Chapter 12: Parliamentary, Presidential, and Semi-Presidential Democracies

Question 1

Different types of democracy

Answer 1

Presidential, Parliamentary, and Semi-presidential

Question 2

What forms of government can form in a parliamentary democracy?

Answer 2

Single-party majority, minimal winning coalition, minority government, surplus majority

Question 3

Office-seeking

Answer 3

Interested in the “intrinsic” benefits of office

Question 4

Policy-seeking

Answer 4

Interested in influencing public policy

Question 5

Legislative responsibility

Answer 5

A legislative majority has the constitutional power to remove the government from office without cause

Question 6

A vote of no confidence

Answer 6

The mechanism in which the legislative majority can remove the government

Question 7

A constructive vote of no confidence

Answer 7

Requires that a government can only be brought down if a legislative majority can agree on its replacement

Question 8

A vote of confidence

Answer 8

Initiated by the government

Question 9

Do presidential democracies have legislative responsibility?

Answer 9

No.

Question 10

Can presidents exist in parliamentary and semi-presidential democracies as well?

Answer 10

Yes.

Question 11

Presidential democracy

Answer 11

The government does not depend on a legislative majority to exist.

Question 12

Parliamentary democracy

Answer 12

The governemt depends on a legislative majority to exist. The head of state is not popularly elected for a fixed term.

Question 13

Semi-presidential democracy

Answer 13

The government depends on a legislative majority to exist. The head of state is popularly elected for a fixed term.

Question 14

What does a parliamentary democracy consist of?

Answer 14

A prime minister (political chief executive) and a cabinet.

Question 15

Doctrine of ministerial responsibility

Answer 15

Each minister is directly responsible to the cabinet for what happens in her department

Question 16

Doctrine of collective cabinet responsibility

Answer 16

A minister might disagree with a policy in cabinet meetings, but once a cabinet decision has been made, each minister must defend the government policy in public

Question 17

An investiture vote

Answer 17

When a government has to demonstrate that it has the support of a legislative majority before it can take office

Question 18

Formateur

Answer 18

A chosen politician to initiate the government formation process

Question 19

Informateur

Answer 19

A person who examines politically feasible coalitions and nominates a formateur

Question 20

Cartaker government

Answer 20

An interrim government. Cannot make major policy initiatives.

Question 21

Gamson’s law

Answer 21

A prime minister must give portfolios to other parties in proportion to the number of seats that each party contributes t othe government’s total number of legislative seats

Question 22

What does a presidential democracy consist of?

Answer 22

The president (political chief executive, head of government and state) and his cabinet

Question 23

When might coalition governments form in presidential systems?

Answer 23

If the president has a weak decree power and does not control a majority of legislative seats

Question 24

Two different types of semi-presidential democracy?

Answer 24

Premier-presidential and president-parliamentary

Question 25

What does a semi-presidential democracy consist of?

Answer 25

A prime minister and a cabinet

Question 26

What is the difference between premier-presidential and president-parliamentary systems?

Answer 26

Whether the government is responsible for the government or not.

Premier: the president has no power to remove the government

P-P: the president has the power to remove the government

Question 27

Cohabitation

Answer 27

Periods in which politicians from different political parties/blocs hold the presidency and prime ministership

Question 28

Representative democracy

Answer 28

Citizens delegate power to their representatives in the legislature

Question 29

Principle-agent, or delegation, problems

Answer 29

Agents might “shirk” for different reasons, such as conflicting preferences, or not being able to carrying out the assigned task

Question 30

Agency loss

Answer 30

The difference between the actual consequence of delegation and the consequence that would have been if the agen had been perfect

Question 31

What can happen when the agent had more information than the principal?

Answer 31

Adverse selection (agent has hidden attributes), and moral hazard (agent can take actions that are hidden)

Question 32

Ex ante mechanisms

Answer 32

Principal learn about their agents before they act

Question 33

Ex post mechanisms

Answer 33

Principal learn about their agents’ action after the fact