Allgemein Flashcards
Supremacy
Principle stating that EU law with direct effect overrides all conflicting national provision
Unicameralism
A parliament’s comprising a single assembly
Unitarism
Non-federal state structure
Stare decisis
Common-law doctrine stating that courts must follow established case law
Semi-presidential system
Constitutional system where the head of state with his own mandate, and a prime minister
Royal assent
The monarch’s approval of a bill
Republic
Constitutional system where the head of state is not a monarch
Rationalized parliament
Parliaments whose legislative and censure powers are restricted with a view to government efficiency
Promulgation
The signing of a bill into law by the head of state
Proportional representation
Electoral system whereby the share of seats assigned corresponds to the share of the vote gained
overseight Parliamentary system
Constitutional system where the cabinet is accountable to the parliament in the sense of a confidence rule
Parliament scutiny
Indicating the role parliament plays in checking and controlling the executive and the administration in its various capacities
Monism
Automatic incorporation of international treaty provisions as an enforceable part of national law with precedence over national laws
Litarism
Interpretation of a constitutional document in the light of the drafters’ original intentions
Lex superior rule
Higher laws override lower laws
Lex specialis rule
Special laws override general laws
Lex posterior rule
Later laws override earlier laws
Legislature
Branch of government charged with making law
Implied repeal
Later laws deviating from earlier laws automatically supersede the earlier laws
First-past-the-post
Electoral system where a relative majority is needed to win
Federalism
A state’s division into territorial sub-units with constitutionally enshrined powers
Dualism
Treatment of international treaty provisions as separate from national law, with domestic effect only after implementation
Devolution
Passing power down to sub-national entities
Countersign
Confirmation of decisions of the head of state by a cabinet member
Constituency
Group of people represented; population of an electoral district
Concrete review
Examination of the validity of laws in the course of an ongoing inter-party dispute
Cabinet
Collegiate (höher) body of government ministers
Bicameralism
A legislature’s division into two different assemblies
Abstract review
Examination of the validity of laws without there being an inter-party dispute
Absolutism
System where the powers of the monarch are unlimited
What is a filibuster?
A practice whereby US Senators would talk endlessly in order to delay the vote. 60 votes are required to break a filibuster.
What is Gerrymandering?
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
What are “Überhangsmandate”
Germany’s election law guarantees all district winners a seat in the Bundestag
What are “Ausgleichsmandate”
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.
What is “vote en bloc”?
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.
