ch 6 (vb) Flashcards
checks and balances
a system whereby each branch of government can limit the powers of the other branches
divine right of kings
the principle that earthly rulers receive their authority from God
electoral college
an election system in which electoral votes are divvied between the states according to population
head of government
the political role of a country’s president or ruler as the leader of a political party or group and chief arbiter of who gets what resources
head of state
the apolitical, unifying role of a country’s president or ruler as symbolic representative of the whole country
hereditary monarchies
the most common form of monarchy; used by almost all of the world’s existing monarchies. under a __________, all rulers come from the same family, and the crown is passed along from one family member to another.
matriarchy
a form of social organization in which the mother is recognized as the head of the family or tribe, and descent and kinship are traced through the mother’s side
monarchy
an authoritarian government with power vested in a king or queen
parliamentary system
a system in which there is a fusion of legislative and executive institutions
patriarchy
a form of social organization in which the father is recognized as the head of the family or tribe, and descent and kinship are traced through the father’s side
presidency
an executive institution that includes all formal and informal powers-the offices, the staffs, and the historical precedents that define it
presidential system
a system in which there is a separation between legislative and executive institutions
prime minister
a member of parliament, who, as the leader of the winning party in the parliament, exercises some of the functions of a chief executive
separation of powers
a system designed so that no one branch of government can become too powerful over the others
