5) Seperation of powers Flashcards
What are the three seperate powers?
Judges.
Legislatures.
Executives.
What is a fused-power system?
Voters elect the legislatures.
The legislature elect the executive branch.
The executive branch can dissolve the legislature.
What is a separation-of-power system?
Voters elect the legislatures.
Voters elect the executive branch.
The executive branch cannot dissolve the legislature.
What are the three different types of government?
Parliamentarism.
Presidentialism.
Semi-presidentialism.
What defines parliamentarism?
A fused-power system, where the legislatures and the executive branch depends on each others support, because the government is elected by the legislatures.
What defines presidentialism?
A SoP system, where the legislatures and the executive branch are not related, because they are elected seperately by the voters.
What defines semi-presidentialism?
Consists of both a president and a primeminister.
The president is directly elected, and he appoints the cabinet.
What defines the majoritarian model?
Concentration of executive power in single-party majority cabinets.
What defines the consensus model?
Executive power-sharing in broad multiparty coalitions.
What are the arguments for parliamentarism?
Cabinets better for sharing power.
Lower risk of stalemate.
Flexible term.
What are the arguments for presidentialism?
Disadvantages only under divided government.
Compensate for weak party system.
Better checks and balances.
What defines a unicameral system?
The legislature has one chamber.
What defines a bicameral system?
The legislature has two chambers: a lower and an uppeer chamber.
Who does the lower chamber represents?
The population as a whole.
Who does the upper chamber represents?
Specific or territorial defined groups.
How is the autonomy of legislatures?
The congress has more autonomy than a parliament, because it is less constraint by the government.
Why is the autonomy of parliaments limited?
Because there is limited room for conflict with government.
What are the legislatures tasks?
Linkage and representation.
Oversight and control.
Policy-making.
What does ‘linkage and representation’ inclued?
The legislative is a forum for debate, which also represent and protect interests.
More effective in single-member constituencies.
What does ‘oversight and control’ inclued?
Legislatures should monitor the executive branch.
Policy control weak in congress, but stronger in parliament.
What does ‘policy-making’ inclued?
Legislatures consulation with the executive branch.
Delay/veto are constrained in parlimentary systems.
What is a divided government?
The presidency is held by one party, and at least one chamber of congress is controlled by the other party.
What is a unified government?
The presidency and all chambers are held by one party.
What does patronage means?
Policy support is exchanged for material goods.
What is a minority government?
A government which has under 50 % of the seats, but has support from the majority of the seats.
What is a majority government?
A government which has at least 50 % of the seats.
What is a single-party government?
A government which consists of one party.
What is a coalition government?
A government which consists of a coalition of several parties.
What does the ideal package of institutions look like (according to the consociationalist perspective)?
Deep social divisions within a country’s population are best addressed through two practices: (a) power sharing and (b) group autonomy.
What does Selway & Templeman (2012) conclued on PR/parliamentarism and political violence?
PR and parliamentarism appear to exacerbate political violence when ethnic fractionalization is high.
What defines the legislature in a fused-power system, where the party system is centralized?
Parliament.
What defines the legislature in a fused-power system, where the party system is decentralized?
Strong parliament.
What defines the legislature in a SoP system, where the party system is centralized?
Weak congress.
What defines the legislature in a SoP system, where the party system is decentralized?
Congress.
