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AP COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS > Ethel Wood Topic Five: Political Insitutions > Flashcards

Ethel Wood Topic Five: Political Insitutions Flashcards

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1
Q

Political Institutions

A

Structures of a political system that carry out the work of governing

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2
Q

Levels of Government

A

Level of authority, geographical distribution of power can vary

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3
Q

Unitary System

A

One that concentrates all policymaking powers in one central geographical place that the central government controls

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4
Q

Confederal System

A

Spreads the power among sub-units (i.e states) and has a weak central government

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5
Q

Federal System

A

Divides the power between the central government and sub-units, and regional bodies have significant powers (i.e taxation, lawmaking, and keeping order)

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6
Q

Integration

A

A process that encourages states to pool their sovereignty in order to gain political, economic, and social clout

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7
Q

Supranational Organizations

A

National governments that establish relations with regional organizations
(Ex: NATO , European Union, NAFTA, OPEC, United Nations)

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8
Q

Globalization

A

An integration of social, environmental, economic, and cultural activities of nations that has resulted from increasing international contacts.

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9
Q

Economic Globalization

A

Intensifies international trade, tying markets, producers, and loan together in increasingly extensive and intensive new ways.
Integrates capital and financial markets around the world

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10
Q

Foreign Direct Investments

A

Purchase of assets in a country by foreign firm

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11
Q

Effect of Technology

A

Ignores national boundaries

Internet allows news from every corner of the globe to rapidly spread to other areas

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12
Q

Fragmentation

A

Tendency for people to base their loyalty on ethnicity, language, religion, or cultural identity

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13
Q

Centripetal Forces

A

BIND PEOPLE TOGETHER; nationalism is a strong force; promotes loyalty and commitment; encourages people to obey the law

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14
Q

Centrifugal Forces

A

DESTABALIZE THE GOVERNMENT; Encourages the country to fall apart

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15
Q

Separatist Movement

A

Nationalities within a country may demand independence

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16
Q

Devolution

A

Tendency to decentralize decision-making to region government
Ethnic Economic and Spatial Forces

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17
Q

Ethnic Forces (Devolution)

A

If a state contains strong ethnic groups with identities that differ from those of the majority, it can threaten the territorial integrity of the state

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18
Q

Ethnonationalism

A

The tendency for an ethnic group to see itself as a distinct nation with a right to autonomy or independence

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19
Q

Economic Forces

A

Economic inequalities may also destabilize a nation-state, particularly if the inequalities are regional

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20
Q

Spatial Forces

A

Devolutionary events most often cur on the margins of the state.
Distance, remoteness, and peripheral location promote devolution

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21
Q

Head of State

A

A role that symbolizes and represents the people, nationally and internationally

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22
Q

Head of Government

A

Deals with the everyday tasks of running the state

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23
Q

Functions of the Chief Executive

A

Most important person in the policymaking process, initiating new policies, and playing an important role in their adoption

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24
Q

Functions of The Cabinet

A

In parliamentary: most important collective decision-making body
In presidential: the president chooses cabinet members

25
Q

Cabinet Coalition

A

Several parties join forces and are represented in different cabinet posts; tend to be unstable

26
Q

Bureaucracies

A

Consist of agencies that implement government policy; usually part of executive branch

27
Q

Max Weber Bureaucracy

A

Well-organized, complex machine that is a “rational” way for a modern society to organize its business; inevitable

28
Q

Characteristics of Bureaucracy (Max Weber)

A

(1) Hierarchical authority structure
(2) Task specialization
(3) Extensive rules
(4) Clear goals
(5) The merit principle
(6) Impersonality

29
Q

Discretionary Power

A

The power to make small decisions in implementing legislative and executive decisions

30
Q

Patronage System

A

Political supporters received jobs in return for their assistance in getting the president elected

31
Q

Technocrats

A

A military regime formed a ruling coalition that included military officers and civilian bureaucrats

32
Q

Common Characteristics of Bureaucracies

A

(1) Non-elected positions: appointed, not elected
(2) Impersonal, efficient structure: goal oriented and little. concern for personal feeling
(3) Formal qualifications for jobs
(4) Hierarchical Organizations
(5) Red Tape/ inefficiency: may stumble under their own weight

33
Q

Legislature

A

Charged with making laws

34
Q

Bicameral Legislature

A

Two houses (upper and lower)

35
Q

Unicameral

A

Single house

36
Q

Elite Recruitment

A

Identifying future leaders of the government

37
Q

Judiciary’s role in political system..

A

Varies considerably from one country to another

38
Q

Constitutional Courts

A

Serve to defend democratic principles of a country against infringement by both the people and government

39
Q

Judicial Review

A

Allows courts to review laws and executive actions for their constitutionality

40
Q

Linkage Institutions

A

Groups that connect the government to its people - political parties, interest groups, and print/electronic media.

41
Q

Parties

A

Help bring people and ideas together to establish the means by which the majority can rule; provide labels for candidates that help citizens decide how to vote

42
Q

Two - Party System

A

Two main political parties

Ex: Democrats and Republicans

43
Q

Multi-Party System

A

Multiple parties; parliamentary roots

44
Q

Electoral Systems

A

Rules that decide how votes are cast, counted, and translated into seats in a legislature

45
Q

First-past-the-post

A

When countries divide their constituencies into single member districts

46
Q

Single-Member Districts (SMD)

A

Candidates compete for a single representative’s seat

47
Q

Plurality System or Winner-take-all System

A

Winner does not need majority to win, but must get more votes than anyone else

48
Q

Proportional Representation

A

More than one legislative seat is contested in each district; voters vast their ballots for a party rather than a candidate > # of votes determines how many seats the party will get in legislature

49
Q

Multi - Member District (MMD)

A

More than one legislative seat is contested in each district

50
Q

Mixed System

A

Combines first-past-the-post and proportional representation; voting is arranged in a combination of multi-member and single-member districts

51
Q

Referendum

A

Allows the public to make direct decisions about policy itself

52
Q

Initiative

A

A vote on a policy that is initiated by the people

53
Q

“Transmission Belts”

A

Conveys interest groups

54
Q

Interest Group Pluralism

A

These autonomous groups compete with each other for influence over state policies

55
Q

State Corporatism

A

Where the state determines which groups are brought in

56
Q

Societal Corporation (Neocorporatism)

A

Where interest groups take the lead and dominate the state.

57
Q

Recruitment

A

Ways to identify and select people for future leadership progress

58
Q

Succession

A

Process that determines the procedure for replacing leaders

AP COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS (6 decks)

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