknowledging her point before you counter it, con respeto, in the moment.
Blank mid-sentence and nothing bad happens — she waits. That's the practice, without unnecessary judgement.
Finish the 6 lessons and Politician is yours — earned, not given.
First 10 lessons free · 10-minute spoken lessons · your AI coaching team remembers you
Quick answers
The verb is votar, but the idiomatic phrase for going to vote is ir a las urnas. Election day itself is la jornada electoral.
Lead with a softener — creo que or en mi opinión — acknowledge the other view, then give a concrete example: por ejemplo, en el caso de... Adding con respeto keeps disagreement friendly.
El alcalde in most countries — but el intendente in Argentine municipalities, and in Mexico a city council member is el regidor.
La izquierda and la derecha — and for people, es de izquierda or es de derecha. Avoid izquierdista, which sounds dated, and know that facho and zurdo are derogatory slang.
A bill is el proyecto de ley; congress can aprobar or rechazar it. Colloquially, Colombians say hundieron el proyecto — they sank the bill — and everywhere you'll hear eso no va a pasar el Congreso.
