Comparative Government: Test 2 Review

Question 1

horizontal accountability

Answer 1

the ability of state institutions to hold one another accountable

Question 2

vertical accountability

Answer 2

individuals and group’s ability to hold state institutions accountable

Question 3

majoritarian democracy

Answer 3

• more vertical accountability
• power is concentrated and there are fewer state institutions to check the power
  -executive party dominates

Question 4

consensus democracy

Answer 4

• more horizontal integration
• decentralized power

Question 5

parliamentralism

Answer 5

-separate executive functions
-citizens vote for the MPs
-cabinet checks PM

Question 6

executive functions

Answer 6

-head of state
-head of government

Question 7

presidential system

Answer 7

-head of state is the head of the government
-separation of power

Question 8

bureaucracy

Answer 8

unelected officials hired or appointed on basis of merit

Question 9

creation of law in common law

Answer 9

the law evolves with new decisions made by judges in court

Question 10

nature of common law

Answer 10

instructive

Question 11

origin of common law

Answer 11

precedent or judicial rulings

Question 12

judge’s role in common law

Answer 12

interpret or apply the law

Question 13

judicial review in common law

Answer 13

judicial review is decentralized

Question 14

creation of law in code law

Answer 14

issued by various government agencies

Question 15

nature of code law

Answer 15

perspective

Question 16

origin of code law

Answer 16

government and legislature

Question 17

judge’s role in code law

Answer 17

follow the law as written

Question 18

judicial review in code law

Answer 18

concrete

Question 19

electoral system

Answer 19

formal, legal mechanisms that translate votes into control over political offices and shares of political pwer

Question 20

plurality system

Answer 20

whoever gets the most votes win

Question 21

first-past-the-post

Answer 21

in a race with more than 2 candidates, the winner merely needs to edge out the closet competitor

Question 22

majoritarian voting

Answer 22

50% + 1

Question 23

proportional representation

Answer 23

seats in legislature are appointed on a proportional basis

Question 24

closed-list proportional representation

Answer 24

each party presents a ranked list of candidates and will award seats in that order based on how many seats they win

Question 25

open-listed proportional representation

Answer 25

each party presents a list of candidates and voters vote for the candidates

Question 26

types of mixed or semi-proportional systems

Answer 26

-voters cast two ballot
-party composition of the legislature

Question 27

functions of political parties

Answer 27

-recruit and nominate candidates
-bridge institutions
-bring citizen into the political process
-provide opposition to current government
-public uses parties to exert pressure on governement

Question 28

contentious politics

Answer 28

use of disruptive techniques to make a political point

Question 29

social movement

Answer 29

loose organizations that oppose the status quo

Question 30

relative deprivation

Answer 30

a group’s belief that they are not getting their fair share

Question 31

political opportunity structure

Answer 31

the extent to which a regime is open to influence form social movements