Allgemein

Question 1

Supremacy

Answer 1

Principle stating that EU law with direct effect overrides all conflicting national provision

Question 2

Unicameralism

Answer 2

A parliament’s comprising a single assembly

Question 3

Unitarism

Answer 3

Non-federal state structure

Question 4

Stare decisis

Answer 4

Common-law doctrine stating that courts must follow established case law

Question 5

Semi-presidential system

Answer 5

Constitutional system where the head of state with his own mandate, and a prime minister

Question 6

Royal assent

Answer 6

The monarch’s approval of a bill

Question 7

Republic

Answer 7

Constitutional system where the head of state is not a monarch

Question 8

Rationalized parliament

Answer 8

Parliaments whose legislative and censure powers are restricted with a view to government efficiency

Question 9

Promulgation

Answer 9

The signing of a bill into law by the head of state

Question 10

Proportional representation

Answer 10

Electoral system whereby the share of seats assigned corresponds to the share of the vote gained

Question 11

overseight Parliamentary system

Answer 11

Constitutional system where the cabinet is accountable to the parliament in the sense of a confidence rule

Question 12

Parliament scutiny

Answer 12

Indicating the role parliament plays in checking and controlling the executive and the administration in its various capacities

Question 13

Monism

Answer 13

Automatic incorporation of international treaty provisions as an enforceable part of national law with precedence over national laws

Question 14

Litarism

Answer 14

Interpretation of a constitutional document in the light of the drafters’ original intentions

Question 15

Lex superior rule

Answer 15

Higher laws override lower laws

Question 16

Lex specialis rule

Answer 16

Special laws override general laws

Question 17

Lex posterior rule

Answer 17

Later laws override earlier laws

Question 18

Legislature

Answer 18

Branch of government charged with making law

Question 19

Implied repeal

Answer 19

Later laws deviating from earlier laws automatically supersede the earlier laws

Question 20

First-past-the-post

Answer 20

Electoral system where a relative majority is needed to win

Question 21

Federalism

Answer 21

A state’s division into territorial sub-units with constitutionally enshrined powers

Question 22

Dualism

Answer 22

Treatment of international treaty provisions as separate from national law, with domestic effect only after implementation

Question 23

Devolution

Answer 23

Passing power down to sub-national entities

Question 24

Countersign

Answer 24

Confirmation of decisions of the head of state by a cabinet member

Question 25

Constituency

Answer 25

Group of people represented; population of an electoral district

Question 26

Concrete review

Answer 26

Examination of the validity of laws in the course of an ongoing inter-party dispute

Question 27

Cabinet

Answer 27

Collegiate (höher) body of government ministers

Question 28

Bicameralism

Answer 28

A legislature's division into two different assemblies

Question 29

Abstract review

Answer 29

Examination of the validity of laws without there being an inter-party dispute

Question 30

Absolutism

Answer 30

System where the powers of the monarch are unlimited

Question 31

What is a filibuster?

Answer 31

A practice whereby US Senators would talk endlessly in order to delay the vote. 60 votes are required to break a filibuster.

Question 32

What is Gerrymandering?

Answer 32

Manipulative drawing of electoral district borders for tactical advantage by drawing political boundaries to give the own party a numeric advantage over an opposing party

Question 33

What are "Überhangsmandate"

Answer 33

Germany's election law guarantees all district winners a seat in the Bundestag

Question 34

What are "Ausgleichsmandate"

Answer 34

Grants all other parties additional seats to compensate. So that each party's share of seats in parliament is consistent with the number of second votes it received.

Question 35

What is "vote en bloc"?

Answer 35

Germany: Each State either casts all the votes that it has in favor of a proposal or all against or it abstains. A splitting of votes is not permitted.