Chap 15+16 Definitions Flashcards
Checks and balances
Mutual controls among institutions, especially the president, the chamber of congress and the judiciary (exec, leg, jud)
Globalisation
In a semi-presidential regime, the president and the prime minister belong to different parties
Deadlock
Legislative paralysis and inter institutional conflict
Divided government
The president’s party does not have a majority in the assembly
Parliamentary regime
Mutual dependence between the prime minister and the parliament
President
Chief of state, which in some regimes also implies chief executive
Presidential regime
Separate elections and powers between the presidency and the assembly
Presidentialism
Executive dominance and high concentration of powers in the president
Prime minister
Chief executive, also called president of the council of ministers, the president of government, chancellor
Semi-presidential regimes
Dual executive between the elected president and the prime minister accountable to the assembly
Unified regime
The president’s party has a majority of seats in the assembly
Censure
The majority of parliament can overthrow the prime minister
Confidence
The prime minister can check his or her own support in the assembly
Deadlock interval
A set of stable policies located between the preferences of the president and those of the median legislator
Dominant party
The largest party able to block any coalition and form a single-party minority cabinet
Government
In its strict sense, the collective executive body, also called the cabinet
Investiture
A requirement of majority voting in support of the prime minister in parliament
Logrolling
The exchange of votes between different groups of legislators on different policy issues
Median legislator
The pivotal actor able to attract a congressional majority in favour
Minimal connected winning coalition
A coalition formed of parties located on contiguous positions along the policy-ideology space
Minimum winning coalition
Majority coalition without superfluous partners
Veto legislator
The pivotal actor able to either confirm or override the presidential veto
