This lesson practises 30 C2 collocations on Politics, Government & Authority. Collocations are fixed word pairings that native speakers expect — Cambridge examiners test them in Use of English Part 1 and reward precise lexis in Writing. Run through the interactive drills first, then open this glossary to revise every item in the set. For question-by-question feedback, use Review mode after you finish the session.
break diplomatic relations
The government threatened to break diplomatic relations after the incident.
pre-emptive strike
The report described the move as a pre-emptive strike against future criticism.
disband an army
The treaty required the state to disband an army raised during the conflict.
have the muscle to do something
The regulator had the muscle to enforce the new rules.
call for a ceasefire
The international group will call for a ceasefire in the region.
invoke emergency powers
The cabinet may invoke emergency powers during a major national crisis.
cut through red tape
The reform is intended to cut through red tape for small charities.
ceasefire comes into effect
The ceasefire comes into effect at midnight after days of negotiations.
wield considerable influence
The committee can wield considerable influence over national policy.
arrive at an agreement
The parties hope to arrive at an agreement after further talks.
spate of attacks
The authorities responded to a spate of attacks on public transport.
unprovoked attack
The government condemned the unprovoked attack in a public statement.
surgical strike
Commentators called the announcement a surgical strike against the opposition's argument.
flout a rule
No minister should be allowed to flout a rule with impunity.
in breach of the law
The company was in breach of the law after ignoring the safety rules.
infringe the regulations
The proposal must not infringe the regulations that protect personal data.
go on the offensive
The opposition chose to go on the offensive after the budget speech.
faceless bureaucrats
The article criticised faceless bureaucrats without naming any officials.
introduce regulations
The ministry will introduce regulations to improve building safety.
in a position of authority
The minister was in a position of authority during the policy discussion.
uneasy truce
The two groups maintained an uneasy truce during the negotiations.
standardise procedures
The agency wants to standardise procedures across all regional offices.
carry out a risk assessment
Officials must carry out a risk assessment before approving the event.
reach agreement
The leaders hope to reach agreement before the deadline.
comply with the law
Every public body must comply with the law.
restore power
Engineers worked overnight to restore power after the storm.
seize power
The army attempted to seize power during the crisis.
exacting standards
The audit applies exacting standards to public contracts.
introduce new legislation
The government plans to introduce new legislation on housing standards.
mitigating circumstances
The tribunal took mitigating circumstances into account before deciding the penalty.